After opening at No. 13 in the preseason AP Top 25, Arizona has surged to a 22–0 record and emerged as the favorite in the latest March Madness and college basketball odds.
As the regular season heats up in February, here’s an updated look at the National Championship odds.
March Madness odds
| Team |  |
|---|---|
 Arizona Wildcats |
<<+425>> |
 Michigan Wolverines |
<<+475>> |
 Duke Blue Devils |
<<+650>> |
 Houston Cougars |
<<+1100>> |
 UConn Huskies |
<<+1400>> |
 Illinois Fighting Illini |
<<+1400>> |
 Iowa State Cyclones |
<<+1500>> |
 Florida Gators |
<<+1800>> |
 Gonzaga Bulldogs |
<<+2000>> |
 Purdue Boilermakers |
<<+2200>> |
Odds as of 2-2-2026.
March Madness betting splits
Highest ticket percentage:
• Michigan 11.2%
• Duke 9.1%
• Purdue 7.4%
Highest handle percentage:
• Arizona 15.7%
• UConn 13.2%
• Michigan 11.1%
All data courtesy of BetMGM.
March Madness 2026 schedule
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | March 15 |
| First Four | March 17-18 |
| First Round | March 19-20 |
| Second Round | March 21-22 |
| Sweet 16 | March 26-27 |
| Elite Eight | March 28-29 |
| Final Four | April 4 |
| National Championship Game | April 6 |
Popular March Madness markets
- Women's March Madness odds
- March Madness Final Four odds
- March Madness MVP odds
- March Madness betting sites
Past March Madness winners
| Year | Champion | Opening odds | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida | +8000 | Houston |
| 2024 | Connecticut | +1100 | Purdue |
| 2023 | Connecticut | +1600 | San Diego State |
| 2022 | Kansas | +2000 | North Carolina |
| 2021 | Baylor | +800 | Gonzaga |
| 2020 | No tournament (COVID-19) | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | Virginia | +1800 | Texas Tech |
| 2018 | Villanova | +1200 | Michigan |
| 2017 | North Carolina | +2400 | Gonzaga |
| 2016 | Villanova | +2000 | North Carolina |
| 2015 | Duke | +1000 | Wisconsin |
March Madness trends
• Of the 20 teams that have entered the tournament with undefeated records, only seven have gone on to win the national championship.
• Only 13 teams successfully defended their national championship the following season.
• UCLA has the most NCAA titles of all time (11), although the Bruins have not won the tournament since 1995.
• A No. 1-seeded team has won the national championship 59.6% of the time since regional seeding was introduced in 1979.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here