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Houston Cougars guard Jamal Shead (1). David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

NCAAB futures: These teams are longer shots, but worth keeping an eye on

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 12/13/23

Last week, Yardbarker looked at the men's college basketball teams who are favored to win the championship next spring. But of course, the sporting world doesn't always go according to plan, and there is always a chance that a longshot will win it all.

When you get past the Arizonas, Purdues and UConns — all favored at DraftKings to win the NCAA championship — you will see that there are a few under-the-radar teams on hot streaks that look in December like they could be threats come tournament time.

But despite these teams' current records, oddsmakers still list them as longshots. Do these programs deserve this level of audacity -- or rather, "odd"-acity?

Here are a few college basketball teams on hot streaks who have longer odds to win the NCAA championship.

for the first time since January 2019 #HottyToddy | #BuildTheCulture pic.twitter.com/qnSpvr0Edp
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) December 11, 2023

First up, say hello to the University of Houston, which is ranked No. 2 behind the Arizona Wildcats at the moment. The Cougars are looking for redemption after being eliminated from last year's March Madness tournament by the University of Miami, and they are currently on an impressive 10-game winning streak. Oddsmakers currently have them listed as 16-1 longshots to win the next tournament, but could they move up the ranking as December basketball continues?

If there's one team that could certainly have shorter odds thanks to a hot streak, it's Ole Miss. The Rebels are dominating the Southeastern Conference with a spotless 9-0 record, and they are nationally ranked for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they are still ranked 63rd in the country, down from 61. This could be why DK lists them as 110-1 long shots to win the next NCAA tournament.

Is it ranking that impacts current betting odds, or does it have more to do with tournament history? We now turn to New Mexico and Utah State. The Lobos and the Aggies are both riding eight-game winning streaks in the Mountain West, including perfect 5-0 home records. Both programs are currently ranked, but No. 24 New Mexico is 8-16 all-time in tournament play, and No. 33 Utah State is 6-24. Perhaps that's why DK has the Lobos listed as 150-1 long shots and Aggies listed at 200-1.

There are plenty more teams with impressive records that aren't even listed. (We're looking at you, Longwood Lancers.) So maybe don't put any money down quite yet. You never know when an unranked and unlisted program will creep into the odds ahead of NCAA tournament time.

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