Benzinga – by Chris Katje, Benzinga Staff Writer.
The University of Connecticut Huskies have won back-to-back NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships, becoming the first team to win consecutive titles since 2006-2007. The victory comes after Connecticut was ranked sixth to start the season.
Two presidents picked Connecticut to win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, which could have turned into a profitable bet for those who tailed.
What Happened: Connecticut entered the 2024 March Madness Tournament as the number one overall seed and was the leading pick on 24.7% of ESPN Tournament Challenge brackets, including those from former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden.
The Connecticut basketball team was the betting favorite entering the tournament with odds of +340 from sportsbook DraftKings Inc (NASDAQ:DKNG).
Heading into the Sweet 16, Connecticut remained the betting favorite with odds of +210. When the field was down to the Final 4, Connecticut was an overwhelming favorite with odds of -195 to win the championship.
On Monday, April 8, Connecticut defeated Purdue, also a 1-seed, with a score of 75-60. TBS, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD), aired the game.
TBS also broadcast the Final Four games on Saturday, April 6.
With the victory, those who picked Connecticut had the right champion, including both Obama and Biden. Those who bet on Connecticut at the start of the tournament also saw their futured bet cash out victoriously.
A $100 bet on Connecticut to win the tournament placed after the brackets were revealed paid out a profit of $340.
At the start of the season, Connecticut had odds of +1,600 to win the NCAA Championship, while Kansas was ranked first with odds of +1,000. Runner-up Purdue was ranked third with odds of +1,200.
Related Link: March Madness Perfection: The Incredibly Low Odds Of Correctly Nailing 63 NCAA Games
Winning In Dominant Fashion: Connecticut joins a prestigious list of college basketball teams to win back-to-back titles. The other teams to do so were:
- Oklahoma State: 1945, 1946
- Kentucky: 1948, 1949
- San Francisco: 1955, 1956
- Cincinnati: 1961, 1962
- UCLA: 1964, 1965
- UCLA: 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971,1972, 1973
- Duke: 1991, 1992
- Florida: 2006, 2007
The victory by Connecticut marked the first back-to-back winner in 17 years. Connecticut also became only the fourth overall 1 seed to win the championship since the 1-seeds were ranked beginning 20 years ago. The last overall 1 seed to win the tournament was Louisville in 2013.
So, while Biden and Obama picking the overall 1-seed may have seemed like a safe bet, it also came with history not on their side. Only two teams had won back-to-back since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Connecticut dominated the tournament, winning all of its games by at least 14 or more points. The team’s point differential of +140 is now the record for an NCAA Tournament.
Over their two years in the years of their back-to-back titles, Connecticut won all 12 games by double digits. Both years saw Connecticut go a perfect 6-0 against the spread in games, covering all the spreads placed by sportsbooks.
Connecticut entered the tournament as one of four teams that fit the criteria often needed to win a championship, which is being top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiencies. The team ranked 1st offensively and 11th defensively.
As shown above, only UCLA has won back-to-back-to-back NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships. Connecticut faces an uphill battle as it loses players and will see other teams vying to end its streak.
Here are the current odds from DraftKings to win the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament:
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