2026 NCAA Tournament Championship Odds: Duke Returns to Favorite
NCAA Tournament odds for 2026 are heating up as the postseason arrives. For much of the past couple months, Michigan and Arizona went back-and-forth as the favorite.
Then Duke joined the party atop March Madness futures. As the field of 64 is set, it's the Blue Devils atop 2026 NCAA Tournament futures odds, followed closely by Michigan and Florida.
Prediction markets are part of the mix, as well. Prediction market apps such as Kalshi offer users a way to trade contracts on who will win the college basketball national championship.
Below are National Championship odds at traditional sportsbooks, as well as Kalshi. Use our Kalshi promo code to get started by clicking on the module below.
Below are current NCAA men's basketball national championship odds, followed by sportsbook insights. Also, check out Patrick Everson's March Madness Odds Report for first-round insights. To get the most out of your college basketball bets, use our bet365 bonus code.
(Feature image: Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
National Championship Winner Odds
| Time | Bet365 | BetMGM | DraftKings | Caesars | FanDuel | RiversCasino | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › | |
| +340 | +325 | +360 | +340 | +400 | +275 | ||
| +325 | +375 | +370 | +370 | +300 | +350 | ||
| +425 | +350 | +380 | +350 | +400 | +400 | ||
| +700 | +700 | +750 | +700 | +700 | +700 | ||
| +1000 | +1100 | +1200 | +1100 | +1100 | +1000 | ||
| +2200 | +1600 | +1800 | +1600 | +2500 | +1800 | ||
| +2200 | +2000 | +2200 | +2200 | +2500 | +2200 | ||
| +2000 | +2200 | +2500 | +2200 | +2200 | +2500 | ||
| +3500 | +2500 | +2500 | +2000 | +3500 | +2500 | ||
| +4500 | +5000 | +5500 | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 | ||
| +5000 | +5000 | +6000 | +6000 | +5000 | +5500 | ||
|
| |||||||
2025-26 NCAA Tournament Odds
Dominant Duke
LATEST UPDATE: Arguably no team is hotter than Duke (32-2), as of Selection Sunday on March 15. The Blue Devils are on an 11-game run that's part of a 21-1 tear dating to mid-December.
In late January, Duke was the +1100 co-fourth choice in BetMGM's NCAA Tournament futures odds. By Feb. 11, the Blue Devils were into the +650 third choice.
On March 7, Duke got the +320 favorite. As the Field of 64 gets set, the Blue Devils are into +300, the shortest odds of any team this season.
Duke is No. 1 in the AP poll, with Michigan now No. 3. That's in no small part due to the Blue Devils' 68-63 neutral-site win over the Wolverines on Feb. 21.
"Duke is still positive for us actually," BetMGM senior trader Michael Ranftle said. "Duke and Arizona have been popular with bettors, but are the best outcomes of title contenders."
In the wake of the just-finished Big Ten Tournament, in which Michigan (31-3) lost to Purdue 80-72 in the final, BetMGM has the Wolverines as the +350 second choice.
After an impressive 23-0 start, Arizona was ranked No. 1 and was the favorite in NCAA Tournament championship odds. But the Wildcats then lost two tough games, at Kansas and vs. Texas Tech.
However, Arizona (32-2) followed with nine wins, including a three-game run through the Big 12 Tournament. BetMGM now has the Wildcats as the +400 third choice in odds to win March Madness. That's a considerable difference from Arizona's +4000 opening odds.
BetMGM took a $50,000 bet on Arizona +450, for a potential win of $225,000. Still, as Ranftle noted above, the Wildcats aren't a liability at the moment.
The same can't be said for Houston (28-6), which is the +1000 fifth choice in NCAA Tournament futures. The Cougars are BetMGM's biggest legitimate liability, thanks largely to a $50,000 bet at +900, for a potential win of $450,000.
Additionally, there's a $25,000 play on Houston +1100, to win $275,000. The Cougars recently lost three in a row, albeit it against three strong teams: Iowa State and Kansas on the road, and at home vs. Arizona. But they then reached the Big 12 title game, before again losing to Arizona.
Surging Florida (26-6) recently leap-frogged Houston, moving from fifth to fourth in BetMGM's March Madness futures odds, now at +650. The defending national champion Gators just had a 12-game win streak snapped by Vanderbilt in the SEC title game.
UConn (29-5) is the +2200 eighth choice, dropping two spots after its loss to St. John's in the Big East titel game. A while back, the Huskies took a $25,000 wager at +900, for a potential win of $225,000.
