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Sports book lists Maryland as early favorite to win national title

Mark Turgeon

AP Photo

AP

After winning 28 games and making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2010, big things are expected of the Maryland Terrapins in 2015-16. And in the case of one sports book, Mark Turgeon’s team has the look of one that should be seen as the favorite to win the national title.

Bovada sportsbook updated its odds for the 2016 national title, and Maryland leads the way with odds of 9-to-1 to cut down the nets in Houston. While Maryland does have to account for the loss of Dez Wells, Melo Trimble and Jake Layman lead the way for the returnees with interior additions Robert Carter Jr. (Georgia Tech transfer) and Diamond Stone expected to be major contributors as well.

Three teams follow Maryland with odds of 10-to-1 to win the title, reigning national champion Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina. The Blue Devils lose a lot from their championship team, but the additions of incoming freshmen Derryck Thornton Jr. and Brandon Ingram will certainly help. Kentucky also has some major personnel losses to deal with, but John Calipari returns Tyler Ulis and Marcus Lee and adds a recruiting class led by Isaiah Briscoe and Skal Labissiere.

As for the Tar Heels, they return every member of last year’s rotation outside of J.P. Tokoto who turned pro. But his departure opens up even more minutes on the wing for returning starter Justin Jackson and fellow sophomore Theo Pinson, and the return of veterans Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks make Roy Williams’ team one to watch in 2015-16.

One surprise in these odds is that Auburn (100-to-1) received more respect than a Vanderbilt (125-to-1) team that returns a lot of talent from last season. The Commodores, viewed by some as a Top 25 caliber team, may not be a bad choice if looking to cash in on a long shot and the same could be argued for Baylor at 75-to-1. Texas has the best odds of teams with a new head coach at 50-to-1.

Below are the odds of some of the teams listed by Bovada (up to 100-to-1). The full list can be found here (links to Bovada’s site, so if you’re at work and the employer frowns upon gambling sites you’ve been warned).

Maryland 9/1

Duke 10/1

Kentucky 10/1

North Carolina 10/1

Kansas 16/1

Michigan State 16/1

Arizona 20/1

California 20/1

Iowa State 20/1

Virginia 20/1

Gonzaga 25/1

Indiana 25/1

Villanova 25/1

Wichita State 25/1

Oklahoma 28/1

Michigan 33/1

Purdue 33/1

Louisville 40/1

LSU 50/1

Notre Dame 50/1

Ohio State 50/1

Syracuse 50/1

Texas 50/1

Texas A&M 50/1

UConn 50/1

Utah 50/1

Wisconsin 50/1

Florida 66/1

Miami FL 66/1

SMU 66/1

Baylor 75/1

Butler 75/1

NC State 75/1

Auburn 100/1

Cincinnati 100/1

Dayton 100/1

Florida State 100/1

Georgetown 100/1

Georgia 100/1

Illinois 100/1

Iowa 100/1

Providence 100/1

San Diego State 100/1

UCLA 100/1

West Virginia 100/1