2026 NCAA Tournament Championship Odds: Purdue the Favorite
NCAA Tournament odds for 2026 have been on the board since even before Florida beat Houston in last season's title game. And both of those teams are highly regarded for this season.
Houston is the second choice in 2026 March Madness odds, with defending champ Florida among the top five. But as the season tips off, Purdue is the betting favorite.
Below are current NCAA men's basketball national championship odds, followed by sportsbook insights. To get the most out of your college basketball bets, use our bet365 bonus code.
National Championship Winner Odds
| Time | Bet365 | BetMGM | DraftKings | Caesars | FanDuel | RiversCasino | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › | |
| +1000 | +1300 | +1000 | +1000 | ||||
| +1000 | +900 | +1000 | +950 | ||||
| +1100 | +1000 | +1100 | +1100 | ||||
| +1400 | +1400 | +1300 | +1600 | ||||
| +1200 | +1200 | +1300 | +1100 | ||||
| +1600 | +1800 | +1600 | +1600 | ||||
| +1600 | +1600 | +1600 | +1700 | ||||
| +2000 | +1800 | +1800 | +2200 | ||||
| +1800 | +1800 | +1900 | +1700 | ||||
| +2000 | +2200 | +2000 | +2000 | ||||
| +2000 | +1700 | +2000 | +2000 | ||||
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2025-26 NCAA Tournament Odds
Top Teams at Tipoff
LATEST UPDATE: Back in April, even before Florida edged Houston 65-63 to lift the trophy, BetMGM posted March Madness futures odds for 2025-26. No real surprise, the defending champion Cougars led the way at +900.
Duke followed at +1000, then came Purdue and UConn as the co-third choice at +1400.
Fast-forward to Oct. 30, just ahead of the Nov. 4 regular-season openers, and it's the Boilermakers on top at +750. Houston follows at +900, then Duke and Kentucky at +1300. UConn and Florida are the co-fifth choice.
"For Florida, Houston, Purdue, Michigan and St John’s, the prices shortened up as they made moves through the offseason," BetMGM senior trader Michael Ranftle said. "Purdue and Houston have taken bets throughout the summer; the others just at a certain price and then tapered off a bit."
Michigan and St. John's are both into +1600 after opening +2500. Rantfle and the risk room aren't too concerned about any team at this point, but there are some liabilities.
"We probably don’t need to root for anything just yet, as the current handle is only a small fraction of what the final tally will be," Ranftle said. "The early losers for us are Houston, Kentucky and Arizona.
"Kentucky is just approaching the top of the list in recent days, while the other two took some bigger bets early in the offseason."
Ranftle also noted that one of the aforementioned teams perhaps isn't getting enough respect from bettors so far.
"UConn is probably the good team that is being under-bet at the moment," he said.
In last season's title game, Florida edged Houston 65-63 to lift the trophy. But the BetMGM risk room was high on the Cougars' prospects, opening them as +900 favorites in March Madness futures odds.
In digital wagering (online/mobile) on NCAA Tournament odds, BetMGM's top five in tickets are:
- Purdue
- Houston
- Duke
- Kentucky
- Michigan/UConn
The top five in money at BetMGM:
- Purdue
- Houston
- Kentucky
- Duke
- Florida
Flying Under the Radar
LATEST UPDATE: Two years ago, San Diego State reached the national championship game, losing to UConn 76-59. Last year, the Aztecs got to the Sweet 16, where they again met the Huskies and got blown out 82-52.
In 2026 March Madness odds, San Diego State opened a distant +20000 (200/1) at BetMGM. But the Aztecs have since been among the biggest movers, now at +6000.
"An off-the-radar team and our biggest loser is San Diego State," Ranftle said. "We took a series of bigger bets in Vegas on the Aztecs. It looks like other books have also trimmed that price."
Rantfle also pointed to a Big 12 outfit and ACC team as offseason sleepers.
"BYU and Louisville took some bets at the opening number. But no one is backing them this fall," he said. "People probably want to see it play out on the court before putting their money behind them."
BYU reached the Sweet 16 last season before bowing out to Alabama. In 2026 NCAA Tournament odds, the Cougars opened +2000 and are now the +1800 ninth choice.
Louisville made it to the 2024-25 NCAA Tourney as a No. 8 seed, it's first trip to the Big Dance since 2019. But the Cardinals lost to Creighton in the first round. BetMGM opened Louisville +2000 in 2025-26 March Madness futures, and the Cards are now +2500.
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
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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
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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.
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