Early 2026 March Madness Odds and Predictions

The shine hasn’t lifted from Florida’s trophy, and the odds have already been set for teams to win the 2026 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament. Duke opened the +1000 favorite, but money landed on Purdue to make the Boilermakers the chalk. Which teams should college hoops future bettors put their money behind at this early stage? Check out college basketball championship odds and too-early picks for the 2026 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship.

Opening 2026 March Madness Odds

THE FLORIDA GATORS ARE YOUR 2025 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

THE GATORS HAVE RETURNED TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/NNWAaEcYuY

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

• Purdue +1000
• Duke +1100
• Houston +1200
• Louisville +1600
• Kansas +1600
• St. John’s +1600
• BYU +1600
• Connecticut +1800
• Kentucky +2000
• Texas Tech +2000
• Michigan +2000
• Arkansas +2500
• Arizona +2500
• Alabama +2500
• Florida +3000
• UCLA +3000
• Tennessee +3000
• Auburn +3000

2026 March Madness Top Pick: St. John Red Storm

Rick Pitino led the St. John’s Red Storm to a Big East title in his first season. He did so while being out-recruited by two-time NCAA Champion coach Dan Hurley, who has built a juggernaut at Connecticut.

Not only did Hurley out-train Pitino, but Hurley is also a master at utilizing the transfer portal to restock his team. Pitino didn’t do that in his first season. In his second season, we should expect the legendary coach to boost St. John’s to the stratosphere. Who doesn’t want to play for one of the most talented head coaches in the sport?

By this June, St. John’s could become the favorite, considering the additions Pitino will likely make to the squad. Back the Red Storm with confidence.

2026 March Madness Second Pick: UConn Huskies

UConn had a bounce season, which we should have expected, considering how dominant the Huskies were in 2023 and 2024. The Huskies won’t stay down for long.

Hurley doesn’t rebuild. He reloads. UConn made the NCAA Tournament and won a game before losing to eventual winner Florida by 2 points. So, we should expect the Huskies to be a force in 2026.

The following season is shaping up to be one in which the Big East returns to prominence. Neither Pitino nor Hurley will allow their programs to take a backward seat to Duke, Purdue, Houston, or any other program. Backing either at decent odds makes for a good play.

2026 March Madness Third Pick: Houston Cougars

Kelvin Sampson’s squad had the title within reach. They lost because of a single player: the fantastic Walter Clayton Jr. WCJ dominated this year’s NCAA Tournament. Without him, the Gators wouldn’t have won the title, and Sampson and the Cougs would have cut down the nets.

In any case, the Cougars will bounce back this season in stunning fashion. Houston is a solid squad with a culture that preaches tough defense. Houston is knocking on the door. It’s a matter of time before the Cougs will be in it all, but the odds are light considering where St. John’s and Connecticut should come this fall.

2026 March Madness Underdogs Pick: Arizona Wildcats

Tommy Lloyd lost Henri Veesaar to North Carolina in the transfer portal. That will hurt unless Lloyd transfers a couple of star players to Tucson, which is bound to happen.

Lloyd has built a winning program at Arizona that routinely makes the Sweet 16. The Cats have yet to return to the Elite Eight, but it feels like a matter of time before that happens. Arizona will reload. So we should expect a Caleb Love-type player to land in Tucson and for the Wildcats to challenge Houston and BYU for the Big 12 title.

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