Duke and Florida tied at 6-1 odds for 2026 NCAA title
The 2026-27 college basketball season begins Sunday in Rome, with the Blue Devils and Gators sharing the top spot on betting boards.
By Adrian Kovalenko ·
Two teams are tied at plus 600 to win the 2026 NCAA tournament, a price that translates to 6-1 odds on BetMGM. Duke and Florida hold the co-favorite position as the 2026-27 college basketball season launches this Sunday in Rome, Italy. The season opener features Notre Dame against Villanova in Southern Europe. The rest of the national schedule starts Monday, with tip-off times ranging from 3 a.m. to midnight.
The AP preseason top 25 lists Florida as the No. 1 team and Duke as No. 2. Connecticut enters the year at No. 4, and Illinois sits at No. 3. These four schools form the front of the national title odds board. No other team has a shorter price than plus 600.
Michigan State and Texas occupy the next tier at 18-1 odds. Louisville and Arizona follow at 20-1. Houston and Tennessee round out the top ten at 25-1. Arizona is the preseason favorite in the Big 12, while Louisville competes in the Atlantic 10.
Connecticut returns key players Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr. The Huskies also added Nikolas Khamenia from Duke and Na'jai Hines from Seton Hall. The team went 3-0 in preseason exhibition games, beating Michigan State and Purdue. Dan Hurley's squad is positioned to challenge St. John's for the top of the Big East.
Kansas lands top prospect Tyran Stokes, who is the consensus No. 1 pick for next year's NBA Draft. Bill Self also added Taylen Kinney. The Jayhawks retain Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. while adding Trey Kaufman-Renn, Leroy Blyden Jr., and Keanu Dawes via the portal. Kansas carries 30-1 odds to win the title.
Vanderbilt opens at 45-1 on FanDuel. The Commodores started 16-0 last season and finished with a No. 5 seed. Tyler Tanner returns after considering the NBA. Mark Byington added Bangot Dak from Colorado, Ace Glass from Washington State, and five-star recruit Gabe Nesmith. Vanderbilt is ranked No. 13 in KenPom's preseason standings.
The season opener in Rome sets the stage for a tournament that concludes in April. Michigan State and Texas are the only other teams listed within 18-1 odds of the championship. The betting market places all four AP top teams ahead of the remaining field.
Source: New York Post
