🏀 2027 March Madness Opening Odds: Who is the Early Favorite for Next Season?
The usual suspects lead the 2027 March Madness opening odds, with Duke (+800), Michigan (+1200), and Florida (+1400) atop the board.
Despite the Blue Devils coming up short two years in a row while being led by the national player of the year (Cooper Flagg, Cameron Boozer), Jon Scheyer's team is expected to be in contention for the preseason No. 1 ranking for the 2026-27 season, thanks to the No. 1-ranked recruiting class.
Other perennial powers like Arizona (+1500), Michigan State (+1600), Kansas (+1600), Illinois (+1800), Houston (+1800), Arkansas (+1800), and UConn (+2000) round out the 10 biggest favorites.
📊 2027 March Madness Opening Odds
Odds from our best March Madness betting sites. Note: The transfer portal is open from April 7 to 21, and will impact the odds.
| Team | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Duke | +800 | 11.1% |
| Michigan | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Florida | +1400 | 6.7% |
| Arizona | +1500 | 6.3% |
| Michigan State | +1600 | 5.9% |
| Kansas | +1600 | 5.9% |
| Illinois | +1800 | 5.3% |
| Houston | +1800 | 5.3% |
| Arkansas | +1800 | 5.3% |
| UConn | +2000 | 4.8% |
| Texas Tech | +2200 | 4.3% |
| Alabama | +2200 | 4.3% |
| North Carolina | +2500 | 3.8% |
| Purdue | +3000 | 3.2% |
| BYU | +3000 | 3.2% |
| St. Johns | +3500 | 2.8% |
| Kentucky | +3500 | 2.8% |
| TCU | +4000 | 2.4% |
| Iowa State | +4000 | 2.4% |
| Gonzaga | +4000 | 2.4% |
| UCLA | +5000 | 2.0% |
| Tennessee | +5000 | 2.0% |
| Missouri | +5000 | 2.0% |
| Iowa | +6000 | 1.6% |
| Virginia | +6000 | 1.6% |
| Villanova | +6000 | 1.6% |
| Vanderbilt | +6000 | 1.6% |
| USC | +6000 | 1.6% |
🏆️ The 2027 NCAA Tournament favorites
Duke (+800)
When Flagg left, Scheyer brought in Boozer. With Boozer gone, Cameron Williams steps in as the next superstar freshman at Duke. A consensus top-three recruit, the 6-foot-11 Williams is renowned for his mobility and defensive upside. And he won't be the only frosh making noise in Durham.
Scheyer has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for the third straight year, with five stars Deron Rippey Jr. (PG) and Bryson Howard (SG) giving Duke a pair of lethal players in the backcourt. The Blue Devils are also expected to bring back Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, and potentially Isaiah Evans.
If even just three of them return, Duke will have the best backcourt in the country. However, with Cameron Boozer and Patrick Ngongba expected to go pro, the Blue Devils will likely need to add some frontcourt help via the transfer portal.
At worst, this is shaping up to be a team that earns a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan (+1200)
No coach has done more in his first two seasons than Dusty May at Michigan. But the 49-year-old will have to reload in the transfer portal to build a team as dominant as the 2025-26 group that was led by Big Ten Player of the Year and UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg.
Lendeborg is off to the NBA, and fellow transfer turned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Aday Mara may join him. If Morez Johnson Jr. also goes pro, May will have to replace all three starters from the best frontcourt in the country.
Luckily, those three were all pulled out of the portal last year, and May has quickly proven himself as an elite portal evaluator. He's also expected to bring back lead guard Elliot Cadeau and freshman phenom Trey McKenney to give him a strong starting backcourt.
The Wolverines have the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, too, led by five-star point guard Brandon McCoy Jr. But like Duke, adding frontcourt players via the portal is a must for the Wolverines to live up to these odds.
Florida (+1400)
After a rough start to defending its national title, Florida ended up earning a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament before being bounced prematurely by Iowa in the second round. But 2026-27 isn't shaping up to be much more promising, despite the Gators having the third-shortest March Madness odds.
Florida is expected to lose star forward Thomas Haugh, a projected top 20 pick, to the NBA and could potentially lose both Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu. That's the team's three best players, on top of starting point guard Xaivian Lee being a senior.
While the program is projected to bring back its fifth starter, Boogie Fland, he didn't live up to his billing as a top transfer addition last year (neither did Lee). With questions around Golden's ability to evaluate the portal, it's not inspiring that the Gators' only recruit in the 2026 class thus far is an unranked big man from North Carolina.
Our best sports betting sites are giving Florida far too much respect based off how this roster is shaping up. A lot of work needs to be done in the portal for the Gators to be on the same level as Duke and Michigan.
❓March Madness FAQs
Who is the 2027 March Madness favorite?
Duke opened as the 2027 March Madness favorite. The Blue Devils' odds (+800) imply an 11.11% probability they'll win the NCAA Tournament next year, according to our odds calculator.
When is the 2027 March Madness?
Selection Sunday for the 2027 NCAA Tournament is Sunday, March 14, 2027, with the First Four games slated for March 16 and 17, and the first round on March 18 and 19.
When is the 2027 March Madness national championship?
The 2027 NCAA Tournament's national championship game will be on April 5, with the Final Four on April 3.
Where is the 2027 March Madness national championship?
The 2027 NCAA Tournament's Final Four and national championship game will be hosted at Ford Field in Detroit.
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