Cameron Boozer of Duke. Zachary Taft-Imagn Images The bracket is out, which means it’s time for madness.
The Selection Committee established Duke as the No. 1 overall seed for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which is not exactly in line with the bookmakers at bet365 Sportsbook, who have Michigan at the top of the odds ahead of Round 1.
That said, the gap between the Wolverines, Blue Devils, and third-favorite Arizona is extremely narrow.
Duke, which started the season at 14/1, is +325 to win the title, while Michigan, which was 20/1 before the season started, is down to +340 after the bracket was released.
Defending champions Florida is +700 to repeat. No other team boasts single-digit odds.
Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars are 10/1, putting them in a range of their own, as there is no other team under 20/1.
UConn, winners of two of the last three NCAA Tournaments, is 20/1 after finishing runner-up at the Big East Tournament to St. John’s. UConn is the No. 2 seed in the East Region.
Speaking of the Red Storm, they are down to 50/1 after winning their second Big East title in a row. The Johnnies were handed a No. 5 seed and will play Northern Iowa in Round 1.
Michigan head coach Dusty May. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Betting on College Basketball? Check out the best College Basketball betting sites Read the latest March Madness odds St. John’s isn’t the only notable long shot to keep an eye on over the next few days.
Arkansas, which won the SEC Championship after defeating Vanderbilt, is a tempting price at 60/1.
Tom Izzo’s Michigan State will also get some betting support at 45/1 after landing as a No. 3 seed in the East region.
Purdue, which was the betting favorite before the season started, is 40/1 after being handed a No. 2 seed. The Boilermakers upset Michigan in the Big Ten Championship.
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
