For experienced sports bettors new to college basketball betting, or new bettors familiar with college basketball but not yet betting on it, this introduction to college basketball national championship odds guide is for you.

Read below to find all of the current odds favorites for the 2025-26 national championship, and key factors, strategies, and risks to consider when placing college basketball futures bets.

Favorites for the 2025-26 national championship

Below, we have listed out the current favorites for the 2025-26 national championship and their March Madness betting odds as of July 23, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Factors influencing favorites

Six major factors influence the odds for the current favorites to win the national championship: injuries, coaching, transfer portal, recruiting, chemistry and returners.

Injuries

Unfortunately, injuries are a factor in all sports.

Throughout the history of college basketball, we have seen seasons derailed by injuries to key players. While injuries are unpredictable, bettors can improve their odds for a successful futures wager by paying attention to injury updates and studying the injury history of players on that respective team.

If a key player has had lingering injuries previously, it is advisable to avoid betting on that team because that player’s availability could make or break your bet.

Coaching

Let’s face it: coaching matters a lot.

When browsing through the list of national champions over the past few decades, there are an incredible number of coaching legends.

This list includes Coach K, Jay Wright, Tony Bennett, Dan Hurley, Bill Self, Roy Williams, John Calipari, Jim Calhoun, Billy Donovan, Rick Pitino and Jim Boeheim.

In short, the greatest coaches always find a way through the gauntlet, so taking a futures bet flier on a mid-major program with a relatively unknown coach is unadvisable.

Transfer portal

The transfer portal and NIL era have changed college basketball, giving any program a chance at relevancy.

Teams that have more NIL funds at their disposal can effectively “buy” players now, which is a massive advantage when it comes to building a team.

UConn grabbed Cam Spencer in the portal in 2023 and won a title the following year, while Florida brought in Walter Clayton Jr. from Iona in 2023 and secured the 2025 national championship.

While the portal has become important in roster construction, it is still just one of many factors that can make or break a program.

Recruiting

Which recruits are coming into a program?

Can they make an immediate impact from Day 1, similar to Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel for the Duke Blue Devils in the 2024-25 season?

Over the past few decades, freshmen have become higher-impact players. Flagg and Duke’s Zion Williamson are two players who took college basketball by storm and left with the coveted Wooden Award after one season.

Paying attention to the national rank of a particular program’s recruiting class matters when betting on futures.

Returners & team chemistry

Returning talent is vital for success in college basketball because of established on-court chemistry.

If a program falls just short of a National Championship in one season, but returns several key starters — similar to how UConn did when it won back-to-back national championships — it is in tremendous shape for the upcoming year.

Chemistry is important. Look no further than the Kansas Jayhawks, who arguably had the most talented roster from top to bottom in the 2024-25 regular season, but significantly underperformed relative to expectations.

Alabama national championship outlook

The Crimson Tide ran into a buzz saw in last season’s NCAA Tournament when they had to take on the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight.

Despite falling short of another national championship, Duke strung together one of the most efficient seasons on both ends of the floor.

Still, Alabama’s success over the past two seasons, which includes a Final Four and Elite Eight appearance, is a sign that this program can overcome the loss of Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, Chris Youngblood, and Cliff Omoruyi.

Luckily, Labaron Philon decided to come back to Tuscaloosa, and he will be joined by Aden Holloway, Latrell Wrightsell Jr, Aiden Sherrell, and Houston Mallette as talented returners.

Head coach Nate Oats and the Tide also managed to secure the fifth-best recruiting class and a top 25 transfer portal class, so they should be an SEC heavyweight once again.

Auburn national championship outlook

After falling short of a national championship last season despite being one of the best teams in college basketball, the Auburn Tigers hope to regroup in 2025-26. and avenge their Final Four loss to Florida.

Auburn lost some massive contributors, including Johni Broome, who was a finalist for the Wooden Award, Chad Baker-Mazara, the team’s second-leading scorer, Dylan Cardwell, Miles Kelly, Chaney Johnson, and Denver Jones.

Tahaad Pettiford has the opportunity to be a major piece this season, but the question is whether the talent they grabbed in the portal will be enough to make them a true national contender.

Historical context of national championship odds

Past champions and their preseason odds

For some historical context, here are the past 10 national champions and their preseason betting odds, courtesy of SportsOddsHistory.com.

