If you're looking to be opportunistic when placing futures before the upcoming college basketball season tips off, then this is the place to hear about five underrated squads.
These teams don't necessarily have a National Championship ceiling, yet I feel that they're all better than the betting markets are implying.
Let’s dive into five underrated college basketball teams on the betting market.
Conference odds are via DraftKings while Final Four odds are via FanDuel.
Saint Mary's Gaels
To Win WCC: +325 | To Make Final Four: +2600
Since 2002, Randy Bennett has surpassed even the loftiest expectations that the Saint Mary’s athletic department may have had when they chose to hire him as their head coach.
After taking a couple of years to find his footing, Bennett has led the Gaels to a winning record in every season since the 2003-04 campaign.
The Gaels' worst KenPom finish during that span was 75th, which came during the COVID season.
Despite the consistent success, Saint Mary’s received little to no consideration in this season's initial AP Poll.
To be fair, Bennett will be tasked with replacing quite a bit of production from last year’s WCC championship squad.
Aidan Mahaney made the cross-country trip up to Storrs, CT, to play for Dan Hurley after averaging nearly 14 points per game last season.
Alex Ducas’ perimeter shooting earned him a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder after a successful final season in Moraga.
And unfortunately for Saint Mary's, Joshua Jefferson is now on Iowa State after rehabbing from a leg injury that ended his season after 26 games.
At a time when many successful, tenured coaches are opting out of the college basketball landscape, Bennett is zagging. He's accepted the reality that some of his best players are more likely to leave, evidenced by his offseason quotes.
Bennett’s recent recruiting success supports that sentiment. The Gaels' six new roster additions include two high-major transfers in Paulius Murauskas (Arizona) and Ashton Hardaway (Memphis) and four talented freshmen that could make immediate contributions.
Mikey Lewis is a rare top-100 recruit for Saint Mary’s that has a chance to lead the team in scoring in his freshman campaign.
Saint Mary’s holds the bragging rights over WCC powerhouse Gonzaga by virtue of winning the league last season. Bennett will rely heavily upon his proven First Team All-WCC veterans — Mitchell Saxen and Augustas Marciulionis — to defend that crown.
Saxen earned WCC Defensive Player of the Year honors, while his teammate Marciulionas was named the conference's Player of the Year award.
Saint Mary's turned things around in 2023-24 after beginning with a shockingly poor 8-6 record.
I don’t expect a similarly sluggish start this year, so consider taking Saint Mary’s to win the WCC, which will ultimately earn Bennett yet another appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson Tigers
To Win ACC: +1500
Much like Bennett, Brad Brownell is another head coach with tenure and success.
However, after a 15-point loss at Virginia Tech and a 1-3 start to ACC play last season, many were wondering if Clemson would move on from the head coach the program hired back in 2011.
Brownell ignored the noise and led Clemson to the Elite Eight thanks to impressive wins over New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona.
PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III were the veteran leaders for that tournament run, but unfortunately, neither Hall nor Girard will be part of another potential run this season.
The Tigers won’t be forced to completely rebuild. Chase Hunter, Ian Schieffelin and Chauncey Wiggins are all returning starters from last season. Even more rare is the fact that all three have spent their entire respective careers under Brownell at Clemson.
Also, Brownell added transfers Viktor Lakhin (Cincinnati), Myles Foster (Illinois State) and Jaeden Zackey (Boston College).
Duke and North Carolina are always the class of the ACC, and should be yet again this season. However, I believe Clemson is next in line in what may be a top-heavy ACC.
The conference schedule is 20 games — which is a large sample size that figures to favor Duke and UNC — but even if Clemson falls short in the regular season race, consider taking the Tigers to win the ACC Tournament and potentially make another run to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Pittsburgh Panthers
To Win ACC: +4000
Jeff Capel’s tenure as Pitt's head coach didn't establish firm footing right away. Capel had to navigate the COVID season almost immediately after being hired, yet three losing seasons didn't help establish his credibility after he failed at the end of his Oklahoma head-coaching tenure.
Pitt has suddenly rebounded after Capel’s rocky start, earning an at-large NCAA Tournament bid in 2022-23 before just missing out on a berth after a 22-11 record last season.
In fact, Capel implied the “NET” rankings were biased against the ACC after some non-conference results artificially propped up the rankings of teams from other power conferences.
Pitt has road contests at Ohio State and Mississippi State this season, among what is an otherwise soft non-conference portion of its schedule. Blowing out cupcakes by a significant margin and earning at least one win in the two non-conference road games mentioned above will be massive in building its resume.
