2013 NCAA Tournament Odds Favor Indiana Hoosiers

The Kentucky Wildcats went wire-to-wire as favorites to win the 2012 NCAA Tournament last year, but oddsmakers don't expect a repeat. Early betting lines are actually a bit of a surprise as Indiana leads out as favorites to win the 2013 tourney.

The Hoosiers are the front runners to win the tourney, according to Bovada's 2013 Final Four Betting Lines at 7/1, anyway. That's only slightly better than Louisville's odds at 8/1 and Kentucky's at 10/1.

The Wildcats are the third horse despite overpowering every team it played last year. It was the third time John Calipari reached the Final Four and just the first time he won it with a slew of All-American freshman like Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Four of the team's starting five bolted for the NBA Draft, though, leaving Calipari with a fresh canvas in 2013. That seems to be the sticking point for Kentucky, that routinely packages and ships out players early.

The Wildcats will have virtually no tournament experience while its main threats have plenty. Louisville will return the majority of its starters after losing to Kentucky in the Final Four.

Indiana made it to the Sweet 16 in its first tournament appearance in a few years. Plus, the Hoosiers were able to upset Kentucky in the regular season, and a lot of those players are returning.

Kansas, the championship runner-up, sits with 18/1 odds after losing Tyshon Taylor and Thomas Robinson.

North Carolina, a one-seed in the 2012 tournament, lost a huge chunk of its starters, too and is at 15/1.

One thing to take away: experience still matters in the eyes of oddsmakers even though freshman are making a lot more noise than they used to.