Less than a month into the men's college basketball season, upsets seem to be a daily norm as the transfer portal has given every team a chance to compete with the top schools on any given day or night.
With this in mind, all sports fans across the country will be celebrating the triumph of the unexpected later this week as National Underdog Day lands Saturday — it’s an especially fitting day for those who partake in Kansas sports betting.
Utilizing SportsOddsHistory.com.com, BetKansas.com looked at the biggest underdogs to make the Final Four by utilizing the odds of the Final Four competitors at the beginning of the tournament. The pool of entrants for this research is from 2010 until 2023.
Underdogs To Make Final Four Since 2010
ESPN BET Kansas lists Purdue as the current national championship favorite at +900. Arizona and Kansas are tied for second at +1000.
More than 10 Years Since Shockers Run
It is not shocking the Shockers of Wichita State (2012-13) landed on our list, tied for third with Butler (2010-11). Both schools had pre-tournament Final Four odds of +6600. Butler's co-Final Four finalist that season, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), topped the list at +12500.
In the 2012-13 season, Wichita State (30-9, 12-6 MVC) finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as a ninth seed in the West Regional. After knocking off Pittsburgh in the first round, they responded two days later to upset top-seeded Gonzaga, 76-70, to advance to the Sweet 16 in Los Angeles.
The Shockers then beat La Salle by 14 points in the Sweet 16 and topped Ohio State by four points in the Elite Eight to advance to their second Final Four in school history. The run to the title ended to eventual National Champion Louisville, 72-68.
More than 10 years later, how are the Shockers doing in the 2023-24 season? Wichita State has compiled a 7-3 record, winning all five of its home games thus far. The Shockers host Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Kansas sports betting apps list Wichita State in the top 5 of favorites to win the American Conference. The Shockers are tied with North Texas at +2000. Florida Atlantic is the favorite at -115.
