March Madness Odds: Track The Favorites to Win The 2026 National Championship
By Chris Wright
Last Updated:
- Track the latest March Madness odds throughout the 2025-26 college basketball season.
- Michigan is the new betting favorite to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
- Defending champion Florida is among the top-10 betting favorites at most sportsbooks.
Florida rallied to beat Houston 65-63 and win the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Who will be the king of March Madness in 2026? On this page, you’ll find the live odds to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Updated Odds to Win March Madness
Major sportsbooks didn’t wait long to reveal odds on the 2026 March Madness.
Purdue opened the season as the betting favorite, but Duke and Houston have since become the betting favorites.
Here are the updated odds to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament via Bet365 Sportsbook on Dec. 9, 2025:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Michigan National Championship Odds
Michigan has been the surprise team during the first half of the 2025-26 college basketball season.
The Wolverines were preseason No. 7 in the AP poll, but they’ve exceeded expectations by climbing to No. 2 in the AP Poll after an 8-0 start.
Michigan blew out then-No. 21 Auburn by 30 points and crushed then No.-12 Gonzaga by 40 points in back-to-back games to win the Players Era Championship over Thanksgiving.
Michigan is now the betting favorite on Dec. 9, with national title odds as low as +650.
Duke National Championship Odds
Jon Scheyer won an NCAA Tournament title as a Duke player. Now he’s trying to do the same as the Blue Devils’ coach.
Duke reached the Final Four in 2025, losing to Houston. The Blue Devils haven’t won the NCAA Tournament since 2015. Scheyer was an assistant coach on the 2015 national championship team.
Bet365 listed Duke’s national title odds at +950 on Nov. 19, 2025 after beating Kansas in the Tournament of Champions Classic in New York. They have since shortened to +900 on Dec. 9, 2025.
Duke’s freshman class — led by Cameron Boozer — is expected to again lead the way.
Duke was ranked No. 6 in the preseason AP poll.
Houston National Championship Odds
Under Kelvin Sampson, the Houston Cougars have been an annual threat to make the Final Four. They reached the Final Four in 2021 and, last season, Houston lost to Florida in the national championship game.
The Cougars opened the 2025-26 season with national title odds as low as +1000 on DraftKings. They are now +1400 at Bet365 Sportsbook on Dec. 9, 2025.
Houston lost leading scorer LJ Cryer but return 3 starters from last year’s national runner-up squad: Milos Uzan, Emanual Sharp and defensive stopper Joseph Tugler.
Houston was ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll and received 16 first-place votes.
Purdue National Championship Odds
The Boilermakers have never won the NCAA Tournament. They reached the championship game in 1969 (losing to UCLA) and 2024 (falling to UConn).
They opened the 2025-26 season as the betting favorite, with odds as low as +950 on Nov. 4, 2025. Their NCAA Tournament title odds are +1200 on Dec. 9, 2025.
Purdue, the preseason No. 1 ranked team in the AP poll, has fallen to No. 6 in the AP Poll.
Purdue is led by guard Braden Smith (15.8 points, 8.7 assists), who won Big Ten Player of the Year last season.
UConn National Championship Odds
Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies won the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and 2024. They came up short in 2025, losing to eventual champion Florida in the second round.
UConn has retooled for another run in 2025-26. The Huskies’ odds to win the national title shortened again, and now are +1000 on Dec. 9.
Transfer Silas Demary Jr. is expected to team with Solo Ball to give UConn a dynamic backcourt to support a frontcourt led by senior Alex Karaban (14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds last season).
The Huskies were ranked No. 4 in the AP preseason poll and received 2 first-place votes.
Kentucky National Championship Odds
Mark Pope had an impressive first year after replacing John Calipari, leading Kentucky to the Sweet 16.
Of course, Kentucky fans measure basketball success in terms of trips to the Final Four and beyond.
Kentucky hasn’t been to the Final Four since 2015, when the 38-0 Wildcats fell to Wisconsin in the semifinals.
DraftKings listed Kentucky’s odds to win the national title +1600 on Nov. 19, lengthened slightly after losing to Louisville and Michigan State. Bet365 now has lists the Wildcats’ national title odds at +4500 after the Wildcats fell out of the AP Top 25.
Every player on this year’s expected starting 5 is a former transfer. That includes guard Otega Oweh, who arrived last year from Oklahoma and averaged 16.2 points per game for the Wildcats.
Florida National Championship Odds
The Gators defied the odds to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament, rallying seemingly in every round before cutting down the nets in San Antonio.
They’re starting over in 2025-26, after losing Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin. Clayton left as one of the greatest players in Gators history.
Boogie Fland, a transfer from Arkansas, is expected to help pick up the slack this season, with a boost from sharp-shooter Xaivian Lee, a transfer from Princeton.
Bet365 listed the Gators’ national title odds at +2200 on Dec. 9, 2025.
Florida ends UConn’s Bid at Rare 3-peat
In 2024, UConn became the first repeat NCAA Tournament champion since Florida won consecutive titles in 2006 and 2007.
On Sunday, March 23, the Gators ended the Huskies’ bid at a rare 3-peat in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
UConn led early, but Florida rallied and held on for a 77-75 victory that sent the Gators to the Sweet 16.
The last program to win 3 consecutive NCAA Tournament titles remains UCLA, which won 7 in a row from 1967-73.
Florida went on to win the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.
What Happened to Previous Teams Trying to 3-peat?
Since UCLA’s dynasty ended in the mid-1970s, just 3 teams, including UConn, have won back-to-back national championships. The previous three — Florida, Duke and now UConn — came up short in Year 3. Here’s a quick recap:
1993 Duke: The Blue Devils won the NCAA Tournament in 1991 and 1992 behind Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley. Laettner graduated after the 1992 title, leaving Hurley and Grant Hill to lead the way in 1993. The 1991 and 1992 national champs only lost 9 games combined in those 2 seasons. The 1993 Blue Devils lost 8 games. They earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament but lost their second-round game 82-77 to a Cal team led by future NBA All-Star Jason Kidd.
2008 Florida: The Gators won the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007 on the strength of always-entertaining Joakim Noah and a cast of talented teammates that included future NBA players Al Horford and Corey Brewer, among others. The 2007 Gators featured 6 players who made it to the NBA. Noah and Horford left after repeating as national champs, leaving a younger and new nucleus to lead the way in 2008. The Gators started the season ranked No. 25 and fell out after the opening week. Florida struggled to a 24-12 finish and didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament.
2025 UConn: The Huskies rebuilt almost their entire starting five but still were a force entering March Madness. They led No. 1 seed Florida early in their second round matchup but fell late, 77-75.
Where Can You Bet on the March Madness Odds?
The following sportsbooks let you bet on college basketball futures such as March Madness odds and more.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
