Duke is expected to enjoy a reload rather than a rebuild in 2018. Despite losing three of its players to the first round of the NBA Draft, the Blue Devils have restocked their roster by enrolling a No. 1-ranked recruiting class. Headlining the bunch are three of the top five prospects in the 2018 class, including No. 1 recruit R.J. Barrett, a favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and No. 2 recruit Cameron Reddish, also a projected top-3 pick next year.
The talent the Blue Devils are importing into Durham gives them a slight leg up as the favorite to win the national title next season. And according to odds just released from Westgate Las Vegas Superbook on which teams will make the Final Four in 2019, Duke is tied for the top odds at 5-4 to get there.
The Blue Devils are joined by Kansas and Kentucky with the 5-4 probability placed by the popular Vegas odds-maker.
If you're wagering some cheddar, Kentucky, the No. 1 team in the CBS Sports Top 25 (and one), is the smartest wager of the three. Not only do the Wildcats bring back Quade Green, Nick Richards, PJ Washington and Jemarl Baker, but they also add Stanford grad transfer Reid Travis to a recruiting class littered with bluechip talent.
Kansas is a close runner-up just ahead of Duke in my eyes; with Udoka Azubuike returning and Charlie Moore, Dedric Lawson, K.J. Lawson, Quentin Grimes, Devon Dotson and David McCormack all joining the fold, the Jayhawks are in line to win the Big 12 for a 15th consecutive season. It's not at all crazy to think they could also repeat as a Final Four guest after making the trip to San Antonio earlier this year.
2019 NCAA Tournament Odds
| Team | To win championship | To make Final Four |
|---|---|---|
| Duke | 5-1 | 5-4 |
| Kentucky | 5-1 | 5-4 |
| Kansas | 6-1 | 5-4 |
| Oregon | 7-1 | 5-1 |
| Nevada | 12-1 | 3-1 |
| North Carolina | 18-1 | 9-2 |
| Michigan State | 20-1 | 9-2 |
| Virginia | 20-1 | 9-2 |
| UCLA | 20-1 | 7-1 |
| Villanova | 30-1 | 7-1 |
| Gonzaga | 30-1 | 7-4 |
| Auburn | 30-1 | 10-1 |
| West Virginia | 30-1 | 7-1 |
| Michigan | 40-1 | 7-1 |
| Florida | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Wichita State | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Indiana | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Purdue | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| Tennessee | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| Syracuse | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| Texas Tech | 60-1 | 15-1 |
| Florida State | 60-1 | 15-1 |
| Virginia Tech | 60-1 | 15-1 |
| Western Kentucky | 75-1 | 75-1 |
| Arizona State | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| Cincinnati | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| Ohio State | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| Clemson | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| Miami | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| NC State | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| Kansas State | 80-1 | 20-1 |
| Maryland | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Mississippi State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| louisville | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| LSU | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Baylor | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Penn State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Wisconsin | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| St. John's | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Butler | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| TCU | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Arizona | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Arkansas | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Alabama | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| St. Joseph's | 100-1 | 100-1 |
| Seton Hall | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Iowa State | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Missouri | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| San Diego State | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Illinois | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Providence | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Southern California | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Houston | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Creighton | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Oklahoma | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Saint Mary's | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Minnesota | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| SMU | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Memphis | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| South Carolina | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Marquette | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Georgetown | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Washington | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Rhode Island | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Utah | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Buffalo | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| Marshall | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| Northern Iowa | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| Richmond | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| Utah State | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| New Mexico State | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| Charleston | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| DePaul | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| Dayton | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| St. Bonaventure | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| VCU | 200-1 | 200-1 |
| Oregon State | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Northwestern | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Iowa | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Nebraska | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Goergia | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Oklahoma State | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| UConn | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Boise State | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Boston College | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| New Mexico | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| UNLV | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | 75-1 |
| Valparaiso | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Northeastern | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Montana | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Georgia State | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Bradley | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Colorado State | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Wright State | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Furman | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Grand Canyon | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Middle Tennessee | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Southern Illinois | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Toledo | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Louisiana | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Belmont | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Missouri State | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| La Salle | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Tulane | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Pennsylvania | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Western Michigan | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| UAB | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Vermont | 400-1 | 400-1 |
| Stanford | 500-1 | 125-1 |
| Illinois State | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Loyola-Chicago | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| UCF | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wake Forest | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| BYU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Temple | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Georgia Tech | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Colorado | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Ole Miss | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Saint Louis | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Fresno State | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Harvard | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Old Dominion | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Rutgers | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Tulsa | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| UC Davis | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| South Dakota | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| UNC Greensboro | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| San Diego | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| North Texas | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Iona | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| East Tennessee State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Wofford | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| San Francisco | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| UC Irvine | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| UTSA | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Kent State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| South Dakota State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Massachusetts | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Liberty | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Yale | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Rider | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| George Mason | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Ball State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Louisiana Tech | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Florida Gulf Coast | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Southern Miss | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| South Alabama | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Northern Kentucky | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Monmouth | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Washington State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Princeton | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Cal State Fullerton | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Jacksonville State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Indiana State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Ohio | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Eastern Michigan | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| North Dakota State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Miami (Ohio) | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Towson | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Weber State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Georgia Southern | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Bucknell | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Illinois-Chicago | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Seattle | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Texas State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Duquesne | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Utah Valley | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Milwaukee | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Hawaii | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Wyoming | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| William and Mary | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Albany | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| UNC Wilmington | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| California | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| UCSB | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Cleveland State | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Portland | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| UMBC | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Central Michigan | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Pittsburgh | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Oakland | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Evansville | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
| Texas-Arlington | 1000-1 | 1000-1 |
- Odds via Westgate