2026 NCAA Tournament Championship Odds: Michigan Surges to 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 in the mix so far this season.
However, Michigan is the big news at the moment, solidly atop 2026 March Madness odds in early January. In fact, the Wolverines even have a little cushion ahead of No. 2 choice Arizona.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › | |
| +425 | +350 | +400 | +425 | +440 | +350 | ||
| +550 | +450 | +600 | +425 | +550 | +450 | ||
| +1000 | +900 | +950 | +850 | +1200 | +1000 | ||
| +1100 | +1100 | +1000 | +900 | +1200 | +1000 | ||
| +1200 | +1000 | +1100 | +1000 | +1400 | +1200 | ||
| +1200 | +1400 | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 | +1400 | ||
| +1200 | +1200 | +1300 | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 | ||
| +1800 | +1500 | +1500 | +1800 | +2200 | +1800 | ||
| +1800 | +2200 | +1600 | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 | ||
| +2000 | +2500 | +2000 | +2200 | +2000 | +2000 | ||
| +2000 | +3000 | +2000 | +2500 | +2000 | +2000 | ||
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2025-26 NCAA Tournament Odds
Michigan Men
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. Just ahead of the Nov. 4 regular-season openers, it was the Boilermakers on top at +750. Houston followed at +900, then Duke and Kentucky at +1300. UConn and Florida were the co-fifth choice.
Fast-forward to mid-December, and none of those teams led the way. Rather, Michigan was the growing favorite at +375. Preseason, the Wolverines were +1600, but got off to a 9-0 start, including blowout wins over Auburn and Gonzaga, clearing 100 points both times.
At that point, Michigan was the only team shorter than 10/1. Now, on Jan. 2, the Wolverines are 12-0 and even shorter at +350.
In the process, Michigan shot to No. 1 in tickets and money in BetMGM's NCAA Tournament odds. The season began on Nov. 3, but the Wolverines didn't really begin picking up steam in the betting market until late November.
"Michigan wasn’t getting bet too much before the Players Era tournament," BetMGM senior trader Michael Ranftle said, alluding to the Nov. 24-27 event in Las Vegas, in which the Wolverines hammered San Diego State, Auburn and Gonzaga on successive nights.
"Then we took bets at any price over those few days into the following weeks. So Michigan is a loser for us."
Arizona (13-0) is the +700 second choice, followed by UConn (13-1) at +900. Purdue (12-1) is the +1100 fourth choice, and Duke (12-1) is the +1200 co-fifth choice with Iowa State (13-0).
"Over the last three weeks, Arizona has taken almost as many bets as Michigan," Ranftle said.
Indeed, Arizona is knocking on the top five in tickets and money in BetMGM's March Madness odds, sitting at No. 6 in both measures.
The top five in ticket count in BetMGM's NCAA Tournament championship odds:
- Michigan
- Duke
- Purdue
- Houston
- UConn
And the top five in money in BetMGM's NCAA Tournament futures odds:
- Michigan
- Purdue
- UConn
- Duke
- Houston
"Right now, we’re probably rooting for the field against Michigan and Arizona. But 80-90% of the handle is still in the future, so a lot can change," Ranftle said.
Defending national champion Houston (12-1) is the +1500 eighth choice to repeat as champion.
Flying Under the Radar
LATEST UPDATE: Ranftle said he wouldn't term perennial contender UConn a dark horse. But he said the Huskies have an ideal path to a No. 1 seed come March.
For dark horse, he pointed to a conference that was argued last season as the best in the nation.
"Maybe more off the radar is whatever SEC teams might close strong. Possibly Tennessee or Florida," Ranftle said. "It's hard to imagine the SEC going from being called the best conference in history to having no contenders the following year."
Florida and Auburn reached the Final Four last year, with Florida ultimately winning the title game. And Tennessee got to the Elite Eight.
So far this year, however, only one team is in the top 10 of BetMGM's NCAA Tournament odds. Florida (9-4) is the +2500 co-10th choice, along with Kansas, Louisville and Illinois.
Auburn (9-4) is a long shot at +12500 (125/1), after opening at +1800 last April. Tennessee (10-3) is +5000, after opening +2500.
Vanderbilt is actually atop the SEC with a 13-0 record. BetMGM has the Commodores +3000 in March Madness futures. Other potential SEC dark horses:
- Kentucky (9-4) +4000
- Alabama (10-3) +4000
- Arkansas (10-3) +5000
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..
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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.
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