Explore the latest developments concerning NCAA Tournament 2026.
NCAA Tournament 2026 national championship odds after early bracket reveal: Michigan sits as frontrunner
Updated NCAA Tournament title odds are out with Michigan installed as the frontrunner to win a national championship during March Madness, which would mark the program's first since 1989 under Steve Fisher.
Saturday's NCAA March Madness Bracket seeding preview came prior to the Wolverines' showdown at Duke and Houston's bout with Arizona, three of the four teams graced with No. 1 seeds. Coming off wins over Kansas and Houston, Iowa State was the most surprising team to garner top-line billing but is not considered one of the favorites to cut down the nets inside Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, per oddsmakers.
Winners of 11 straight games, Michigan's 25-1 overall this season with its only loss coming on Jan. 10 against Wisconsin. The only competitive game since for the Wolverines was a 75-72 victory over Nebraska a few weeks later, after holding the Huskers scoreless the final 3:20 for their first loss of the campaign.
March Madness power rankings: Ranking top 16 teams based on odds
The four odds-on college basketball favorites to win the men's NCAA Tournament were in action on Saturday, Feb. 21.
No. 3 Duke defeated No. 1 Michigan 68-63 and No. 4 Arizona took down No. 2 Houston 73-66 in a rare potential Final Four preview during the regular season. The Blue Devils and Cougars both reached the Final Four last season, with Houston taking down Duke 70-67 to advance to the national championship before falling to Florida.
The Big 12 owns 40% of the top-10 favorites to win the title, with Arizona, Houston, Iowa State and Kansas all among the nation's favorites to win the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten has three teams in the top 10, and the ACC, SEC and Big East have one each.
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2026 men’s college basketball national title odds: Michigan takes top spot from Arizona
Michigan became the betting favorite to win the national title after back-to-back losses by Arizona. Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images
Selection Sunday is less than a month away and the best teams in college basketball are battling for conference titles and strong seeds in the NCAA Tournament. A season loaded with compelling favorites and plenty of star power could make for a memorable March.
The Michigan Wolverines are the new consensus betting favorite to win the national championship thanks to Arizona’s first two losses of the season.
Even after prolific starts, Michigan and Arizona face plenty of strong competition. Duke and Houston also find themselves prominently in the title discussion. A deep and talented group of national title contenders consists of programs who could ascend before the bracket is even unveiled. Iowa State just used a little Hilton Magic to knock off Houston. Illinois, Florida and UConn are also among a handful of teams showing dangerous signs of deep tournament runs.
For more detailed information, explore updates concerning NCAA Tournament 2026.
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