2025-26 NCAA National Championship Odds & Insights | December 15, 2025

One of my favorite topics of discussion is finding value on a team to win it all at the end of the year. I have a specific set of criteria for teams I target. The first is tempo. I do not want to bet on a super fast team to win a national title. Those teams tend to burn out late in the season, or they struggle to adapt when they are forced to slow down. The same goes for extremely slow teams. I do not want to rely on a team that cannot play faster when the situation demands it. Secondly, and most importantly, is price. As you can see, there are already several teams listed below ten to one to win it all. I am not paying ten to one for a futures ticket unless it is near the end of the season. Aside from the eye test and a strong resume, that is really what I look for when betting into this market.

Early Leans

I have already locked in Gonzaga earlier this season at near 20 to one to win it all. They look incredible, and their veteran leadership and experience clearly show. I really like the Zags this season. That said, there are a few other teams I have been on the fence about when it comes to pulling the trigger. Those teams are Purdue, Arizona, UConn, and Arkansas. Those four have been my favorite teams to watch so far. I know some people are upset that I did not mention Michigan, but I am not looking at an odds favorite at this point in the season.

There is a wide mix of tempo among the teams on my short list. Arizona and Arkansas both play very fast, while Purdue and UConn prefer a much slower pace. However, I believe Purdue and UConn are teams that can still perform at a high level if they are forced to speed things up. We also saw Purdue go into Tuscaloosa and force Alabama to play slow earlier this season, which was beautiful to watch. That game alone put the Boilermakers firmly on my radar. The Huskies have looked rejuvenated, and they resemble a team destined for another national title run. Their lone loss came against Arizona, but they have already beaten BYU, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, and Texas to start the year.

Where is the Value?

With price being such a major factor, both Purdue and UConn are available at a strong 12 to one number right now. If you are looking for more of a longshot, Arkansas is sitting at 33 to one.

The Razorbacks have blown me away this season. Yes, they are young, and that can become an issue later in the year. Still, this team opened the season by going into East Lansing and going toe to toe with Tom Izzo and the Spartans, losing by just three in their first major road test. They then lost by nine to Duke, but followed that up with wins over Louisville and Texas Tech this past Saturday. At this price point, backing a young team makes sense, and the Razorbacks are worthy of a sprinkle based on how well they have performed against top 50 teams this season.

As for Arizona, they have been outstanding, coming off a dominant win over Alabama on Saturday. That said, I am not rushing to the counter to bet a team under ten to one in the month of December. I will be rooting for them to drop a game or two, then decide if they are still worthy of a sprinkle to win it all.