With March Madness 2017 arriving, basketball fans are ready to see how the latest NCAA brackets will unfold. There are several teams considered amongst those in contention for the latest basketball championship based on their bodies of work this NCAA season. Based on that, Vegas odds makers have listed out the chances teams have of winning it all when the bracket yields a final team in that "one shining moment." Among those at the top are heavyweights Duke, North Carolina, Gonzaga, and Kansas, while last year's champions are still considered near the top of the list as well.

NCAA Championship favorites

According to Vegas Insider, the overall favorite as of this report is Duke. The Blue Devils currently hold odds of 15 to 2 to win the National Championship. Just recently, Coach K's squad suffered a devastating buzzer-beater loss at the hands of the Syracuse Orange. However, the Duke teams over the years have always shown resiliency and the ability to have a strong showing when it counts in the tournament. That doesn't remove them from being on upset watch, ever, though, as they've been susceptible to them in the past.

Also at the top of the odds list are the Gonzaga Bulldogs and North Carolina Tar Heels, each at 17 to 2 odds to win it all. The Bulldogs have been dominant so far, as they are a perfect 16-0 in the West Coast conference and 28-0 overall.

Carolina leads the ACC standings as of this report with a record of 12-3 in the conference and 24-5 overall.

Also up near the top of the odds on favorites to win the Ncaa Tournament are the Villanova Wildcats. The team that won the championship on an amazing buzzer-beater last year has current odds of 9 to 1, which is tied with the Kansas Jayhawks on the list.

  • Duke 15/2
  • Gonzaga 17/2
  • North Carolina 17/2
  • Kansas 9/1
  • Villanova 9/1
  • UCLA 11/1
  • Kentucky 12/1
  • Arizona 14/1
  • Louisville 14/1
  • Oregon 14/1

College basketball fans know that being the favorite isn't always an indicator that the team will win it all. That was the case in several of the most recent NCAA tournaments, as the teams heading in as favorites were upset during the sports craze known best as "March Madness."

When does the NCAA tournament start?

Selection Sunday will be on Sunday, March 12th.

That's when all of the teams find out their fates and their draw for their seeds and regions in the NCAA tournament. On March 14 and 15 will be the "First Four" games in Dayton, Ohio. These are the play-in games where lower-seeded teams will emerge to help fill spots in the main brackets. Normally they produce No. 12 and No. 16 seeds for various matchups.

The first round of the NCAA tournament officially opens on Thursday, March 16, and continues on Friday, March 17 from various locations. They'll include Buffalo, Orlando, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Tulsa, and Sacramento.

Games will continue on through the rounds leading to the NCAA Final Four on April 1st, and then the NCAA Championship Game. That's currently slated for April 3, 2017, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.