March Madness Odds 2027: Michigan Trending Down After May Takes NBA Gig

Trevor Knapp - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Trevor Knapp • Betting Analyst 7+ years betting experience
Updated: Aug 20, 2026 , 01:28 PM ET • 4 min read

The latest shift in the 2027 March Madness odds comes in the form of Dusty May leaving Michigan for the NBA.

March Madness odds Dusty May
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Former Michigan head coach during a National Championship celebration.

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

And while the Wolverines opened as co-favorites in 2027, that began to change in June when it was announced that Dusty May had become the new head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

Their odds have taken a dip to +1100 after opening at +700. Find out which programs sit above the defending champs in the latest college basketball odds below.

March Madness odds

Team bet365
Florida Florida Gators +600
Duke Duke Blue Devils +700
UConn Connecticut Huskies +1000
Michigan Michigan Wolverines +1100
Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini +1400
Arizona Arizona Wildcats +2000
Michigan State Michigan State Spartans +2000
Louisvilla Louisville Cardinals +2000
Arkansas Arkansas Razorbacks +2200
Houston Houston Cougars +2200
Texas Texas Longhorns +2200
Kansas Kansas Jayhawks +2500
Texas Tennessee Volunteers +2500

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Dusty May leaves Michigan for the pros

The Michigan Wolverines odds immediately moved from their +700 price to a double-digit 11/1 price following the news that former head coach Dusty May would be heading off to the pros to take a job with the Dallas Mavericks. 

That leaves Mike Boynton Jr. in charge as the current interim head coach while a full search for a new leader can be conducted. Either way, losing May hurts this program as it looks to defend last year's title. 

New 76-Team Format

Starting next year, March Madness expansion will see the field 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

Florida  Florida Gators (+600)

The Florida Gators fell in Round 2 of this year's tournament but sit atop several offseason rankings with a team returning a ton of top talent. 

Notably, Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon both announced back in April that they would be returning for their senior seasons. That makes this team a national threat once again.

Duke  Duke Blue Devils (+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.

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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!

March Madness Title Odds FAQs

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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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