Trends in odds movement over seasons

Only twice in the past 10 seasons has a team with shorter than preseason 10-1 odds made it through the March Madness gauntlet to secure a national championship.

Therefore, don’t put much emphasis on heavy preseason favorites, as many things can change throughout the season, including injuries, chemistry issues, and underachieving.

Look no further than the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2024-25 season and the North Carolina Tar Heels in their 2022-23 campaign for evidence.

Key players and teams to watch

Impact of star players on odds

A highly touted transfer or blue-chip prospect can launch a particular team’s futures betting odds into the stratosphere.

The Michigan Wolverines are a perfect example.

The Wolverines leaned heavily on their two-headed frontcourt monster of Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf to lead them to a Big Ten Tournament championship.

However, Goldin and Wolf both departed for the NBA, so how can Michigan have the fifth-best national championship odds for this upcoming season?

Michigan brought in 5-star recruit Trey McKenney, one of the best guards in the 2025 class, but that was only the beginning.

Coach Dusty May also put together the second-best transfer portal class in the country, which includes 5-star forward Yaxel Lendeborg and three other 4-star recruits (Morez Johnson Jr., Elliot Cadeau, and Aday Mara).

Add returners Roddy Gayle Jr., LJ Cason, and Will Tschetter, and Michigan has the experience, depth, coaching, and talent to go all the way.

Emerging talents for the 2025-26 Season

Below, we list the incoming freshmen who can make the biggest splashes in college basketball:

• AJ Dybantsa, BYU
• Cameron Boozer, Duke
• Darryn Peterson, Kansas
• Nate Ament, Tennessee
• Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
• Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
• Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
• Kiyan Anthony, Syracuse

Coaching changes and their effect on odds

Any time a program undergoes a coaching change, it is likely to result in a rebuilding period.

A first-year coach rarely has significant success. When it does happen, it counts as more of an exception than the rule.

For that reason, it is not advisable to wager on programs with new coaches as they have many new players and are still trying to implement their system on both ends of the floor.

While there are rare examples of new coaches surging in their first season, we suggest doing research before placing a futures bet on a program undergoing a coaching change.

Tips for betting on national championship futures

Bet on coaching

More often than not, teams that make deep tournament runs during March Madness have an elite head coach with an impressive resume.

Of course, there will always be Cinderellas that make a run to the Elite Eight or Final Four.

However, coaches who have dominated college basketball are more likely to have teams that can trudge through the gauntlet.

Bet on experience

Having a player like Cooper Flagg or Zion Williamson to lead a college team is undoubtedly exciting and leads to many wins.

With that being said, experience and veteran leadership matter once the NCAA Tournament rolls around.

The last time that a college basketball team won a National Championship with a freshman (or multiple freshmen) leading the program in key statistical categories was the Duke Blue Devils back in 2015.

Virginia, Villanova, North Carolina, UConn, Florida, Kansas, and Baylor all relied heavily on upperclassmen to propel their respective programs to a title.

Avoid injury-prone teams and players

The best ability is availability. When betting on team futures, such as the national championship winner, avoid injury-prone teams.

This tip is especially applicable if a team’s best player is injury-prone. It will be challenging for a college team to fill in the gaps without a major contributor, no matter its depth.

Using handicapping tools and analytics

While it should go without saying, it is vitally important to research before placing futures bets on college basketball teams at one of the best March Madness betting sites.

Here are a few handicapping tools and analytics sites to familiarize yourself with ahead of the upcoming college basketball season:

Sportsbooks and odds comparison

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel has a wide variety of college basketball, including team and player props (if you live in a state that allows player prop betting).

To sign up with the esteemed sportsbook, click on this FanDuel promo code (no code required) to claim a $150 bonus if your $5 bet wins.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings is the best overall sportsbook due to its impressive mobile app design, sleekness, and navigability, as well as favorable odds and bet types.

Since the DraftKings promo code (no code required) is not necessary, you only need to head to the sportsbook through our link or banner. New customers can bet $5 and get $150 instantly in bonus bets, regardless of the result of the initial wager.

BetMGM Sportsbook

From an odds standpoint, BetMGM is among the best online sportsbooks, especially for college basketball.

