College basketball returns for the 2025-26 season with plenty of familiar programs competing for the national championship.
In this era of NIL and the transfer portal, it’s common for power programs to restock each offseason after significant roster turnover. This offseason was no different. National championship winner odds at BetMGM feature an abundance of legacy programs.
The defending champion Florida Gators are still near the top of the odds board to repeat despite significant losses on the perimeter. National runner-up Houston also hovers near the top of the odds as well. However, it’s the Purdue Boilermakers who start this season on top of the title picture.
And it wouldn’t feel like a proper college basketball season unless the Duke Blue Devils and Kentucky Wildcats were involved. Both blue bloods find themselves in contention after reloading over the summer.
Purdue leads group of teams at the top
Purdue (+800) is the preseason favorite to win the national championship. By making a Sweet 16 appearance last year, Purdue showed it’s still a force even after losing Wooden Award-winner Zach Edey to the NBA.
This year’s squad features the preseason favorite for the Wooden Award in senior point guard Braden Smith. Smith is surrounded by talent and experience all over the roster. Another potential All-American, forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, couples with Smith to form perhaps the best duo in college basketball.
Reliable reinforcements for the Boilermakers also come in the form of four-year starting two-guard Fletcher Loyer, South Dakota State transfer forward Oscar Cluff and promising Israeli guard Omer Mayer.
Only two years removed from a national title game, star power and experience could carry Purdue to another Final Four — with Indianapolis as the perfect Final Four host city, as the Boilermakers attempt to win their first title.
Next up, Houston (+900) remains a major contender. The trio of Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler return after key roles last season. Coach Kelvin Sampson also reloaded with the second-best recruiting class in the country.
Houston has made at least the second weekend in six consecutive NCAA tournaments. Could this finally be the Houston team talented enough to cut down the nets under Sampson after so many successful seasons?
Duke and Kentucky are next in line — both at +1300 odds.
Replacing No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg is an impossible ask for the Blue Devils. But coach Jon Scheyer brought in the No. 1 recruiting class, headlined by forward Cameron Boozer — another potential No. 1 pick. Boozer is joined by twin brother Cayden (a point guard), five-star wing Nikolas Khamenia and wing Dame Sarr to form this year’s freshmen studs.
Sophomore Isaiah Evans and redshirt freshman Patrick Ngongba are two returners to watch — with Evans poised for a major role in the offense.
Kentucky used the transfer portal to overhaul its personnel. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the Wildcats spent close to $22 million on the roster this season — believed to be the highest in college hoops.
Preseason SEC Player of the Year Otega Oweh is surrounded by quality transfers. Lead guard Jaland Lowe (Pitt) and forward Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State), a potential lottery pick, headline the high-priced transfers, which should significantly elevate Kentucky’s problematic defense. Even without Quaintance, who is recovering from a torn ACL and could return by January, the Wildcats are deep and talented with enough firepower to beat anybody.
The next pair is two recent national champions at +1400: Florida and the Connecticut Huskies. Looking to repeat, the Gators own the best frontcourt in college basketball thanks to Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten returning. Still, replacing the trio of Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin will be difficult. Integrating the talented new-look backcourt of transfers Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton) will be key to Florida’s season.
UConn seeks redemption after falling flat last season in its quest for a three-peat. Experienced wing Alex Karaban, guard Solo Ball and big man Tarris Reed Jr. are all talented returners. Getting preseason Big East Freshman of the Year Braylon Mullins healthy will be an early-season storyline to watch for the Huskies. Consistent point guard play from Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr. would help UConn significantly after spotty play from the position last season.
Some new faces in contention
Both at +1600 odds, the Michigan Wolverines and St. John’s Red Storm played each other in a preseason exhibition game, with the Wolverines winning an overtime thriller. In coach Dusty May’s second season in Ann Arbor, he stocked Michigan’s roster with talented newcomers. Unexpected success from last season, coupled with some elite transfers, means the Wolverines are legitimate title hopefuls.
UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg was this offseason’s best transfer, big man Aday Mara (UCLA) offers a presence inside and point guard Elliot Cadeau gets a new offense to run after two years at North Carolina. Michigan also returned a lot of key role-players from last season. But it’s up to the talented newcomers to lift the Wolverines to the next level.
Time is running out in the legendary career of Rick Pitino. But the 73-year-old Hall of Famer has St. John’s at fifth in the preseason AP poll — the highest in program history. Big man Zuby Ejiofor could be Big East Player of the Year. The Red Storm also went on a spending spree in the transfer portal, landing Providence forward Bryce Hopkins, North Carolina guard Ian Jackson and Cincinnati big man Dillon Mitchell. A healthy Hopkins, injured most of the last two seasons, is critical for St. John’s to stay in the chase.
St. John’s struggled to shoot from the perimeter last season and addressed those concerns with guards Joson Sanon (Arizona State), Oziyah Sellers (Stanford) and Dylan Darling (Idaho State).
The Texas Tech Red Raiders (+1800) are back near the top after falling just short of the Final Four last season. Preseason All-American JT Toppin’s return was massive for the Red Raiders as he forms a strong nucleus with guard Christian Anderson.
Expectations are high for the BYU Cougars (+2000) after a Sweet 16 run. Freshman wing AJ Dybantsa is a big reason why. Dominant at times during BYU’s preseason exhibitions, Dybantsa is a legitimate Wooden Award candidate and could be the top pick in the next NBA Draft.
The Cougars offer plenty of firepower besides their superstar freshman. Senior Richie Saunders and Baylor transfer Robert Wright III are also double-figure scorers who should benefit greatly from Dybantsa’s presence. BYU will score plenty of points; defensive upside will determine the Cougars’ fate.
A pack of five teams finds themselves all at +2500 odds. The Arkansas Razorbacks, Kansas Jayhawks, Louisville Cardinals, Arizona Wildcats and Illinois Fighting Illini are all talented preseason top-25 teams who could ascend up the odds quickly with strong starts.
