It's hard to believe, but the end of the regular season for college basketball is here and conference tournaments are around the corner. And with that, the NCAA Tournament is coming at the end of the month too, which is something that people can't believe. Leading up to things, Duke is a small favorite to win the NCAA Title with 2026 March Madness here. Will the Blue Devils get the job done?
Thus far, Duke has been close to perfect and its season was no doubt highlighted by the recent win over Michigan in Washington D.C. At the time, Michigan was ranked the No. 1 team in the country and the Blue Devils were No. 3. Since then, Duke is now the new top team in the country and people think they have what it takes to win it all. Coach Jon Scheyer gets a lot of credit for that, as does freshman sensation Cameron Boozer.
| NCAAB title odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke to win | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Michigan to win | +325 | +325 | +325 |
| Arizona to win | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Houston to win | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
“I think that's the thing that makes him so special,” Scheyer said of Boozer after a recent win for Duke. “If you saw him, whether after it was a loss that we had or after a win, he's coming back the same way, same mentality, mentality to dominate in every aspect.”
According to the best sports betting sites, Duke currently holds +250 NCAA basketball betting odds to win the title this year. Duke is going to look to close out the regular season with a bang this weekend, as it will play North Carolina on March 7. With a win, it will only have people more excited for the postseason. With all of that said, we're going in a different direction for our selection.
Duke’s Cameron Boozer already knows how to play winning basketball at a high level. He wanted the ball in his hands down the stretch vs No. 1 Michigan. He will be tough to eliminate in April.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 22, 2026
Michigan is our pick to win the 2026 NCAA National Title
Call it a gut feeling, but Michigan is our pick to win the 2026 NCAA National Title. The Wolverines have looked like one of the top teams in the country and the loss to Duke doesn't change anything. What makes Michigan so dangerous is that Dusty May's team is led by a ton of veteran playmakers and transfer studs. All that experience should make a difference once the tourney starts, especially with LJ Cason hurt.
"As far as Elliot (Cadeau), yeah, this will force Elliot to be, I guess, much more solid with his defensive decision making when it comes to fouling," May said on Cason's injury. "He doesn't have that insurance policy anymore, named L.J. behind him, because L.J. came in and carried the load several games for our group."
NEWS: Michigan point guard LJ Cason suffered a torn ACL in last night's win over Illinois and will miss the rest of the season, per the school. Cason was averaging 8.4 points off the bench for the Wolverines.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 28, 2026
Interested in the March Madness betting fun? Now is our time to remind you that there are going to be countless promo codes and specials offered up by all the top sportsbooks out there, which you're going to want to take a look at. For people on the fence about potentially betting, it serves as a great incentive to hop in and take advantage of free money to place some wagers.
As for Michigan and its push for a title, the Wolverines have been given +325 basketball betting odds to win it all. Things of course are not going to be easy and Cason suffering a season-ending knee injury only complicates things. However, we think Elliot Cadeau and others will rise to the occasion. That's right, we're going with Michigan as our pick.
North Carolina is a serious dark horse to win it all this season
Looking for an underrated pick for March Madness? Look no further, as North Carolina is a serious dark horse to win it all this season. North Carolina isn't getting a ton of love to pull off a stunner here, but the Tar Heels have posted some big-time wins this year that people should be taking notice of. At the top of the list has to be the major upset over Duke.
In that game, Duke was up by double digits, but the Tar Heels refused to go down without a fight. In the end, North Carolina pulled off a thrilling win, with senior Seth Trimble knocking down a 3-pointer right before time expired. It was easily one of the best shots made in the history of the rivalry. Caleb Wilson was also great and despite him missing time with a hand injury, he's expected to be ready for the NCAA Tournament.
It will be on Trimble, Wilson and Henri Veesaar to be at their best for UNC to have a shot. As things stand, North Carolina holds +2000 odds to win the title, which of course isn't great. However, no one should be surprised at all if this team manages to go on a deep tournament run. It will be interesting to see if that happens or not, but North Carolina will be a team to keep a close eye on.
