March Madness Odds 2027: Duke & Michigan Lead the Fray

Trevor Knapp - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Trevor Knapp • Betting Analyst 7+ years betting experience
Updated: May 7, 2026 , 03:34 PM ET • 4 min read

Odds for the 2027 edition of March Madness have hit the board, with a new format set to increase the frenzy.

March Madness odds Duke Blue Devils Cayden Boozer
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) dribbles the ball.

The 2026 edition of March Madness is behind us, as the Michigan Wolverines cut down the nets at the expense of the UConn Huskies.

National Championship odds for 2027 are already on the board, with Duke and Michigan spearheading the frontrunners.

Meanwhile, a new March Madness expansion format has added a new wrinkle to the latest college basketball odds.

March Madness odds

Team bet365
Duke Duke Blue Devils +700
Michigan Michigan Wolverines +700
Florida Florida Gators +750
UConn Connecticut Huskies +1200
Michigan State Michigan State Spartans +1600
Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini +1600
Arizona Arizona Wildcats +1800
Kansas Kansas Jayhawks +1800
Arkansas Arkansas Razorbacks +1800
Houston Houston Cougars +2000

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New 76-Team Format

Starting next year, the field will expand from 68 to 76 teams for both the men's and women's tournaments.

The First Four is gone and set to be replaced by a 12-game “Opening Round” featuring 24 programs (12 lowest automatic qualifiers and 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams). The winners from those games will advance to the Round of 64, which will remain unchanged. 

Automatic bids drop from 56 to 52, meaning four fewer teams get in right off the bat. Meanwhile, at‑large bids increase from 37 to 45, giving eight more bubble teams a path in. 

March Madness favorites

Duke Duke (+700)

The Duke Blue Devils are expected to lose reigning Naismith College Player of the Year Award winner Cameron Boozer to the NBA Draft, but coach Jon Scheyer knows how to retool.

Duke already has commitments from three of the Top 15 incoming freshmen, including No. 3 Cameron Williams.

Michigan Michigan (+700)

Dusty May took full advantage of the transfer portal a year ago to forge a fantastic Michigan Wolverines team.

He'll likely be just as busy again this offseason, although the expected returns of Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney will cushion the blow of potentially losing Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, and/or Yaxel Lendeborg.

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March Madness odds over time

Take a look back at Michigan's path to glory during the 2025-26 season.


Popular March Madness markets


2027 March Madness opening odds

  • Duke +750
  • Michigan +1000
  • Florida +1200
  • Arizona +1400
  • Michigan State +1400
  • UConn +1600
  • Houston +1600
  • Kansas +1600
  • Arkansas +1800
  • Illinois +2000
  • Texas Tech +2000
  • North Carolina +2200
  • Alabama +3000
  • BYU +3500
  • Gonzaga +3500
  • Iowa State +3500
  • Kentucky +3500
  • St. John's +3500
  • Purdue +4000
  • Missouri +5000
  • TCU +5000
  • Tennessee +5000
  • Vanderbilt +5000
  • Virginia +5000
  • Iowa +6000

Past March Madness winners

(Opening odds courtesy Sports Odds History)

Year Champion Opening odds Runner-Up
2026 Florida Michigan +2500 UConn Connecticut
2025 Florida Florida +8000 Houston Houston
2024 UConn Connecticut +1100 Purdue Purdue
2023 UConn Connecticut +1600 San Diego State San Diego State
2022 Kansas Kansas +2000 UNC North Carolina
2021 Baylor Baylor +800 Gonzaga Gonzaga
2020 No tournament (COVID-19) N/A N/A
2019 Virginia Virginia +1800 Texas Tech Texas Tech
2018 Villanova Villanova +1200 Michigan Michigan
2017 UNC North Carolina +2400 Gonzaga Gonzaga
2016 Villanova Villanova +2000 UNC North Carolina
2015 Duke Duke +1000 Wisconsin Wisconsin

• Of the 20 teams that have entered the tournament with undefeated records, only seven have gone on to win the national championship.

• Only 13 teams successfully defended their national championship the following season.

• UCLA has the most NCAA titles of all time (11), although the Bruins have not won the tournament since 1995.

• A No. 1-seeded team has won the national championship 59.6% of the time since regional seeding was introduced in 1979.

Embrace the madness

Visit our best March Madness betting sites today to wager on this year's men's basketball tournament. You're very own "One Shining Moment" opportunity awaits!

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Trevor Knapp - Covers
Betting Analyst

Trevor joined the Covers content team as a publishing editor in early 2022. Growing up in Vancouver, he studied Broadcast and Online Journalism at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), and interned with TSN and Sportsnet Radio while also writing for the Daily Hive.

An avid bettor of the MLB, NFL, and CFL, Trevor advises his fellow sports bettors to leave their hearts at the door and not hesitate to fade their favorite team. It's a strategy he follows regularly as an apathetic Indianapolis Colts and Toronto Blue Jays fan.

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