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UCLA Basketball: Bruins have 16th best odds to win the NCAA Championship

By Mike Regalado

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: UCLA Bruins cheerleaders and mascot Joe Bruin pose before the team's semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: UCLA Bruins cheerleaders and mascot Joe Bruin pose before the team's semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Bovada, the online betting site, released their most recent odds for winning the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament and the UCLA basketball team retained the same odds despite the return of three freshmen.

The UCLA basketball team is expected to do a lot next season as they welcome a Top 10 recruiting class and have three freshmen returning after withdrawing from the NBA Draft.

RELATED: Why UCLA will win the Pac-12 next season

With that in mind, Bovada has released their most recent odds to win the 2019 NCAA Tournament and even though the Bruins return PG Jaylen Hands, SF Kris Wilkes and PF Cody Riley (though it is unknown if Riley will play next season due to academics), UCLA remained a 40-1 favorite to win the Big Dance.

Those odds are the 16th best among the teams listed. Oregon is the only Pac-12 team with better odds as they have been given a 33-1 chance (though that has gone up from previously receiving 30-1 odds) which is 14th best. Arizona State was the other Pac-12 team listed as they have 70-1 odds (up from 60-1).

The top five are as follows: Duke (11-2), Kansas (8-1), Villanova (9-1), Gonzaga (10-1) and Kentucky (10-1).

The Bruins are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2017-18 season which ended with a 21-12 record and a tough loss to St. Bonaventure in the NCAA Tournament “play-in” game.

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Luckily the Bruins have reinforcements. Riley (if available) and C Jalen Hill return from a season-long suspension and will be crucial to the Bruins’ front court depth as it seems 4-star commit, PF Shareef O’Neal, might not make it Westwood due to grades, though nothing has been finalized.

Still, the Bruins bring in 5-star C Moses Brown as well as 4-star PG Tyger Campbell, SG David Singleton III, SG Jules Bernard and 3-star C Kenny Nwuba.

The Bruins now have depth with 12 scholarship players, but there is a lot of youth. The Bruins only have three upperclassmen returning: SG Prince Ali, PF Alex Olesinski and SF Chris Smith. The three of them combined for only 21,6% of UCLA’s point total from last season.

Hopefully the Bruins can get things together sooner than later to help them make a run in the Pac-12 as well as the tourney.

Next: The UCLA Basketball All-Time Team

Quick side note, UCLA head coach Steve Alford has never been past the Sweet 16 and apparently has an ultimatum to be very successful next season or face termination. No pressure though.