Collegiate wrestling has been an NCAA sport since 1903, when Columbia University and Yale competed on the mat for the first time. The sport’s hotbed is located in the midwestern states, but wagering on matches has not experienced the widespread popularity that other sports like football and basketball have achieved.
Most online sportsbooks in the USA do not offer NCAA Wrestling odds throughout the season. The best time to find odds on the boards is during the national championships each March.
BetOnline Sportsbook has created a series of betting futures for most weight classes competing at the championships this year.
The Penn State Nittany Lions sent a member of their team to represent the University in every weight class, with many of them favored to win in the wrestling betting odds. All starting members of the team have qualified for the event.
Penn State Wrestlers Who Are Favored To Win
- 184 lbs Champion – Carter Starocci (Penn State) −300
- 157 lbs Champion – Tyler Kasak (Penn State) −115
- 149 lbs Champion – Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) +180
- 141 lbs Champion – Beau Bartlett (Penn State) +150
- 125 lbs Champion – Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) +165
The above five wrestlers from Penn State hold the best odds of winning in their respective classes. Two other Nittany Lions are projected to make the finals in their class but ultimately lose.
Whether PSU wins the national championship as a team seems to be a foregone conclusion. They’ve won 11 out of the last 13 titles, and last year set the record for most team points at 172.5.
Carter Starocci has won four NCAA championships, and if he wins this year, he will become the first college wrestler to earn five titles during their amateur career.
Head coach Cael Sanderson has turned Penn State into a college wrestling institution that rivals Nick Saban’s efforts for the University of Alabama’s football team.
The team has not lost a dual meet in five years and remains unbeaten at home over the last decade.
Despite their dominant performance over the past 10+ seasons, this year’s team could prove to be the best ever for not just the university but for the sport itself.
Anyone wanting to bet on the College Wrestling Championships should do so soon because these odds are notorious for disappearing without notice at online gambling sites.
The championships can be seen today through Sunday on the ESPN family of networks. The Wells Fargo Center in Philadephia, PA will host the event.