College Basketball National Championship Odds: Duke and Florida Set as Top Two Favorites Ahead of Opening Tip

Believe it or not, the 2026-27 college basketball season is set to begin this Sunday, November 1.

It feels like it was just yesterday when we were watching this year's edition of March Madness, but the upcoming campaign has once again snuck up on us, and Sunday will mark the opening day of the season. Notre Dame and Villanova will play in the first regular-season game, which is set to take place across the pond in Italy.

Midnight EST will then feature the first game of the Opening Day Marathon tournament between Liberty and High Point.

Before the action begins, let's take a look at the top 20 schools on the odds list to win this year's National Championship.

College Basketball Odds to Win 2026-27 March Madness

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Duke +550
Florida +600
UConn +1200
Illinois +1400
Michigan State +1800
Texas +1900
Arizona +23000
Louisville +2300
St. John's +2450
Texas Tech +2500
Arkansas +2500
Tennessee +2600
Houston +2800
Kansas +3000
Gonzaga +3200
Kentucky +3500
Virginia +3500
Iowa State +3700
Michigan +4000
North Carolina +4300

The Duke Blue Devils and the Florida Gators are set as the top two teams on the odds list to win the National Championship, a significant step above the next pair of teams, UConn (+1200) and Illinois (+1400).

Duke was a No. 1 seed last season, but fell to UConn in a close 73-72 game in the Elite 8. The Gators were also a No. 1 seed after entering the tournament as the defending champions. They were then upset by the Iowa Hawkeyes 73-72 in the Round of 32.

Duke has two highly touted freshmen on their roster this season, Bryson Howard and Cameron Williams. While Cameron Boozer is now in the NBA as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, his brother, Cayden Boozer, is back for another year and will play significant minutes for them this season.

Meanwhile, Florida will have several familiar faces, including Denzel Aberdeen, Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelo, and Alex Condon. Aberdeen was part of Florida's championship-winning team two years ago, but transferred to Kentucky last season, where he averaged 13.5 points per game. He's back as a Gator for one more run in 2026.

The two teams will meet each other in a potential National Championship Game preview on December 1.

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