NCAA Tournament Championship Game History |
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament determines winner of the national championship of the major college basketball teams in Division 1. The event takes place over a three-week period in March and April with schools facing off into a single elimination bracket.
The tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 with four 16-team regional brackets.
The field grew by one team in 2001 with an opening round game determining who would advance to the first round. In 2011, three more squads were added as two games took place in the restructured first round of the tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The winners of those contests advanced to the second round (formerly the first round).
After those “First Four” outcomes, the field of 68 becomes 64, and the attention picks up on Thursday and Friday with 32 games being played.
The Final Four is determined with the four teams winning each regional meeting for the right to go to the National Championship.
NCAA Championship Betting Outcomes
| 2021 |
Indianapolis |
(1) Baylor (+4.5) 86 vs. (1) Gonzaga 70 |
Underdog-Under (159) |
| 2020 |
N/A |
No Championship Held (COVID-19) |
N/A |
| 2019 |
Minneapolis |
(1) Virginia (-1.5) 85 vs. (3) Texas Tech 77 (OT) |
Favorite-Over (119.5) |
| 2018 |
San Antonio |
(1) Villanova (-6.5) 79 vs. (3) Michigan 62 |
Favorite-Under (144.5) |
| 2017 |
Glendale |
(1) North Carolina (-1.5) 71 vs. (1) Gonzaga 65 |
Favorite-Under (154.5) |
| 2016 |
Houston |
(2) Villanova (+2) 77 vs. (1) North Carolina 74 |
Underdog-Over (149) |
| 2015 |
Indianapolis |
(1) Duke (+1) 68 vs. (1) Wisconsin 63 |
Underdog-Under (140) |
| 2014 |
North Texas |
(7) Connecticut (+2.5) 60 vs. (8) Kentucky 54 |
Underdog-Under (135) |
| 2013 |
Atlanta |
(1) Louisville (-4) 82 vs. (4) Michigan 76 |
Favorite-Over (138) |
| 2012 |
New Orleans |
(1) Kentucky (-6.5) 67 vs. (2) Kansas 59 |
Favorite-Under (138) |
| 2011 |
Houston |
(3) Connecticut (-3) 53 vs. (8) Butler 41 |
Favorite-Under (132) |
| 2010 |
Indianapolis |
(1) Duke (-7) 61 vs. (5) Butler 59 |
Underdog-Under (128.5) |
| 2009 |
Detroit |
(1) North Carolina (-7.5) 89 vs. (2) Michigan State 72 |
Favorite-Over (153) |
| 2008 |
San Antonio |
(1) Kansas (+2) 75 vs. (1) Memphis 68 (OT) |
Underdog-Under (146) |
| 2007 |
Atlanta |
(1) Florida (-4) 84 vs. (1) Ohio State 75 |
Favorite-Over (140) |
| 2006 |
Indianapolis |
(3) Florida (-1) 73 vs. (2) UCLA 57 |
Favorite-Over (128) |
| 2005 |
St. Louis |
(1) North Carolina (-2) 75 vs. (1) Illinois 70 |
Favorite-Under (153.5) |
| 2004 |
San Antonio |
(2) Connecticut (-5) 82 vs. (3) Georgia Tech 73 |
Favorite-Over (146) |
| 2003 |
New Orleans |
(3) Syracuse (+5.5) 81 vs. (2) Kansas 78 |
Underdog-Over (156) |
| 2002 |
Atlanta |
(1) Maryland (-7.5) 64 vs. (5) Indiana 52 |
Favorite-Under (151.5) |
| 2001 |
Minneapolis |
(1) Duke (+4) 82 vs. (2) Arizona 72 |
Underdog-Over (163.5) |
| 2000 |
Indianapolis |
(1) Michigan State (-4) 89 vs. (5) Florida 76 |
Favorite-Over (145) |
| 1999 |
St. Petersburg |
(1) Connecticut (+9.5) 77 vs. (1) Duke 74 |
Underdog-Over (149.5) |
| 1998 |
San Antonio |
(2) Kentucky (-3.5) 78 vs. (3) Utah 69 |
Favorite-Over (137.5) |
| 1997 |
Indianapolis |
(4) Arizona (+7) 84 vs. (1) Kentucky 79 (OT) |
Underdog-Over (158.5) |
| 1996 |
East Rutherford |
(1) Kentucky (-14) 76 vs. (4) Syracuse 67 |
Underdog-Under (156.5) |
| 1995 |
Seattle |
(1) UCLA (-3) 89 vs. (2) Arkansas 78 |
Favorite-Over (161) |
| 1994 |
Charlotte |
(1) Arkansas (-6) 76 vs. (2) Duke 72 |
Underdog-Under (155) |
| 1993 |
New Orleans |
(1) North Carolina (-2.5) 77 vs. (1) Michigan 71 |
Favorite-Under (151) |
| 1992 |
Minneapolis |
(1) Duke (-5.5) 71 vs. (6) Michigan 51 |
Favorite-Under (158.5) |
| 1991 |
Indianapolis |
(2) Duke (-3) 72 vs. (3) Kansas 65 |
Favorite-Under (154.5) |
| 1990 |
Denver |
(1) UNLV 103 vs. (3) Duke 73 |
OFF* |
| 1989 |
Seattle |
(3) Michigan (-2) 80 vs. (3) Seton Hall 79 (OT) |
Underdog-Under (163) |
| 1988 |
Kansas City |
(6) Kansas (+8) 83 vs. (1) Oklahoma 79 |
Underdog-Over (157.5) |
| 1987 |
New Orleans |
(1) Indiana (-4.5) 74 vs. (2) Syracuse 73 |
