Thirty-one conference champions and 37 at-large teams will participate in the Men’s Basketball NCAA Tournament from March 15 to April 5 with a chance to take home the 2026 College Basketball National Championship.
The Florida Gators look like a longshot to defend their title after a rough start to the year, with Michigan emerging as an overwhelming favorite and Arizona emerging as another strong contender. Both teams went on undefeated runs in non-conference play against strong schedules.
For anyone interested in placing a bet on the College Basketball National Championship, Kalshi allows bettors to place real money on the outcome in all 50 states.
2026 College Basketball National Championship Odds
Michigan is the heavy favorite to win it all after a non-conference run that included winning every game at the Players Era Championship by 30 or more points against solid competition (San Diego State, Auburn, and Gonzaga).
Arizona also stands out, trailing the Wolverines in title odds but leading the next tier of contenders. The Wildcats also dominated the early part of the season, going 13-0 in non-conference play while claiming the No. 1 ranking in the week six AP poll, and holding onto that spot since then.
UConn, whose only loss of non-conference play was to Arizona with significant injuries, also has a good chance to establish a dynasty by cutting down the nets to claim three national championships in four seasons.
UConn is joined by 2024 Final Four participant Duke, Iowa State (who went undefeated in non-conference play), Purdue (the preseason AP No. 1, whose only loss is to Iowa State), Houston and Gonzaga (who only lost to Michigan in non-conference play).
Some other notable contenders include BYU, which is led by potential 2026 No. 1 NBA Draft pick AJ Dybantsa, Illinois, Michigan State, Alabama, and Vanderbilt.
The first two rounds of the 2026 NCAA Tournament will be played at various sites across the country, starting with Dayton for the First Four (March 17-18). First round games (March 19-22) will be played in Buffalo, Greenville, Oklahoma City, Portland, Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, and St. Louis.
The Sweet Sixteen (March 26-27) and Elite Eight (March 28-29) will be played in Houston, San Jose, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and the Final Four will be in Indianapolis (April 4 and 6).
What is Kalshi?
Different than a traditional sportsbook and available in all 50 states, Kalshi allows users to make predictions across several unique markets, including sports, entertainment, elections and even weather.
Kalshi operates on a contract-based system where users buy "contracts" (priced between 1–99 cents) based on whether they believe a specific event will happen. The price of each contract fluctuates in real time based on market sentiment and like the stock market, traders can sell positions early to lock in profits (or minimize losses).
