As with many seasons, Duke comes in as one of the betting favorites.Duke is +550 to win the national championship right now.
I think that is mostly because they do have one of the best recruiting classes in basketball, but they also are a public team.You typically either love or hate the team.
I am not expecting them to win every game, but they shouldn't have more than three or four losses in the regular season.I don't think there is much value in betting on them at +500.Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden cuts the net after winning the 2025 SEC Championship Game at Bridgestone Arena.
(Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)Florida is the next favorite in the market at +600.That's mostly because of their returning players rather than a recruiting class.
They don't even rank in the top 100 this season.The Gators went 27-8 last year, and they won the Championship two years ago.
Considering they have three of their top four leading scorers returning from last year, they should be in a strong position.They have a lot of upperclassmen as well, which usually means they are a bit more poised and should be ready to go.
I like them better than Duke, but I think there are better options overall.FLORIDA GATORS' RUEBEN CHINYELU WITHDRAWS FROM NBA DRAFT, LIKELY CEMENTS UF AS PRESEASON NUMBER ONEHead coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies reacts during the first half of the NCAA men's basketball national championship game against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 6, 2026.(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)UConn has won two of the past four national championships.
They were in contention to win again last year.They return Braylon Mullins and Solo Ball this season, which gives them a strong backcourt.
Their recruiting class ranks 18th overall in the nation.They also added some really good players in the transfer portal, including Nikolas Khamenia and Najai Hines.
I am an open Dan Hurley hater, but he's good at his job.I will grab UConn at +1250 t...