Duke tops March Madness betting as NCAA unveils Opening Round details
Duke has opened as the early favourite to win the 2027 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship after the NCAA confirmed how its expanded 76-team March Madness tournament will begin next season.
The Blue Devils top the outright market at 7.00, ahead of reigning national champion Florida at 8.00, with Connecticut and Illinois sharing the third line of betting at 13.00.
The updated futures market comes just days after the NCAA awarded Wichita, Kansas, the hosting rights for the newly expanded Opening Round alongside long-time host Dayton, Ohio.
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Following the decision to increase the tournament field from 68 to 76 teams, both cities will stage tripleheaders on Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday, with six Opening Round games to be played across March 16-17.
Dayton has hosted the First Four since 2001, while Wichita joins the tournament’s opening week for the first time under the expanded format.
“We were pleased but not surprised by the number of cities from around the country that very much wanted March Madness to begin in their market,” NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee chair Keith Gill said.
“Like Dayton, Wichita is a basketball-crazed community that we expect will embrace the reimagined start of the tournament.”
The expanded Opening Round will feature the 12 lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams, with the winners advancing into the traditional 64-team bracket before first-round action tips off on March 18.
Despite the tournament changes, betting sites have installed perennial powerhouse Duke as the team to beat, with Jon Scheyer’s program sitting outright favourite.
Florida sits on the second line at 8.00, while Connecticut and Illinois are both 13.00 chances. Texas and Michigan are next at 17.00, with Michigan State and Tennessee both available at 21.00.
Further down the board, Kansas and Arizona can each be backed at 31.00, while traditional blue bloods Kentucky (46.00), UCLA (46.00) and North Carolina (56.00) are all priced outside the leading contenders.
For punters chasing a roughie, several well-known programs are paying triple figures, including Nebraska (101.00), Ohio State (101.00), Wisconsin (101.00), Auburn (101.00) and Marquette (101.00). Former national champion Georgetown sits at 401.00, alongside Butler, Pittsburgh, Colorado and Notre Dame.
The NCAA also confirmed changes to its selection process, including adjusting the baseline for its Wins Above Bubble (WAB) metric from the team ranked 45th in the NET rankings to 55th following the expansion.
The first and second rounds of the 2027 NCAA Tournament will be played across Charlotte, Fort Worth, Louisville, Minneapolis, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Sacramento and Spokane, before the regionals move to Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York and San Antonio.
The Final Four will be held in Detroit on April 3 and 5.
2027 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Duke | 7.00 |
| Florida | 8.00 |
| Connecticut | 13.00 |
| Illinois | 13.00 |
| Texas | 17.00 |
| Michigan | 17.00 |
| Michigan State | 21.00 |
| Tennessee | 21.00 |
| Houston | 26.00 |
| Arkansas | 26.00 |
| Louisville | 26.00 |
| Gonzaga | 31.00 |
| Kansas | 31.00 |
| Arizona | 31.00 |
| Iowa State | 36.00 |
| Virginia | 36.00 |
| Alabama | 41.00 |
| Miami | 41.00 |
| USC | 41.00 |
| Vanderbilt | 41.00 |
| Kentucky | 46.00 |
| UCLA | 46.00 |
| LSU | 56.00 |
| North Carolina | 56.00 |
| St. John’s | 56.00 |