"Among the favorites, UConn, Florida and St. John's are our biggest liabilities to win the tournament," Ranftle said.
In particular, Florida has surged in popularity at BetMGM. On March 9, the Gators weren't among the top five in tickets or money. On March 16, Florida is No. 4 in tickets and No. 2 in money.
The top five in ticket count in BetMGM's NCAA Tournament championship odds:
- Michigan
- Duke
- Arizona
- Florida
- UConn
And the top five in money in BetMGM's NCAA Tournament futures odds:
- Michigan
- Florida
- Arizona
- Duke
- Houston
The Next Tier
LATEST UPDATE: BetMGM has several preferred teams in March Madness odds. Most of them are in that second tier, behind Michigan/Duke/Arizona/Houston/Florida.
"Almost all of the next tier of teams are big winners for the house: Iowa State, Illinois, Purdue, Kansas, Michigan State, Gonzaga etc.," Ranftle said.
Iowa State (27-7) is the +1900 sixth choice, followed by Illinois (24-8) at +2000 in NCAA Tournament futures. Purdue (27-8) is trending up, moving from +4000 a week ago to +2500 ahead of the tournament.
Kansas (23-10) and Michigan State (25-7) are +5000. Gonzaga (30-3) is at +5500.
Ranftle also noted a couple longer shots creating liability in NCAA Tournament futures odds.
"Miami-Ohio is a big loser, but mostly just due to the big price. St. Louis to make the Final Four took decent action before its recent losses," Ranftle said.
Miami-Ohio went 31-0 in the regular season, leading the Mid-American Conference, and is among BetMGM's largest liabilities. But the RedHawks lost to UMass in the MAC Tourney quarterfinals.
Oddsmakers have no faith in the RedHawks, who are a huge +200000 (2000/1) in NCAA Tourney championship odds.
St. Louis (28-5) got some attention after going 24-1 in its first 25 games. But the Billikens had a bumpy last few games. St. Louis is +35000 (350/1) to win the title and +10000 to make the Final Four.
Opening National Championship Odds
Below are BetMGM's opening odds for a few of the top teams to win the 2025-2026 College Basketball National Championship:
- Houston +900
- Duke +1000
- Purdue +1400
- UConn +1400
- Auburn +1800
- Kentucky +2000
- BYU +2000
- Florida +2000
- Kansas +2000
- Arkansas +2000
- Louisville +2000
- Alabama +2000
Before placing your bet on any NCAA games, make sure to use our Fanatics Sportsbook promo or DraftKings promo code available to new registrants!
The content on this page is for informational purposes only. VegasInsider makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of information given or the outcome of any game or event.
Operators are not available in all states. You are only permitted to wager with Operators that are licensed in the state where you reside. Please check your local state rules and regulations. 21+, T&Cs apply.
Betting on College Basketball
March Madness odds represent the likelihood of a team winning the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. These odds are determined by sportsbooks and can change throughout the season, based on a team's performance and potential matchups..
Check out more resources and where to locate the best March Madness odds below:
Best CBB Betting Sites I Sportsbook Promos for March Madness Betting I Best College Basketball Parlay Picks I How To Make A March Madness Bracket
NCAAB Featured Odds
- National Championship
- Wooden Award
- ACC
- American
- Atlantic 10
- Big East
- Big 12
- Big Ten
- CUSA
- MAC
- Mountain West
- SEC
- Sun Belt
- WAC
- WCC
Popular NCAAB Futures
- America East
- Big Sky
- Big South
- Big West
- CAA
- Horizon
- Ivy
- MAAC
- MEAC
- MVC
- Northeast
- Ohio Valley
- Patriot
- Southern
- Southland
- Summit
- SWAC
How To Bet On College Basketball Futures
March Madness is among the most popular events on the American sports betting calendar. College basketball futures wagers can lead to generous returns if you can land the right team at good odds for the NCAA Tournament, held over three weekends from mid-March to early April.
Check out our online sportsbook directory to find the best odds and most secure places to make college basketball bets, as well as exclusive sportsbook offers.
Similar to other sports, the majority of online oddsmakers post College Basketball Futures at the conclusion of the previous season. The betting market usually sees a spike of popularity in May or June, as top players decide whether to stay in college or enter the NBA Draft.
Some bettors have a knack for forecasting who’s returning and leaving, which could create a huge advantage over the oddsmakers. Knowing that a team will be more experienced is a huge advantage in the College Basketball Futures market.
Learn how to bet on futures.
Before you bet on college basketball, use our BetMGM bonus code to make the most of your wagers.
