After Monday’s loss in the national championship game, Houston still has never won a national title in men’s basketball. It won’t be a consolation to Houston fans now, but the Cougars are the early favorite to win it all next year. Kelvin Sampson’s group opened at +900 on BetMGM, just a tick ahead of Duke at +1000.
The Duke faithful may still be reeling from the shock of losing the national semifinal to Houston despite a 6-point lead with the ball in the final minute, but hope springs eternal in Durham. Even with the expected departure of superstar forward Cooper Flagg, the presumed top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, as well as Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, who are also projected first-round picks, the Blue Devils are expected to be among the best teams in the country next season. Duke is ahead of Houston at multiple other sportsbooks.
Jon Scheyer’s team may lose its top three draft prospects, but Duke has the top recruiting class coming in to replace that lost talent. Cameron and Cayden Boozer will get headlines for being highly-touted brothers with a famous last name, but Shelton Henderson and Nikolas Khamenia are also among the highest-rated freshmen in the 2025 recruiting class.
Houston also brings in a loaded recruiting class. The Cougars have the No. 2-rated class by most outlets and are rated No. 1 on On3.com. Incoming freshmen Chris Cenac Jr. and Isiah Harwell are expected to step right in to complement double-digit scorers who are expected to return in Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan. L.J. Cryer and J’Wan Roberts will leave big holes, but Houston appears primed for another run.
UConn, which is third in the odds at +1400, also brings in a highly-rated recruiting class and could return a pair of double-digit scorers in Alex Karaban and Solo Ball. Trust in Dan Hurley’s ability to recruit, both out of high school and in the transfer portal, as well as his coaching track record after winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. That will probably place UConn near the top of the list of preseason (or in this case pre-preseason) contenders every year.
With the transfer portal still open and some draft prospects still yet to declare, top-level players can, and likely will, shift the odds dramatically. For now, Louisville (+1700), Auburn (+1800) and Purdue (+1900) make up the next three. That order and the teams involved change depending on the sportsbook you’re looking at. The uncertainty with so many rosters has led to a lot of differences. There is no consensus.
As for newly crowned national champion Florida, Todd Golden’s team is one of six at +2000. The Gators will lose the top three scorers from this year’s team, including sharpshooter Walter Clayton Jr. Florida is joined by BYU, Kentucky, Arkansas, Kansas and Alabama. If BYU feels out of place among that group, keep in mind the Cougars have the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class in AJ Dybantsa.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Prep's AJ Dybantsa (3) brings the ball down the court during the Grind Session Semifinals at Highland High School in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
2026 national championship odds (average lines)
Duke Blue Devils +1000
Houston Cougars +1265
Purdue Boilermakers +1400
Louisville Cardinals +1400
BYU Cougars +1465
Arkansas Razorbacks +1535
Connecticut Huskies +1735
Auburn Tigers +1800
Alabama Crimson Tide +1800
Kentucky Wildcats +1865
Kansas Jayhawks +1865
Utah Utes +20000
Utah State Aggies +20000
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
