NCAA odds tilt UCLA’s way
After watching UCLA’s men’s basketball team fall short in back-to-back Final Four appearances over the last two years, don’t be surprised to see Bruins supporters dancing in the streets after the latest numbers were released by oddsmakers for this year’s NCAA championship.
The Bruins’ rise comes as a result of a shakeup at the top, with previously unbeaten Memphis losing at home to Tennessee, which followed that up with an upset loss of its own at Vanderbilt.
The Bruins, 25-3 overall and 13-2 in Pacific 10 Conference play, have been steady all season and are listed as 9-2 favorites to win it all at both VegasInsider.com and Sportsbetting.com.
North Carolina, Kansas and Memphis follow at 5-1 at VegasInsider.com, while the Tar Heels sit alone behind UCLA at 5-1 at Sportsbetting.com, which has Kansas at 6-1, Memphis 7-1 and Duke 10-1.
--
Pro football
Almost four weeks have passed since Super Bowl XLII, and the free-agency signing period has begun, so it’s a good time to catch up on the NFL futures market.
The New England Patriots are listed at Bodoglife.com as the 3-1 favorite to win Super Bowl XLIII, followed by two other AFC teams, the Indianapolis Colts at 7-1 and the San Diego Chargers at 15-2. The Dallas Cowboys are the highest-ranked NFC team at 8-1, followed by the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants at 12-1 and the Green Bay Packers at 15-1.
The longshots: The Atlanta Falcons at 125-1, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders at 100-1.
The Patriots are the favorite to win the AFC title at 3-2, followed by the Colts and Chargers at 4-1. The Cowboys are 11-4 favorites to win the NFC title, followed by the Packers and Giants at 5-1.
--
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
