UC is +450 to win the tournament, with only the Broncos (+390) above them on DK's odds board. Cincinnati starts its run on Tuesday, April 1 at 3 p.m. ET against DePaul and is one of the highest-rated teams in the field on KenPom. They are comfortable betting favorites against the Blue Demons.

In the past few years, the NCAA has taken operational control of the NIT, the College Insider Tournament (CIT) has been canceled and the power conferences have discussed expanding the NCAAs. Just two weeks ago, in fact, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark addressed what would be the first major change to March Madness in 40 years.

The College Basketball Crown is set to unveil a hefty $500,000 NIL endorsement opportunity. John Fanta spoke to three participating head coaches about how the first-year tournament is differentiating itself from other postseason events.