The Panthers’ ceiling isn't as high as the powerhouses of the ACC. The losses of Blake Hinson and “Bub” Carrington — who was selected 14th overall in the NBA draft after spending only his freshman year at Pitt — drained a lot of talent that will be tough for Capel to replace.
Nonetheless, the offseason additions of Cameron Corhen (Florida State) and Damian Dunn (Houston) bring experience and size to combat what was lost when Hinson and Carrington departed.
If Dunn can play with more freedom and utilize all the tools he showcased during his time at Temple, I expect Pitt to finish near the top of the ACC and make a return to the NCAA Tournament.
Dayton Flyers
To Win Atlantic 10: +425 | To Make Final Four: +6000
Obi Toppin and the rest of his teammates from the 2020 powerhouse Dayton Flyers aren’t walking back through that door.
A few key standouts from last season’s team have also unfortunately departed. Dominant big DaRon Holmes II is now with the Denver Nuggets. The backcourt duo of Koby Brea and Kobe Elvis also departed via the transfer portal.
Despite the roster turnover, Flyer fans still have plenty of reason for optimism.
Enoch Cheeks will return in the backcourt for Anthony Grant after playing nearly 32 minutes per game in A-10 play last year. Cheeks spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Robert Morris before transferring to Dayton.
Grant didn’t necessarily assume Cheeks would be as valuable of a contributor as he ultimately was last year, but the step up in competition level was something the guard proved he was ready for.
Cheeks and fellow transfer Nate Santos ultimately ranked second and third in minutes played for Dayton last season, trailing only the aforementioned Holmes.
Both Santos and Cheeks excel at earning trips to the foul line offensively and will be the reliable mainstays for Grant as he mixes in new roster additions this year.
Injuries have plagued the two flashiest new additions. Zed Key was one of the best frontcourt players in the Big Ten at Ohio State in 2023 before tearing his labrum against Purdue. Also, Malachi Smith was an All-A-10 freshman for Dayton before suffering ankle and meniscus injuries in back-to-back years.
Both are looking to shake off rust and instill confidence again after rehabbing significant injuries.
Following surgery, Key wasn't the same player in 2023-24. However, if a fresh start in Dayton helps him regain his confidence, he could be an absolute steal for Grant.
If Key plays to his ceiling, Dayton again should prove it's the class of the A-10.
Villanova Wildcats
To Win Big East: +2500 | To Make Final Four: +4500
There aren’t many familiar faces on the Villanova roster this year. In fact, there figures to be only one commonality when comparing last year’s starting five to the likely starters this season.
After a tumultuous — and frankly disappointing — second season under the leadership of Kyle Neptune, change is likely a good thing.
The lone carryover in the starting lineup is certainly a valuable one. It’s hard to believe we're only two years removed from a Villanova Final Four appearance, but one of the starters for Jay Wright throughout that season was Eric Dixon.
Dixon is a 6-foot-8, strong and subtly athletic forward who can stretch the floor when asked, boasting a 37% mark from 3-point range throughout his career.
Dixon has remained healthy and started every game in three consecutive seasons. Neptune certainly hopes that reliability will be maintained throughout the upcoming year.
Villanova had a ton of issues closing games in the final four minutes last season; the Wildcats lost nine games by two possessions or less. Neptune’s coaching ability was called into question as a result of the frequency of those close losses, leading to many strategic tweaks by the head coach in the offseason.
First, Neptune added a veteran staff member to his bench in June. Jamie Young, who's been in the coaching profession for nearly 25 years, was named associate head coach after spending time with the Celtics and 76ers under Doc Rivers.
Young figures to help Neptune in those crucial closing situations by aiding with substitution and clock management decision-making.
Neptune was also clear in targeting experienced, poised veterans in the transfer portal. The Wildcats signed three transfers that are either seniors or graduate students that will be key in handling the pressure of closing out close games.
Enoch Boakye is a senior rim protector and rebounder that committed to Villanova after spending the last two seasons at Fresno State. The key closers that were brought in, however, are the two transfer guards that are likely to start in Nova's backcourt.
Wooga Poplar helped Miami reach the Elite Eight in 2022 and the Final Four the following year. Neptune is surely optimistic that Poplar — alongside graduate transfer Jhamir Brickus from La Salle — can comprise a backcourt that will lead the Wildcats to a similar postseason run.
Villanova’s record since Wright’s departure seems extremely troubling at surface level. However, I’m willing to consider the recent record may not fully indicate how close Villanova is to playing at a high level again this season.
