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I went to Las Vegas for a bachelor party last weekend. As our adventures were winding down, I knew I had to do two things before leaving the desert:
1) Get an animal-style double-double burger from In-N-Out
2) Make a few bets at a sports book
After placing a few winning bets for some horses at a racetrack I'd never previously heard of, I was emboldened to make a futures bet on my beloved Hoosiers for next season. So here went nothing:
WHY NOT US pic.twitter.com/prYBSP4iwV
— Crimson Quarry (@crimsonquarry) April 19, 2015
At the Rio, which uses the Caesars Palace sports book, I was able to get the Hoosiers at 20/1 odds. I know I may look like a fool for this bet if Yogi Ferrell announces he's going pro on Saturday, but if Ferrell returns, and THON comes to the team, those odds are going to decrease sharply. And as a fan who doesn't get out to Vegas often, the minimum bet of $10 on my alma mater seemed like a worthy souvenir, one that would pay out a nice return of couple hundred bucks if it somehow comes true.
However, as you can see by the most recent NCAA basketball futures odds (via OddsShark), I may have been able to get an even better deal on the Hoosiers, as they're listed at 25/1 here. The list of the teams with best odds features several blue bloods (i.e. UK, UNC, and Duke), as well as teams that were successful this past season and return many of their players (i.e. UVA, Iowa State), so the Hoosiers are in good company. The decent odds are likely a result of Indiana's status as a successful college hoops program with a rabid fanbase; however, maybe Vegas knows something that we don't.
Here's a list of NCAA basketball teams currently at 50/1 odds or better to win the title, according to OddsShark, along with some other B1G teams thrown in there for good measure:
| Team | Current Odds to win 2016 Title |
| Kentucky | 9/1 |
| North Carolina | 9/1 |
| Maryland | 10/1 |
| Michigan State | 10/1 |
| Virginia | 12/1 |
| Iowa State | 16/1 |
| Kansas | 16/1 |
| Villanova | 16/1 |
| Duke | 18/1 |
| Arizona | 20/1 |
| Gonzaga | 25/1 |
| Indiana | 25/1 |
| Arkansas | 33/1 |
| Louisville | 33/1 |
| Notre Dame | 33/1 |
| Oklahoma | 33/1 |
| Wichita State | 33/1 |
| Baylor | 40/1 |
| Miami | 40/1 |
| Michigan | 40/1 |
| Utah | 40/1 |
| Wisconsin | 40/1 |
| California | 50/1 |
| Florida | 50/1 |
| LSU | 50/1 |
| NC State | 50/1 |
| Ohio State | 50/1 |
| SMU | 50/1 |
| Syracuse | 50/1 |
| Purdue | 66/1 |
| Illinois | 100/1 |
| Iowa | 100/1 |
| Minnesota | 300/1 |
| Nebraska | 500/1 |
| Penn State | 500/1 |
| Rutgers | ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |
As for IU football? Alas, I couldn't even make an individual bet on the Hoosiers - they were part of the "Field." The current favorite for football is of course Ohio State, at a whopping 5/2 odds to repeat.