Arizona has surpassed Michigan as the consensus betting favorite to win the 2026 NCAA Championship. FanDuel Sportsbook now lists Arizona at +400 and Michigan at +475 to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament Championship.
There is a slight drop to Duke at +700 as the third favorite to win the NCAA Tournament Championship. Connecticut and Houston lead a bigger dropoff as the fourth and fifth favorites at +1400. Arizona beat Connecticut in November and plays at Houston next month.
Arizona and Michigan split the major metric sites on who should be the top team nationally. Arizona is the unanimous number one in the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches polls. The Wildcats recently ascended to first in KenPom and the NCAA Net Ratings.
Michigan remains the top team in Bart Torvik and Evan Miya, among other metric sites. Arizona also passed Michigan for second in the ESPN Basketball Power Index with the win over BYU on Monday. Duke is first in the ESPN BPI.
Wildcats are set to win the National Championship 🏆
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 27, 2026
Arizona passes Michigan in the national championship odds. Will they pull it off? pic.twitter.com/rDkH6z6Q8k
The odds will likely continue to shift as Arizona and Michigan play high-profile games over the next nearly seven weeks until Selection Sunday. Michigan hosts undefeated and fifth-ranked Nebraska on Tuesday night in a huge game that could shift the odds with a win by the Wolverines.
Arizona began the season ranked 13th in both polls and Michigan was seventh. Though the Wildcats and Wolverines were thought of highly, both have ascended to be the two most dominant teams in the metrics and the rankings throughout the 2025-26 season.
Arizona plays at Arizona State on Saturday and hosts Oklahoma State on February 7 before beginning a gauntlet on February 9 at Kansas. Kansas is followed by Texas Tech, BYU again and at Houston. Michigan plays its own gauntlet with six games left against top 10 teams.