Early odds like Duke to return to the top of the college basketball world next season as the Wolverines seek a repeat
By Chip Patterson Apr 7, 2026 at 3:06 am ET • 2 min read 
Imagn Images The confetti may still be falling in Indianapolis from Michigan's second national championship, but oddsmakers have already turned their attention to next season, releasing early title odds for 2027. Even as college basketball becomes more transient with the transfer portal -- which opened Tuesday -- the expectation remains that the sport's top programs will again contend for a title.
It's no surprise, then, that just two teams opened with better than 10/1 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook: Duke (7/1), this year's No. 1 overall seed, and Michigan (8/1), the reigning national champion. After that, the board begins to spread out, starting with Arizona at 12/1, followed by Florida, Houston and Michigan State. UConn and Kansas -- which recently secured a recommitment from coach Bill Self -- are both listed at 16/1. Outside of Florida and Kansas, every team in that group reached at least the Sweet 16, with three advancing to the Final Four.
Further down the board, things get more intriguing. Arkansas and Illinois are tied for ninth at 20/1, while North Carolina -- set to hire former NBA coach Michael Malone -- sits just behind at 22-1. Both Arkansas and Illinois are likely to retool after losing All-America freshman point guards, but the roster-building track records of coaches John Calipari and Brad Underwood remain a factor when projecting next season's contenders.
Among the longer shots, Purdue opens at 50/1 after losing Braden Smith and a senior core that helped make the Boilermakers one of the most successful programs of the past five years. LSU has also climbed the board following the hiring of Will Wade, with the Tigers holding the same odds as SEC rivals Missouri and Texas.
Check out the odds to win the 2027 title below, via FanDuel Sportsbook:
Duke+700Michigan+800Arizona+1200Florida+1300Houston+1400Michigan State+1500UConn+1600Kansas+1600Arkansas+2000Illinois+2000North Carolina+2200Vanderbilt+2500Gonzaga+2500Texas Tech+2500St. John's+3000Virginia+3000Iowa State+3000Kentucky+3000Alabama+3000Louisville+5000Purdue+5000BYU+5000Tennessee+5000Miami+5000USC+6500UCLA+6500LSU+6500Missouri+6500Texas+6500Iowa+6500Wisconsin+8000Indiana+8000Ohio State+8000Auburn+8000Villanova+8000Nebraska+10000TCU+10000Marquette+10000Arizona State+10000Georgia+10000SMU+10000Baylor+10000Maryland+10000NC State+10000Oklahoma State+10000Providence+10000Texas A&M+10000Saint Louis+10000Cincinnati+10000Oklahoma+10000Ole Miss+12500Creighton+15000Stanford+15000Clemson+15000San Diego State+15000Minnesota+15000Xavier+20000Oregon+20000West Virginia+20000Syracuse+25000Dayton+25000Kansas State+25000UCF+25000Mississippi State+25000Virginia Tech+25000Florida State+25000Memphis+25000California+30000South Florida+30000New Mexico+30000Washington+30000Saint Mary's+30000Utah State+30000VCU+30000Boston College+30000Georgia Tech+40000Georgetown+40000UNLV+40000Colorado+40000Utah+40000DePaul+40000Notre Dame+40000Santa Clara+40000Wake Forest+40000Penn State+40000Pittsburgh+40000Nevada+40000South Carolina+40000Colorado State+40000Butler+40000Northwestern+40000 Join the Conversation comments
