March Madness College Basketball Favoritism Lies with Purdue; Betting Opportunities?
The 2026 NCAA men's basketball national championship is shaping up to be a highly competitive tournament, with several teams vying for the title outside the top three favorites.
Purdue, with odds of 900, has dropped from 1900, thanks to the addition of high-impact graduate transfers Oscar Cluff and Liam Murphy. Braden Smith, a preseason national player of the year front-runner, is on Purdue's roster, adding even more firepower to the Boilermakers' squad. Illinois, with odds of 6000, is another team to watch, having reeled in Andrej Stojakovic (California) and Zvonimir Ivisic (Arkansas), along with international prospects Mihailo Petrovic and David Mirkovic.
Louisville and BYU both hold +1600 odds, slightly behind the top three favorites. Florida, the defending champion, opened at +2500 odds, influenced by key player departures. Connecticut is positioned around +1400, making them a competitive contender. Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky, and Arkansas all rank with odds ranging from +1800 to +2200.
Arizona and Michigan State have longer odds at +3500 each. Indiana and North Carolina are considered longer shots with +5000 odds.
Among these teams, Purdue's Torvik Ranking is #8, Illinois is #11, and Arkansas is #9. Tennessee, with a Torvik Ranking of #11, may lack a primary scorer, unless five-star forward Nate Ament quickly ascends at the collegiate level.
UCLA, with odds of 4500, is another team to watch. Mick Cronin is trying to stabilize UCLA's interior defense with Xavier Booker, while Skyy Clark, Tyler Bilodeau, and Jamar Brown (UMKC) form a core of catch-and-shoot marksmen, hitting at least 40% on three-pointers of this variety.
Arkansas could return almost 60% of its minutes from last season, and top-10 recruits Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas upgrade their backcourt's ceiling. However, among their top-10 protected rotation players, not one had a double-digit assist rate in St. John's.
On the other hand, St. John's Red Storm's Torvik Ranking is #7, and they have the best available odds of 2000. Last season, St. John's graded in the sixth percentile in catch-and-shoot efficiency on a points-per-possession (PPP) basis. Donovan Dent, a transfer from New Mexico, averaged 6.7 transition points last season, leading the country individually.
Duke and Houston's odds to win the 2026 March Madness are 1200 each. Turnovers may be a concern for Illinois, but their talent level is undervalued according to Torvik. UCLA's veteran-laden core will maintain 43% of its minutes from 2024-25, a top-15 ranking among power-five programs.
This comprehensive list gives a broad picture of sportsbook expectations outside the top three favorites for the 2026 March Madness title. Other teams with odds to win the tournament include Louisville, BYU, Florida Gators, Connecticut, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, Arkansas, Arizona, Michigan State, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA, and many more.
Parlaying a wager on Purdue could potentially yield high returns, as their odds have dropped significantly from 1900 to 900, due to the addition of graduate transfers Oscar Cluff and Liam Murphy. Illinois, another contender, has improved their sports betting odds from a long shot of 100000 to 6000, after signing talent like Andrej Stojakovic and Zvonimir Ivisic. Despite having longer odds of 2000, the St. John's Red Storm boast a impressive Torvik Ranking of #7, making them an interesting choice for sports betting in the 2026 NCAA men's basketball national championship.