Underdog-Under (155.5) |
| 1986 |
Dallas |
(2) Louisville (+1) 72 vs. (1) Duke 69 |
Underdog-Under (152.5) |
| 1985 |
Lexington |
(8) Villanova (+9) 66 vs. (1) Georgetown 64 |
Underdog-Over (112) |
| * There was no line on this game due to no wagering on Nevada schools in 1990 |
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NCAA Championship Betting Outcomes
| Results |
23-12 |
18-17 |
16-19 |
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History - Betting Notes
- Along with UConn, there have been six other schools to win multiple championships since 1985 - Duke (5), North Carolina (4), Kentucky (3), Louisville (2), Florida (2) Villanova (3) and Kansas (2). Since 1985, the No. 1 seed has captured the championship 20 times.
- The lowest seed to win the championship since the tournament expanded to 64 teams is Villanova in 1985 as an eighth seed, upsetting conference rival Georgetown.
- The highest point-spread in the championship game occurred in the 1996 final when Kentucky (-14) defeated Syracuse 76-67 but failed to cover.
- In the last 34 years, underdogs have gone 17-17 against the spread, which includes Duke's 68-63 victory over Wisconsin in the 2015 national championship as a one-point underdog.
- There wasn’t a line on the 1990 championship because Nevada didn’t allow wagering on schools within the state at that time.
- Total bettors have watched the ‘under’ go 19-15 since 1985 and is 7-3 the past 10 years. The highest total ever in a championship game was 163 ½ while the lowest number was 112.
NCAA Tournament Betting Recaps - Last Six Years
2021
In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, top overall seed Gonzaga went into the championship game with a perfect record and the school from Spokane finally got stopped. The winner, Baylor, dominated the Bulldogs for a wire-to-wire 86-70 victory. The Bears cashed as underdogs (+4.5), earning the school its first championship. It was the first championship for the Big 12 since Kansas cut down the nets in the 2008 event.
Prior to the draft, the Baylor Bears were listed as a 5/1 betting choice to win the NCAA Tournament in the futures market.
2020
The 2020 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The Kansas Jayhawks were listed as the top contenders (+450) to win the event, followed by Gonzaga and Baylor at 8/1 odds.
2019
In 2019, Virginia claimed its first-ever national championship on the hardwood in an overtime win against Texas Tech, a team making its first appearance in the title game. The OT battle in the championship final was the first since 2008 when Kansas topped Memphis. It was also the third time an ACC team was crowned champ (Duke twice, Virginia once) in four times the city of Minneapolis has hosted the Final Four.
The Cavaliers started the season as an 18/1 choice to cut down the nets in March but prior to first round tournament action, the consensus future price on UVA was +700.
2018
In 2018, Villanova rolled to a 79-62 victory over Michigan as a big favorite (-6.5), the largest spread in the title game since 2010. The Wildcats claimed their third title since 1985, and second in the past three seasons. They also ended up winning each of their NCAA Tournament games by double-digit points.
The Wildcats were expected to contend all season long and they began the tournament as 11/2 betting favorites. It was the second straight year that the tournament favorites captured the championship.
2017
In 2017, North Carolina stopped Gonzaga 71-65 as a short favorite (-1.5). The victory for the Tar Heels was defined as "redemption" after the school lost in the 2016 championship to Villanova on a buzzer-beater.
The Tar Heels were listed between 5/1 and 6/1 in most futures betting markets.
2016
In 2016, Villanova knocked off North Carolina 77-74 on a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. It was the first national championship for the Wildcats since 1985, when the tournament began.
The Wildcats were 20/1 in the preseason and their odds were as high as 15/1 entering the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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