2025-26 NCAA Basketball National Championship Odds

The 2024-25 NCAA Tournament was a battle of the powerhouses, as all four #1 seeds reached the Final Four. With late leads being choked away and momentum changes left and right, the final three games of the tournament lived up to the madness and also resulted in the Florida Gators becoming National Champions.

While the Gators hoisted the trophy, oddsmakers set their sights back on Duke, opening them as the favorite to win the 2025-26 National Championship behind what is expected to be another elite recruiting class.

NCAAB - Men's March Madness 2026 - Best Odds

*Odds as of April 8, 2025

* = the same odds are offered by multiple sportsbooks.

NCAAB - Men's March Madness 2026 - Top 10 Contenders

*Odds as of April 8, 2025

Past March Madness Winners & Odds

The Metrics That Matter Most: How to Spot a Defensive Contender

The saying “Defense wins championships” is probably a bit overused. However, it always seems to ring true in college basketball. Scoring threats are always needed for a deep tournament run, but to cut down the nets at the end of the season, teams also need to be a top defensive unit in the country. 

Placing futures on college basketball can be tricky, as there are over 350 teams, and even the top teams in the country can be upset come tournament time. With that, bettors need a way to weed out the teams with value throughout the season. One of the best ways to do this is by looking at defensive metrics.

By using resources like KenPom, Bart Torvik, and Haslametrics, bettors can find all sorts of defensive metrics they can use in the handicapping process. Even with all those stats, one metric that provides a glimpse of long-term success is adjusted defensive efficiency rating.

Including the 2025 season, when Florida won the title, ten of the last eleven National Championship winners ranked in the top ten in adjusted defensive efficiency rating on Haslametrics. The only team in that group that did not rank inside the top ten was North Carolina in 2017, when they ranked 11th in the country in that metric.

Related articles & betting resources

• Odds to Reach the 2025 NCAA Tournament Final Four

Women's college basketball has gained more notoriety over the years, largely thanks to Caitlin Clark. While she is now in the WNBA, there is still plenty of talent across the country to keep the sport in the public eye. Young stars like Juju Watkins and experienced veterans like Paige Bueckers headlined a strong talent pool in the 2024-25 season, and at the end of the day, it was Bueckers who led UConn to their 12th National Championship, putting a bow on her historic career.

Unsurpisingly, both UConn and South Carolina have opened as the favorites to win the 2025-26 National Championship, as their powerhouse status doesn't look to be going away anytime soon.

2025-26 Women's NCAA Basketball National Championship - Best Odds

*Odds as of April 8, 2025

* = the same odds are offered by multiple sportsbooks.

2025-26 Women's NCAA Basketball National Championship - Top 10 Contenders

*Odds as of April 8, 2025

Previous NCAA Women's Basketball Champions