The football version of the Sun Belt has earned the affectionate nickname “Fun Belt” due to its topsy-turvy standings and wild endings.
The basketball version is no slouch, though, and certainly warrants similar fondness.
In fact, for futures bettors, the league has offered plenty of “Fun in the Sun” recently.
In three of the past four years, a team picked near the bottom in the preseason has won the regular season crown outright.
Parity reigns!
| Season | Champion | Preseason Poll # |
| 2022-23 | Southern Miss | 13th |
| 2021-22 | Texas State | 3rd |
| 2020-21 | Texas State | 10th |
| 2019-20 | Little Rock | 11th |
Note: Perhaps I’m somewhat biased after hitting a 200/1 ticket on Southern Miss last year. But hey – that just proves the bountiful opportunities are real!
Sun Belt NCAAB Regular Season Title Odds
| Team Name | Odds (Via BetMGM) |
| James Madison | +250 |
| Marshall | +300 |
| App State | +550 |
| Southern Miss | +650 |
| Arkansas State | +1000 |
| Old Dominion | +1000 |
| South Alabama | +1600 |
| Louisiana | +2000 |
| Texas State | +2000 |
| Georgia State | +3000 |
| Troy | +5000 |
| Georgia Southern | +5000 |
| Coastal Carolina | +8000 |
| UL Monroe | +8000 |
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The Favorites
James Madison Dukes
Mark Byington has quickly gotten things rolling at James Madison, and the former Georgia Southern coach has another contender this year.
His teams thrive via outstanding depth and a balanced offensive approach.
This unit also has star power, though, as fourth-year junior Terrence Edwards Jr. could be a Sun Belt Player of the Year candidate.
Marshall is something of an enigma after losing two 20-point scorers that combined for over 4,200 career points.
Kam Curfman is back as one of the country’s best shooters, and coach Dan D’Antoni’s up-tempo system has a strong track record, but the Thundering Herd have too many question marks to ride at short-ish odds.
Speaking of enigmas, Southern Miss added Andre Curbelo this offseason. The former top-50 recruit could be the best player in the conference or end up suspended for half the games – he got suspended twice at St. John’s and again faced disciplinary action this offseason with the Puerto Rican national team.
The Golden Eagles would be more attractive as a high-ceiling long shot.
Appalachian State brings plenty of intrigue as the veteran contender. The Mountaineers return four full-time starters and a fifth part-timer, including super-senior Swiss Army knife Donovan Gregory and bouncy sophomore Justin Abson, the Sun Belt’s best shot-blocker.
Coach Dustin Kerns is terrific and nearly won the league in 2022.
If newcomer Myles Tate (Butler) bolsters the backcourt, watch out for App State, though that top-ranked KenPom spot suppresses the odds a little.
Other Contenders
The computer projections weren't as favorable to Old Dominion, while The Almanac’s Brian Rauf liked the Monarchs’ collection of high-upside transfers.
Like Marshall, JMU and Southern Miss, ODU is only in its second year in the Sun Belt, but Jeff Jones & Co. are already a contender.
South Alabama is similarly all over the map in the rankings, likely due to Richie Riley’s reliance on Division II imports.
Isiah Gaiter and Samuel Tabe were highly productive at that lower level, but are they enough to complement returnees Tyrell Jones and Judah Brown?
Arkansas State is the true wild card.
New boss Bryan Hodgson comes from Nate Oats’ staff at Alabama, and a quartet of talented transfers — plus six returning rotation pieces, including all three starting guards – make the Red Wolves a candidate to take a huge leap.
Louisiana is on the other end of the spectrum after going dancing last year and losing a ton of production, most notably double-double machine Jordan Brown.
There’s still some upside here around point guard Themus Fulks (6.0 APG) and a healthy Kobe Julien, but the ceiling may not be high enough.
Long Shots
Remember, do not ignore these squads in the Sun Belt!
Right off the bat, Georgia State could be an enticing dart throw. The Panthers floundered in Jonas Hayes’ first year, dragged down by a turnover-prone, bricklaying offense.
A full offseason could act as an antidote to those toxins, as could a transfer class that infuses multiple shooters and even more athleticism.
GSU was picked fifth in last year’s preseason poll, and there could be some “post-hype sleeper” appeal now.
Texas State captured the league crown in Terrence Johnson’s first two seasons at the helm (one as interim coach), but the loss of tough-as-nails shot-maker Mason Harrell will hurt the Bobcats’ style.
Johnson grinds in the half court, and he needs a late shot clock creator.
Troy Trojans & Georgia Southern Eagles
Both Troy and Georgia Southern offer some long shot intrigue.
Troy boss Scott Cross has won – and won a lot – in this league, and his roster is a giant wild card of highly productive JUCO transfers and a possible star freshman to go with two returning guards in Aamer Muhammad and Christyon Eugene.
Like Arkansas State, Georgia Southern hired a Nate Oats assistant (Charlie Henry), and the Eagles have upside via multiple transfers.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers & UL Monroe Warhawks
The caboose in the Sun Belt train is either Coastal Carolina or UL Monroe, depending where you look.
The Chanticleers have a steady old hand at the helm – 77-year-old Cliff Ellis, who has won 906 D-I games – and some shiny new transfers. But Coastal has typically settled into the middle of the standings lately, and the upside likely features the same outcome.
ULM, meanwhile, has a star guard in Tyreke Locure but questions elsewhere. The portal didn't offer the same degree of solutions for the Warhawks as it did for other conference foes.
Sun Belt Betting Recommendations
Given how the teams are situated in preseason projections, I will likely take a flier on the two Alabama assistants at Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.
Both are making drastic changes in styles with a bevy of new roster pieces. That screams “high variance team” to me, which could portend a shocking rise up the always-changing Sun Belt standings.
If you want something a little safer, I would recommend either App State or Old Dominion. Both coaches are savvy veterans, and both rosters are loaded with a combination of experience and upside.
Ignoring betting odds, App State is (very narrowly) my pick to win the conference.
At the risk of looking silly later, Marshall stands out to me as the worst value. The Thundering Herd lack a true point guard and must fill major scoring voids without obvious candidates to do so. Likely priced as a top three team, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
