It’s been a season to remember for the men’s and women’s basketball teams at the University of Arizona.
The Wildcats find themselves among the Arizona betting apps favorites to win both NCAA basketball championships — thanks to a 14-1 start for the men’s program and a 12-2 start on the women’s side.
The men are led by first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd, who arrived in Tucson last spring after spending close to two full decades as an assistant coach at Gonzaga.
The women are led by former Arizona standout guard Adia Barnes, who propelled the Wildcats to the program’s first NCAA Championship game appearance a year ago — a 54-53 loss to Stanford.
Here’s a rundown of where the Wildcats stand in college basketball betting less than 10 weeks before the tip off of the 2022 NCAA basketball tournaments.
Wildcats Look to Win First Title Since 1997
It’s hard to imagine a better start to the Lloyd era in Tucson.
The Wildcats are ranked third nationally in the latest Associated Press poll, marking the program’s first AP top-5 ranking since Deandre Ayton and Co. roamed the hardwood during the 2017-18 regular season.
Lloyd has been successful in implementing his fast-paced, European-style offense, with the Wildcats ranking fifth in the nation in points per game (88.5) and second overall in assists per game (21.9).
The Wildcats have also clamped down on the defensive side of the ball, allowing 64.4 points per game. It’s a marked contrast to the half-court stylings of former coach Sean Miller, who was fired last spring.
As a result of Lloyd’s program-wide transformation in Tucson, the Wildcats find themselves among the NCAA title favorites in 2022 — with odds ranging from +1100 (TwinSpires Arizona and Unibet Arizona) to +1800 (DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona).
In between those extremes, you’ll find the Wildcats at +1300 on Fubo Sportsbook, +1400 on SuperBook Arizona, and +1500 at Caesars Sportsbook Arizona.
As far as odds to make the program’s first Final Four since 2001, the Wildcats sit at +250 on TwinSpires Sportsbook Arizona and Unibet Arizona. The program is listed at +320 to make the Final Four on FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona, +325 on SuperBook Arizona, and +380 at DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona.
The Wildcats are also atop the Pac-12 Conference championship odds chase at Caesars Sportsbook Arizona (-110), DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona (+105), and Fubo Sportsbook Arizona (+120).
Arizona Women’s Program Among NCAA Title Favorites
The 2021-22 regular season has been no slouch for Barnes and company, with the Wildcats’ women’s program hanging with the best in the nation in terms of championship odds.
That’s thanks to the Wildcats’ 10-0 performance during the non-conference portion of the season, with wins over No. 6-ranked Louisville, DePaul, Rutgers, and Vanderbilt.
But the Wildcats have had an up-and-down start to Pac-12 play, with wins against Washington State (60-52) and Oregon State (55-53), offset by road losses to USC (76-67) and Oregon (68-66 in overtime).
Arizona sportsbooks are still bullish on the Wildcats’ title chances, however, with Caesars Sportsbook Arizona and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona giving the team +8800 odds of winning the 2022 title.
The Wildcats rank eighth in the nation in terms of championship odds on both sites, a year after they took the nation by surprise by beating Texas A&M, Indiana, and UConn in succession to reach the program’s first-ever championship game.
