March Madness Power Rankings: Top 20 teams for 2026 based on betting odds

Earning the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament doesn’t just give you one of the projected easiest paths to the Final Four, but it increases your odds of playing for a national championship. That said, though, not all No. 1 seeds are created equal. Florida has the worst odds of the four No. 1 seeds to defend its national championship. Now, on Tuesday, this doesn’t really mean much. That said, there are some teams that might surprise you that have better odds to win a championship despite their seeding. 

So for this, we’re throwing seeding out the door. We’re strictly looking at the teams with the best odds to win a national championship. These are the top 20 teams with the highest betting odds to go on a national championship run this March. 

Note: All lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Top 20 Teams for 2026 Based on Betting Odds

All betting odds are to win the national championship as of Tuesday, March 17, prior to the First Four games.

One of the most intriguing things is that as of Tuesday afternoon, three of the four No. 1 seeds have the same odds to reach the national championship and the fourth, the defending champion, has the worse odds. It’s particularly interesting when you look at Duke’s path to the national championship game. It feels like they would have the tougher path of any of the No. 1 seeds. 

3 teams with way too good betting odds

Illinois Fighting Illini

Odds: +2000

I wouldn’t trust these odds at all. As intriguing as it might be with Illinois being a No. 3 seed, they’re in a region that’s just too tough. Houston is the No. 2 seed in that region and they could very well return to the Final Four this year. They also have Florida and Nebraska in their region. Illinois has been wildly inconsistent this year and truthfully, they’ve looked bad in some of their losses this year. I wouldn’t trust it.

St. John’s Red Storm

Odds: +6500

How could +6500 odds be too high for a team seeded No. 5 in the NCAA Tournament? Well when you look at who St. John’s would have to play in their region, you realize really quickly the odds aren’t in their favor. The Red Storm have Kansas, Michigan State, Duke and UConn in their region. That’s the region of death honestly so any team with good odds in that region is a smoke screen.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Odds: +4500

It’s easy to want Gonzaga to do well, they’re the original NCAA Tournament Cinderella turned mainstay. But with their region, it’s hard to see them having better odds than Wisconsin or Arkansas to win a national championship. This region isn’t as loaded as Duke’s, but it’s not a pushover either. Let’s not forget Arkansas thwarted a red hot Vanderbilt team in the SEC Tournament championship game. Wisconsin stormed through the Big Ten this year, even if it came up short of a championship game appearance. Gonzaga’s road to the national championship is a lot harder than the odds makers are making it seem. 

3 teams whose betting odds are in the bettors favor

Arkansas Razorback

Odds: +6000

Arkansas having +6000 odds, while fairly high, I think is fair. Arizona is the No. 1 seed in that region and it’s very fair to think Arkansas could catch fire. If they win their first round game and Wisconsin wins as well, it could set up an exciting matchup. It could go either way, but it feels like if Arkansas wins that, they have a good shot at reaching the Elite Eight and possibly even the Final Four. 

Houston Cougars

Odds: +1100

Houston reached the national championship game last year after beating Duke in the Final Four, the two could meet again in the Final Four again and it wouldn’t surprise me if they made a run to the Final Four and returned to the national championship game again. The Cougars have a strong team. While they do have a sneaky good region to get through, it might not be a bad beat to think they could win it all this year. Kelvin Sampson has to get one soon, right?

Iowa State Cyclones

Odds: +1600

Tennessee State could very well shock Iowa State in the dreaded No. 15 vs. No. 2 seed, but if they don’t Iowa State could be a dark horse team to go on an NCAA Tournament run. Iowa State nearly knocked off Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament, which is why they could be a dangerous team. They’re in a region where a lot can happen. Sure Michigan was one of the strongest teams in the Big Ten, but they looked human against Purdue and Duke. That could play to Iowa State’s favor.

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