2026-27 NCAA Basketball Preview: National Championship Betting Odds
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Wed Oct 28, 2026, 4:12 pm ET
Read Time: 6 minutes
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Attention everyone. College Hoops is less than a week away. I repeat, in less than a week, NCAA Basketball is back on our screens, kicking things off with one game on Sunday Morning on the first day of November in Rome, followed by a 24 hour marathon of CBB on Monday, November 2. Before this wild ride begins, let's dive into the National Championship betting odds and see if anyone is worth sprinkling on before the season gets going.
2026-27 NCAA Basketball Preview
Thomas Haugh and Florida are the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, and the betting favorite to win the National Championship
It's been a crazy offseason. To be totally honest, it's been hard to keep up with all the different moves, whether it be transfer portal players, individuals being deemed eligible for an extra year they didn't expect, or even players who were drafted to the NBA, somehow being allowed to return to college.
I've said it before, I'll say it again. It's the Wild West in the NIL Era. But, let's see how the oddsmakers view these teams.
NCAA Basketball Preseason Top 25
- #1 Florida Gators (47)
- #2 Duke Blue Devils (10)
- #3 Illinois Fighting Illini (2)
- #4 UConn Huskies
- #5 Arizona Wildcats
- #6 Michigan State Spartans
- #7 Texas Longhorns
- #8 Tennessee Volunteers
- #9 Virginia Cavaliers
- #10 Houston Cougars
- #11 Louisville Cardinals
- #12 Arkansas Razorbacks
- #13 St. John's Red Storm
- #14 Miami Hurricanes
- #15 Gonzaga Bulldogs
- #16 Michigan Wolverines
- #17 Kansas Jayhawks
- #18 Iowa State Cyclones
- #19 Texas Tech Red Raiders
- #20 Alabama Crimson Tide
- #21 USC Trojans
- #22 UCLA Bruins
- #23 Kentucky Wildcats
- #24 Vanderbilt Commodores
- #25 BYU Cougars
Narrowly missing out on the top 25 was Missouri. Following a decent sized gap, we had Nebraska, Purdue, Ohio State, and North Carolina rounding out the top 30, with the Tigers of Columbia being the clear 26th best squad. You know, according to this meaningless poll.
But how do the top 25 preseason rankings compare to the betting odds to cut down the nets in March?
NCAA Basketball Betting Odds
To Win the National Championship
- Florida +650
- Duke +700
- UConn +1200
- Illinois +1400
- Michigan State +1600
- Arizona +2000
- Texas +2000
- Louisville +2200
- Kansas +2500
- Houston +2800
- Texas Tech +2800
- St. John's +3300
- Michigan +3500
- Tennessee +3500
- Gonzaga +3500
- Miami +4000
- Virginia +4000
- Arkansas +4400
NCAA Basketball Teams to Watch
Alex Condon and Florida have the best frontcourt in the nation, and it's not up for debate
Here are some teams I am very high on going into this season.
Florida Gators (+650)
This is the CLEAR team to beat in college hoops this year. They have a championship roster, are hungry to win again, and retained plenty of talent. The Gators return five of their top six scorers, their top three rebounders, and their second, third, and fourth leaders in assists last season. Thomas Haugh (17.1, 6.1, 2.1, 1.1, 1.0), Alex Condon (15.1, 7.5, 3.6, 0.7, 1.4) and Reuben Chinyelu (10.9, 11.2, 0.7, 0.8, 1.0) make up the scariest front court in the country.
Boogie Fland (11.6, 2.5, 3.5, 1.7) will lead the offense, and Urban Klavzar (40.6% from deep) will be possibly the best sixth man in the nation. Isaiah Brown and CJ Ingram will both see increased roles as well.
Overall the Gators return over 75% of their points, 70% of their rebounds, and about 73% of their assists. No wonder they are the favorites to win it all.
Illinois Fighting Illini (+1400)
Again, retention was key for Brad Underwood. Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell are gone, but the Illini got back Andrej Stojakovic and both seven foot Ivisic twins (Zvonimir and Tomislav). Plus, Jake Davis will compete with Klavzar for most important role player in the country, and adding Stefan Vaaks makes up for the scoring Wagler left behind.
Not to mention David Mirkovic returns one year more mature after a phenomenal freshman season, where he averaged 13.3 points per game, 8.0 boards, and 2.6 assists while shooting over 48% from the field. Last year I had a ticket on Illinois to win the natty at 40-1, and they made it all the way to the Final Four. I would be comfortable taking them again at 14-1 or better.
Will Tyran Stokes pan out in Lawrence better than Darryn Peterson did?
Kansas Jayhawks (+2500)
Call it a homer pick if you want, but the Jayhawks are the No. 17 team in the nation, but have the ninth best odds to win the title. Not only did the Jayhawks get back Tre White and Melvin Council Jr., but they also added two stud freshman in Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney. Kinney will run the offense with Council, while Stokes will handle the scoring as a 6′ 8″ wing who should be a top draft pick next season.
On top of that, Keanu Dawes will play the stretch four, coming from Utah, Christian Reeves is another seven footer alongside Paul Mbiya, and to top it all off, they signed Trey Kaufman-Renn, a do it all big man who spent four years with Purdue. Bill Self has reloaded and is going for a championship, making me worried it might be close to his last hurrah.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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