Explore the latest developments concerning Arizona, Michigan co-favorites.
Arizona, Michigan co-favorites as bettors back UConn
Stephen A. Smith issues an apology to Michigan for underestimating the team and its men's NCAA tournament chances. (2:27)
Arizona and Michigan will head into the Final Four deadlocked as the favorites to win the NCAA men's basketball tournament and at nearly a pick 'em for their head-to-head showdown, with Illinois and UConn battling it out as the underdogs.
The Wildcats and Wolverines are both +175 to take home the national championship, while Illinois (+400) and UConn (+550) trail right behind, according to DraftKings odds. Michigan had the second-best odds going into the tournament at +370 and Arizona had the third best at +380; the Fighting Illini and Huskies were outside the favorite tiers going in at 22-1 and 25-1, respectively.
2026 NCAA tournament picks, predictions: Best bets for the Final Four
We saw the definition of March Madness last weekend, when No. 2 UConn stunned No. 1 overall seed Duke with a last-second 3-pointer to win 73-72 and complete a historic comeback after being down 15 points at halftime.
UConn is a small underdog against No. 3 Illinois in the Final Four, while No. 1 Arizona is a currently a small ‘dog against fellow No. 1 seed Michigan in what should be a fantastic matchup between arguably the two best teams in the country.
Below you'll find the favorite wagers for all the games from our college basketball handicappers — Corbie Craig, Matt Jacob and Matt Russell. We’ll update this piece throughout the week with more wagers from our experts.
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2026 Final Four odds: Michigan favored to win national title, but where do Arizona, UConn, Illinois place?
The 2026 Final Four is set after two exciting weekends of NCAA Tournament games. Michigan has opened as the favorite to win the 2026 national championship next week in Indianapolis, while Arizona isn't far behind in the odds.
Arizona and Michigan, of course, will face each other in the national semifinals next weekend, with the winner advancing to the title game to face either UConn or Illinois. The Wolverines (+160) are tied atop the odds, and the Wildcats aren't far behind (+165). Illinois is a clear third in the odds (4/1), while UConn is the biggest longshot (7/1) to cut down the nets as the final team standing.
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