The NCAA Tournament is heating up as the Sweet 16 approaches.
Ahead of Thursday’s first set of games, we recap where the betting odds stand for the top contenders and share our March Madness best bets.
NCAAB National Championship Betting Odds
All college basketball odds used for these 2026 March Madness predictions are current as of Tuesday, March 24, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Michigan (+330)
- Arizona (+350)
- Duke (+380)
- Houston (+700)
- Purdue (+1300)
- Illinois (+1400)
- Iowa State (+1700)
- UConn (+2500)
- Michigan State (+3000)
- John’s (+3500)
All other teams have odds of (+4000) or longer.
Who Will Win March Madness 2026?
Michigan (+330)
Michigan breezed through the first two rounds, clobbering No. 16 Howard and No. 9 St. Louis by an average of 22 points.
The top-seeded Wolverines have since taken over as the betting favorite to cut down the nets, climbing from +360 to +330. Next up for the Maize and Blue is a date with No. 4 seed Alabama on Friday in Chicago.
With Yaxel Lendeborg playing at an elite level, the Wolverines are in a great position to win their first national title since 1989. I’m backing Michigan as my March Madness winner pick and one of my best college basketball bets today.
NCAAB National Championship Contenders
Arizona (+350)
Arizona ranks in the top five nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and it has a dominant inside-outside game with Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat.
The top-seeded Wildcats have already beaten 12 ranked opponents this season, including Houston twice and both Florida and UConn in road/neutral-site games.
They will look to add to that on Thursday against No. 4 seed Arkansas.
Could this be the Wildcats’ year? It’s very possible.
Duke (+380)
After surviving a scare against No. 16 Siena, top-seeded Duke pulled away from No. 9 TCU, 81-58, to book another trip to the Sweet 16.
A tough road awaits the Blue Devils, starting with No. 5 seed St. John’s on Friday in Washington, D.C.
🏀 Print out your free 2026 March Madness bracket.
Injuries to Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II have cast doubts about Duke’s ceiling, but presumptive National Player of the Year Cam Boozer clears up a lot of doubts about Jon Scheyer’s team.
NCAAB National Championship Sleeper Pick
UConn (+2500)
Dan Hurley has guided UConn to two of the last three national titles.
So, why count him out now?
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The Huskies aren’t as dangerous as previous years, especially without 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan clogging the paint, but they simply know how to win.
With +2500 national championship odds, the second-seeded Huskies are an enticing longshot.
Past NCAAB National Championship Winners
2025: Florida
2024: UConn
2023: UConn
2022: Kansas
2021: Baylor
2020: No Tournament because of the COVID-19 Pandemic
2019: Virginia
2018: Villanova
2017: North Carolina
2016: Villanova
2015: Duke
