Purdue Has the Edge in College Basketball Rankings for March Madness; Betting Opportunities Discussed?
In the anticipation for the 2026 NCAA men's basketball season, betting markets and analysts have highlighted Purdue and Houston as the top favourites to win the March Madness tournament.
Purdue has emerged as the betting favourite with odds around +900, closely followed by Houston also at +900. Florida has moved up to about +1200 as the third choice, while Duke's odds have slipped to just behind Florida in some listings. This rise in Purdue's odds reflects their strong recent performance trajectory and heavy betting interest, while Houston remains a favourite due to consistent betting action and recent success.
Meanwhile, Florida has gained momentum in betting odds more recently, though they attract fewer bets than Purdue and Houston. A top-12 group of contenders for the national title in 2026 also includes Yukon, Louisville, Texas Tech, Kentucky, St. John’s, Michigan, BYU, and Arkansas.
However, one team that seems undervalued according to some analysts is the Illinois Fighting Illini. Torvik believes the market has not accounted enough for the talent level of Illinois.
Elsewhere, teams such as UCLA, Arkansas, Duke, and Tennessee are also in the running. Arkansas could return almost 60% of its minutes from last season, while UCLA's veteran-laden core will maintain 43% of its minutes from the 2024-25 season, a top-15 ranking among power-five programs.
UCLA gave Tennessee a competitive half before bowing out in the second round of the 2021 NCAA tournament. Key players like Kylan Boswell, Tomislav Ivisic, and Ben Humrichous, who were hampered by injuries and illnesses last season, are expected to reemerge this year.
In terms of individual performances, Donovan Dent, a transfer from New Mexico, averaged 6.7 transition points for UCLA, leading the country individually. Skyy Clark, Tyler Bilodeau, and Jamar Brown (UMKC) all hit at least 40% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers for UCLA.
Mick Cronin is trying to stabilize UCLA's interior defense with Xavier Booker. Meanwhile, Illinois has bolstered its roster with the addition of Andrej Stojakovic (California), Zvonimir Ivisic (Arkansas), Mihailo Petrovic, and David Mirkovic.
As for the odds, UCLA, Duke, and Houston have odds of 1200 to win the 2026 March Madness. A multitude of other teams, including BYU, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisville, Texas Tech, Arizona, St. John's, Alabama, Auburn, Iowa State, Michigan, Arkansas, Florida, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Tennessee, UCLA, North Carolina, Creighton, Indiana, Illinois, Oregon, Wisconsin, Baylor, LSU, Iowa, Ohio State, Texas, Villanova, Maryland, Miami, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, USC, Virginia, Clemson, Kansas State, Marquette, SMU, Washington, Xavier, all have odds between 2000 and 15000 to win the 2026 March Madness.
The 2026 NCAA men's basketball season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with many teams in contention for the national title. The betting markets and expert projections consistently highlight Purdue and Houston as the top two favourites, with Florida and Duke competing closely behind, reflecting a dynamic early outlook for the tournament.
- Parlaying on Purdue or Houston for the 2026 March Madness tournament could yield good returns, as they have odds of +900, making them the top betting favorites.
- Sports betting analysts suggest that Illinois Fighting Illini might be an undervalued team, with Torvik believing that their talent level is not fully accounted for in the current betting markets.
- Miami, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, USC, Virginia, and Clemson have fairly long odds of between 2000 and 15000, making them appealing options for long shots in sports betting for the 2026 NCAA men's basketball season.
