March Madness Odds and Favorites

by Zak Drapeau

Sportz Nation - 3/18/26

All odds courtesy of Caesar's Sportsbook as of 3/17

Photo by Ethan Hymen/ Yahoo Sports

To Win NCAA Championship:

1. Duke +300

2. Arizona +350

3. Michigan +370

4. Florida +700

5. Houston +1100

6. Iowa State +1600

7. Purdue +2000

8. Illinois +2200

9. UConn +2200

I have Duke winning this year and by a comfortable margin. I really like Houston, Purdue and Arizona as well after their runs in their respective conference tournaments. Seeing as I have Purdue over Arizona, I love their +2000 number and especially their number to make the Elite 8 and Final Four but we'll get there.

Arizona and Michigan are obviously 2 of the best 3 teams in the country but will have extremely tough matchups the further they go and doesn't seem worth it to me. For Michigan, they will likely need to contend with either Iowa State or Virginia in the Elite 8 and Arizona will probably need to beat Arkansas and Purdue on their path.

For Duke, their toughest battle will likely be their Sweet 16 matchup between either Kansas or St. John's. As long as they win that, they'll likely meet Michigan State, UConn or UCLA in a somewhat easier Elite 8 game.

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Photo by William Purnell/ Imagn Images

Conference of Winning Team:

1. Big 12 +205

2. Big Ten +220

3. ACC +270

4. SEC +540

5. Big East +1700

Big 12's teams most likely to win:

Arizona, Houston, Iowa State and Kansas

Big Ten's teams most likely to win:

Michigan, Purdue, Illinois and Michigan State

ACC's teams most likely to win:

Duke and Virginia

SEC's teams most likely to win:

Florida, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee

Big East's teams most likely to win:

UConn, St. John's and Villanova

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1 Seed to Progress Farthest:

1. Duke +225

2. Arizona +250

3. Michigan +290

4. Florida +310

Duke is the easiest choice for me, not only because I favor them to win but because the easiest paths to the Final Four would be from the East and Midwest regions.

Arizona rightfully has the 2nd best odds but I also believe Michigan is coming from the slightly weakest region in the tournament.

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Photo by Marc Lebryk/ Imagn Images

Other Bets I Like:

Total ACC Tournament Wins

Over/ 10.5 (-115)

Total Sum of Seeds In Final Four

Under/ 8.5 (-115)

Total 1 Seed Tournament Wins

Under/ 14.5 (+100)

Virginia to Make Sweet 16: -140

Purdue to Make Final Four: +400

Duke to Make the Final: +170

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Make sure to stay tuned as we continue coverage of the 2026 March Madness Tournament.

-Z.D. (@DrapeauZak)