Best NCAA Tournament Championship Future Betting Picks Before Selection Sunday

On Sunday evening, America will finally understand the bracket for this season’s NCAA Tournament.

March Madness in 2026 is lining up to be one of the most exciting tournaments ever – as blue blood programs will look to reign supreme in a field full of surprise contenders capable of upsets.

One bettor has already wagered $1,000 on the regular season hero Miami Ohio RedHawks to win March Madness at 500-1. The RedHawks will come into the tournament rested after being a first-round out in the MAC Tournament, which gave them their first loss of the season. We’ll also exclude the Michigan Wolverines, who are the most-bet team to win this year’s tournament.

Let’s take a look at a few other top picks. All odds are courtesy of FanDuel.

Duke Blue Devils (+400)

When you have the best player in the tournament, you’ll always have a chance.

Duke freshman phenom Cameron Boozer has taken college hoops by storm. He’ll undeniably become one of the first players selected in the 2026 NBA Draft after a stellar freshman year with the Blue Devils. But he’s not doing it alone.

Caleb Foster and Maliq Brown are two key contributors that the country will come to know by the end of the tournament. Point guard Isaiah Evans is capable of big games as well.

The Blue Devils beat Michigan 68-63 in the last week of February. Never sleep on Duke in March.

Houston (+1100)

The Houston Cougars have turned into a powerhouse under head coach Kelvin Sampson, who prioritizes defense and rebounding – two pivotal phases of the game for teams that want to win in March.

Houston lost to Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament, which proved to some fans that the Wildcats are in a class above the Cougars. But for bettors? The value of Arizona at +400 doesn’t feel as strong – especially with Duke and Michigan looking like better basketball teams. Instead, take Houston at way better odds and gamble on fundamentals.

Purdue (+3500)

Could this finally be the year for the Big Ten?

The Boilermakers are facing off against Michigan for the Big Ten Championship on Sunday afternoon, but that game won’t mean much for the NCAA Tournament.

Purdue finished the regular season 26-8, but their 8-3 record on the road proves that they can win in tough environments.

Michigan State (+5000)

Speaking of a team to never sleep on in March? Tom Izzo’s Michigan State squad.

The Spartans are one of the nation’s top defensive rebounding teams. In total defense, KemPom ranked them ninth overall. Izzo’s squad is balanced and they play the game the right way – just an overall difficult team to defeat.