Is Duke basketball early favorite to win 2026 NCAA championship?

Duke basketball is the betting favorite to win the 2026 national championship, according to oddsmakers. Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils came up short in a second-half collapse at the Final Four in San Antonio, finishing head coach Jon Scheyer's third season with a 35-4 record and a sweep of the ACC championships. Duke took a step forward in each of Scheyer's three seasons, being bounced in the round of 32 before an Elite Eight appearance and Final Four berth in the next two years.

The Blue Devils will try to end a decade-long drought by cutting down the nets in Indianapolis, where they've won three of their five national titles. Duke has a 10-2 record in NCAA Tournament games hosted at sites in Indiana. DUKE'S 2025 RECRUITING CLASS: Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer talks Cameron Boozer, Blue Devils’ 2025 recruiting classAs for the 2025-26 roster, Duke will likely look a lot different with Flagg and other Blue Devils projected to enter the 2025 NBA Draft.



Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach are predicted to be lottery picks and Tyrese Proctor is projected to be selected at some point in the draft. With many of its top contributors from this season expected to leave Durham, Duke brings in another top-ranked recruiting class headlined by the Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden. Shelton Henderson and Nikolas Khamenia are the Blue Devils' other 2025 recruits.

Scheyer will likely fill the gaps with additions from the transfer portal. Florida won the 2025 national title. Here's a look at the betting odds for the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament.

Men's March Madness odds: National championship favorites 2026 Here are the latest betting odds for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, as of Monday night. Duke: +1000Houston: +1200Louisville: +1400 Purdue: +1400Kansas: +1600BYU: +1600Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C.

State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.

com. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball betting odds to win 2026 NCAA championship.