After opening at No. 7 in the preseason AP Top 25, Michigan has surged to a 10–0 start, winning seven straight games by double digits and emerging as the favorite in the latest March Madness and college basketball odds.
Here’s a look at the latest National Championship odds, as a new college basketball season tipped off last month.
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March Madness odds
|
Team |
|
|---|---|
|
Michigan Wolverines |
|
|
UConn Huskies |
|
|
Duke Blue Devils |
|
|
Arizona Wildcats |
|
|
Gonzaga Bulldogs |
|
|
Iowa State Cyclones |
|
|
Purdue Boilermakers |
|
|
Houston Cougars |
|
|
Louisville Cardinals |
|
|
Illinois Fighting Illini |
Odds as of 12-14-2025.
March Madness betting splits
Highest ticket percentage:
• Purdue 11.1%
• Houston 8.8%
• Duke 8.4%
Highest handle percentage:
• Purdue 13.8%
• Houston 8.9%
• Kentucky 8.5%
All data courtesy of BetMGM.
March Madness 2026 schedule
|
Event |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Selection Sunday |
March 15 |
|
First Four |
March 17-18 |
|
First Round |
March 19-20 |
|
Second Round |
March 21-22 |
|
Sweet 16 |
March 26-27 |
|
Elite Eight |
March 28-29 |
|
Final Four |
April 4 |
|
National Championship Game |
April 6 |
Popular March Madness markets
Past March Madness winners
|
Year |
Champion |
Opening odds |
Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025 |
Florida |
+8000 |
Houston |
|
2024 |
Connecticut |
+1100 |
Purdue |
|
2023 |
Connecticut |
+1600 |
San Diego State |
|
2022 |
Kansas |
+2000 |
North Carolina |
|
2021 |
Baylor |
+800 |
Gonzaga |
|
2020 |
No tournament (COVID-19) |
N/A |
N/A |
|
2019 |
Virginia |
+1800 |
Texas Tech |
|
2018 |
Villanova |
+1200 |
Michigan |
|
2017 |
North Carolina |
+2400 |
Gonzaga |
|
2016 |
Villanova |
+2000 |
North Carolina |
|
2015 |
Duke |
+1000 |
Wisconsin |
March Madness trends
• Of the 20 teams that have entered the tournament with undefeated records, only seven have gone on to win the national championship.
• Only 13 teams successfully defended their national championship the following season.
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• UCLA has the most NCAA titles of all time (11), although the Bruins have not won the tournament since 1995.
• A No. 1-seeded team has won the national championship 59.6% of the time since regional seeding was introduced in 1979.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