Use our exclusive BetMGM bonus code ALCOM1500 to get an incredible first-bet insurance offer of up to $1,500.

How to find the best odds

Shopping odds is one of the best ways to improve your chances of being a successful bettor.

A spread disparity of one point between two sportsbooks can be the difference between winning and losing.

The most optimal way to find the best odds available to you is by using a site like Oddschecker that aggregates all betting odds across the most popular sportsbooks.

Recent transfer portal movements

How transfers affect odds

In recent seasons, we have seen the importance that the transfer portal plays for programs looking to make a deep run during March Madness.

The Florida Gators, last season’s national champions, snagged Walter Clayton Jr out of the transfer portal from Iona in 2023.

Clayton’s importance to the Gators’ run cannot be overstated. He posted just shy of 23 points per game on a 47/44/91 shooting split.

A similar picture can be painted for previous champion UConn, which pried Cam Spencer away from Rutgers for the 2023-24 season.

Spencer was a 15-point-per-game scorer who shot just shy of 49% from the floor and 44% from 3-point land, spearheading one of the best offenses in the country.

In today’s college basketball landscape, the transfer portal can make or break teams, so expect transfers both in and out of a program to affect national championship odds.

March Madness and championship betting trends

Historical betting success in March Madness

Top recruits dominating the college game and heading straight to the NBA after their freshman campaign has become prevalent. However, freshman-led teams have not had as much success in the NCAA Tournament.

Except for the 2015 Duke Blue Devils (Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, Grayson Allen, Justise Winslow), the 2012 Kentucky Wildcats (Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague), and the 2003 Syracuse Orange (Carmelo Anthony, Gerry McNamara Jr.), NCAA champions have largely been led by upperclassmen.

Even teams with historic levels of freshmen talent, such as the 2025 Duke Blue Devils, 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes, 2010 Kentucky Wildcats, and 2019 Duke Blue Devils, have fallen short of hoisting the championship trophy.

History suggests you should bet on teams with veteran leadership.

Common betting mistakes to avoid

The biggest betting mistake to avoid regarding futures betting is tying up too much of your bankroll.

Only a small percentage of your bankroll should be assigned to futures bets, as they remain locked throughout the year.

By placing a large percentage of your bankroll in futures, you limit your potential winnings from single-game bets.

Risks and considerations in betting

Understanding the volatility of futures bets

Futures bets often have much more favorable odds before the season. However, many variables can swing the outcome of a futures bet.

For example, injuries, coaching changes, and underachieving are why a futures bet might not pan out.

For these reasons, it is advised to spread your bankroll and not put all of it on futures bets, as they are highly volatile and can be considered long shots.

Responsible gambling tips

As mentioned above, make sure to only dedicate a small percentage of your bankroll to futures bets. And never bet more than you can afford to lose. These are two of the most important aspects of responsible gambling.

Futures betting is a fun way to get in on some season-long action, but they are considered long-shot bets for a reason.

Conclusion

When betting college basketball national championship futures, it is imperative to look at all the key factors that can propel a program ahead of other elite squads.

Injuries, coaching talent, the transfer portal, recruiting additions, team chemistry, and key returners are variables that can be the difference between being good and being great.

With that being said, it is still important to remember that futures betting is typically a long shot, as many things can happen, including injuries and coaching changes.

College basketball national championship odds FAQs

Who is favored to win the 2025-26 college basketball national championship?

The Purdue Boilermakers are favored to win the 2025-26 college basketball national championship. They return top players Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Daniel Jacobsen, CJ Cox, and Trey Kaufman-Renn, and brought in Oscar Cluff and Omer Mayer.

When and where will the 2025-26 national championship and Final Four games be played?

The Final Four and national championship games will be played on April 4, 2026, and April 6, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

When should I place my college basketball national championship futures bet?

The perfect time to place a college basketball national championship futures bet is hard to predict. However, most contending teams have the most favorable futures odds before the season.

Can I cash out my college basketball national championship futures bet after I have placed it?

The short answer for whether or not you will be able to cash out a college basketball national championship futures bet before it settles is that it depends on the sportsbook and situation.

What is the minimum age to place a college basketball national championship futures bet?

In most states, sports bettors must be at least 21 years old to place a college basketball national championship futures bet.