Conference play in college basketball is in full swing as we start to get our first glimpse at how things might shake out in the final standings before the start of each conference’s annual tournament. We already know which teams appear to be legitimate contenders to win this season’s NCAA Tournament given their overall record so far.

However, the trick to cashing in on BetOnline's recently updated futures odds to win a national title is to find the teams that can continue to keep things rolling from here right through the madness of March. The following is a brief look at a few teams that currently fit the bill when it comes to the value in their current betting odds to win it all.

UCLA Bruins +600

While Duke still has the best odds on the board at +475, I am a bit leery of the effect that Coach K’s absence from the team due to recent back surgery may have over the entire course of the season. The UCLA Bruins have quickly ascended to the No. 2 spot on the list and for good reason. Following last Sunday’s 89-75 romp over Stanford, they are 16-1 on the year. UCLA is ranked third in the nation in scoring with 92.8 points per game and it is pulling down an average of 40 rebounds a game which is a powerful combination for winning games.

Kansas Jayhawks +850

Kansas is a perennial favorite to win a national title behind its head coach Bill Self and this year is no different. The 15-1 Jayhawks are currently the second-ranked team in the nation and in great position to occupy the top spot with No. 1 Baylor’s recent loss. The main reason this team is on my list is a veteran lineup led by senior guard Frank Mason III. He leads the team in both points (20.4) and assists (5.6), but there is also some solid depth in scoring with a total of four players averaging at least 10 points a game.

North Carolina Tar Heels +900

You can also throw the Tar Heels in the category of being a legitimate contender to win a national title every season under their veteran coach Roy Williams. You know he is going to have his team ready to go each and every night and come tournament time this is a huge plus to winning it all. This year’s team is 14-3 with two of the losses coming against Indiana and Kentucky earlier in the year. North Carolina is another team with a solid combination of scoring points (89.1) and pulling down rebounds (45.9).

Gonzaga Bulldogs +1800

There is always a high level of risk involved when it comes to betting on a team outside one of the major basketball conferences to win a national title, but the Bulldogs have been building quite a head of steam since the opening tip of their first game this season. They have climbed to their way to No. 5 in both major national polls on the strength of a 15-0 start and given the level of competition in the West Coast Conference this season they could come into the NCAA Tournament undefeated. Gonzaga’s average margin of victory so far is more than 20 points behind the elevated play of junior guard Nigel William-Goss.

West Virginia Mountaineers +2500

The No. 10 Mountaineers should jump in the rankings following this past Tuesday’s 89-68 thrashing of Baylor. They are now 14-2 on the year with losses to Temple and Texas Tech as the only two blemishes on their record. West Virginia would need quite a few things to fall its way to ride this early success all the way to a national title, but there are some important pieces in place with an offensive effort that is generating an average of 90.1 PPG complementing a shutdown defense that is ranked 15th in the nation in points allowed (61.8).