Wisconsin basketball among favorites to win 2021 national title

For the first time since 1938, the NCAA tournament did not take place and we did not crown a champion in college basketball. But it will be back in 2021 and oddsmakers have already put out who they believe will be in the mix for a national title, and it includes Wisconsin.

According to BetOnline, the Badgers are 20/1 to win their first title since 1941, tied for the ninth-best odds of any team in the country.

Wisconsin won its final eight games of the season and clinched a share of its first Big Ten championship in five years. Coach Greg Gard’s club will return everyone in its rotation except for senior Brevin Pritzl. The starting lineup could include five seniors — Nate Reuvers, Aleem Ford, Micah Potter, Brad Davison and D’Mitrik Trice — while the Badgers bring in a recruiting class ranked No. 20 in the country and third in the Big Ten. It’s a group highlighted by 4-star forward Ben Carlson (Saint Paul, Minn.) and 3-star guard Johnny Davis (La Crosse, Wis.).

At 20/1, Wisconsin owns the second-best odds among Big Ten teams. Michigan State comes in at 12/1, while Ohio State (28/1), Michigan (33/1), Illinois (50/1), Indiana (50/1), Iowa (50/1), Penn State (50/1) and Purdue (50/1) fall in behind the Badgers.

Overall, the oddsmakers have Virginia and Gonzaga as the co-favorites at 9/1, with Kanas (10/1), Kentucky (12/1) and the Spartans rounding out the top five.