NCAA Tournament Odds and Predictions 2026: Defending Champs Not the Favorite But Amongst Top Contenders

• The preseason No. 1 in the polls went on to win the national championship five times in the last 24 Tournaments; the last was Baylor (2020-21).

• North Carolina became the first preseason No. 1 to miss the Tournament (2022-23) since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1984-85.

• Prior to UConn winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, the last time someone repeated as national champs was Florida (2006 and 2007).

The national championship for men’s college basketball is decided every year by a single-elimination tournament featuring the 68 best teams in the country during the regular season. On this page, we’ll keep you up to date with the odds for the top contenders, the best sportsbooks for betting on them, how to read those odds, and so much more!

2026 NCAA Tournament Odds

Here are the odds for the top 10 contenders listed at FanDuel Sportsbook. Sign up for a FanDuel account today and claim: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

NCAA Tournament Predictions

One of the great things about the current state of men’s college basketball is how unpredictable it is. More than likely, the NCAAW winner will come from inside the top 16 in the preseason poll. But the odds say it all for the men’s side.

• The betting favorite, Purdue, only has a 9.52% chance of winning the national championship.

• Several of the top contenders only have a better than 5% chance of winning.

• Another six clock in with a 4.76% chance (+2000 odds).

What does all of this mean? That between the transfer portal and NIL money, parity has come to men’s college basketball. Expectations will be higher for teams expected to be good, such as Purdue, Houston, Duke, and Kentucky.

But bettors may not want to overlook anyone. Florida’s preseason odds were +6000 last year. Of the last ten Tournament winners, only two had preseason odds shorter than +1000 (Baylor, +800 in 2020-21, and Duke, +900 in 2014-15).

NCAA Tournament Winner Pick(s)

Purdue looked like it was trying to beat Kentucky in a preseason matchup, but it got outclassed. It’s only preseason, but with the odds as long as they are and so many teams at the top, that’s enough for me to pass on the Boilermakers for now.

With much of the core from last season’s Final Four squad back, I’ve got to lean towards Houston to start the season. They’ve got the talent, the depth, the experience—as long as no one gets hurt, this team will absolutely be in contention once again.

However, since 2009-10, five teams with preseason odds of +1000 or shorter went on to win. Seven had odds of +2000 or higher, and four had odds of 4000 or higher. So, it is smart to put a little down on a team or two with longer odds, like St. John’s, Arkansas, and Michigan State.

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How to Bet on the NCAA Tournament Winner

Sportsbooks will often have odds posted for the next NCAAM Tournament most of the year for fans to put money on. Placing a wager on your team is pretty easy to do:

You’ll need to open an account with a sportsbook, but I’d recommend opening a few to take advantage of the welcome promos and because, at this stage of the season, odds can vary significantly across books.

Once you’ve done that, find the book with the most advantageous odds for the team you want to bet on. Make sure you have money in your account. Click on the team, enter your desired wager on the betting slip, and place your bet.

How to Read NCAA Tournament Winner Odds

Futures odds will be expressed as a three-digit number with a + or – in front. If the odds have a minus number, that means you will need to risk whatever the odds are to win $100. So, if the odds are -1000, you’ll need to bet $1000 to win $100.

But if the odds have a + sign in front, the odds are what you’ll win if you bet $100. If the team has +1000 odds like Houston to start the season, you’ll win $1000 if you bet $100.

If a team has odds, it has a better than 50% chance of winning, and if it has + odds, it has a less than 50% chance of winning.

Where to Bet on the NCAA Tournament Winner

The following are my preferred online sportsbooks for betting on the NCAAM Tournament Winner:

• FanDuel Sportsbook: Not every sportsbook has both a mobile app and a desktop site, or if they do, they don’t function the same. FanDuel has both; what you can do on one, you can do on the other with ease. Navigating both is simple and easy to do, and when you are at a game, you’ll have no trouble using your FanDuel mobile app. Claim the FanDuel welcome bonus today: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

• Caesars Sportsbook: I am really high on Caesars because of their current welcome promo: Bet $1, Double Your Winnings Next 20 Bets. I love betting on player props and occasionally live betting, but I tend to keep my wagers small so I can place more bets. Doubling my winnings will make it so much more fun. Use our promo code WSN20X to claim this offer.

• BetMGM Sportsbook: I’m a big fan of betting on parlays and same game parlays, and BetMGM’s builder is the best in the business. Sign up for a BetMGM account with our promo code WSNSPORTS and claim: Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.
  
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NCAA Tournament Winner History

Florida won the school’s third national championship last season, but the all-time record belongs to UCLA with 11, followed by Kentucky with 8, North Carolina and UConn with 6, and Duke and Indiana with 5.

The following table contains a list of the last 15 NCAAM Championship winners: