The Big East has a clear hierarchy, as UConn and St. John's are projected to dominate the league.
Is that set in stone, though?
Below, you’ll see Big East predictions, odds and futures in a 2025-26 NCAAB conference betting preview.
2025-26 Big East Regular Season Title Odds
| Team | Odds (bet365) |
|---|---|
| UConn | +115 |
| St. John's | +210 |
| Creighton | +550 |
| Villanova | +1600 |
| Marquette | +2200 |
| Providence | +2200 |
| Xavier | +2500 |
| Seton Hall | +3000 |
| Butler | +5000 |
| Georgetown | +6000 |
| DePaul | +8000 |
| Vanderbilt | +3000 |
Big East Favorites
UConn Huskies
Rarely do I think betting on a conference title future at minus money is a good idea. This is no exception.
UConn is the team to beat in the Big East, though. The Huskies return three high-level starters in Alex Karaban, Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr.
I'm expecting a bounce-back year from Karaban. He was the Huskies' go-to option for the first time last season, but he shot a career-low 43% from the field and 34% from deep.
He'll make a huge difference now that he's fully healthy.
So, why can UConn return to its title aspirations? It addressed a glaring issue at the point guard spot.
Adding Silas Demary Jr., who was a 14-point-per-game scorer for a Georgia team that made the NCAA Tournament, and a reliable floor general in Malachi Smith (Dayton), should make a seismic difference.
Plus, once freshman Braylon Mullins is back from his ankle injury, he'll probably be the team's third option.
That means Demary can be a lethal fourth weapon for this Huskies offense.
What is the key to UConn winning the league? Defense.
The Huskies had an elite defense — with linchpin Donovan Clingan — during their back-to-back National Championship run.
They don't have a Clingan-type this season, but Smith should help with point-of-attack defense.
I believe in UConn winning the league, but I’m simultaneously not betting on it to capture the Big East title.
St. John's Red Storm
I'm taking a full wait-and-see approach with St. John's.
On the surface, what's not to like? Rick Pitino might be the best head coach in college basketball history, and he led a less-talented Johnnies team to a two-seed last year.
Talent, however, doesn't always equate to wins. Sometimes fit matters, and this roster has odd-fitting pieces.
Individually, Ian Jackson, Joson Sanon and Oziyah Sellers are terrific players with high-level scoring abilities.
The issue is that none of the three are actual point guards, and Pitino is placing Sellers in the point guard role, which he didn't play last year at Stanford.
Jackson is an elite shot-creator and can score on anybody one-on-one. He just isn't a point guard.
Sanon and Sellers could be one of the best 3-point shooting tandems in the sport. Sanon was well over 40% from deep last year, prior to an injury halting his production. Sellers, meanwhile, shot 42% from downtown in the ACC.
Dylan Darling could ultimately slide in to stabilize the point guard spot. But that means one of the three electric scorers has to sit, and that'll take away from a potentially elite offensive lineup.
Pitino can also shuffle his interior pieces around.
If Pitino could use AI to construct his ideal player, it's probably Dillon Mitchell. He's tough, one of the top athletes in the Big East and can defend any position on the floor.
However, Mitchell has pretty serious warts — he shot 29% from 3 and 39% from the foul line last season.
That could lead to Pitino siding with the better offensive lineup featuring Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor together.
Hopkins averaged 15 points per game in his last two full seasons at Providence, and Ejiofor was dominant last year for the Johnnies.
I need to see St. John's lineup combinations, defense and point guard play before I fully buy in.
From a roster and coaching standpoint, the Johnnies are a top-five level squad. It wouldn't stun me if St. John's struggled in the non-conference and flipped things when Big East play arrives.
At +170 to win the Big East, I don't see enough value to let money sit on St. John's for months with all these question marks.
Big East Best Futures Bet
Creighton Bluejays
The dip between the top two and everybody else is pretty clear. However, if someone can crack the seal and jump beyond the Johnnies or Huskies, I'll take Creighton.
Replacing all-time great Blue Jay Ryan Kalkbrenner won't be easy, especially defensively. However, they did an excellent job finding a good replacement in Iowa transfer Owen Freeman.
As a 6-foot-10 center, Freeman averaged 16.8 points per game at Iowa as a sophomore and added 1.8 blocks per contest.
He's a strong enough defender and a dominant force offensively.
Creighton also brought in a few guard transfers. One is a former teammate of Freeman, Josh Dix, who shot 50% from the field and 42% from deep. He's a legit scorer who’ll be a nice fit in Greg McDermott's offense.
Nik Graves is the difference-maker, though. He made the most of playing in a terrible Charlotte offense and should benefit from a more offense-friendly system in Omaha.
Also, Austin Swartz is a high-upside scoring option coming from Miami, and Howard transfer Blake Harper could provide versatility.
Harper could play anywhere from the 2-4 thanks to his strong rebounding, knack for drawing fouls and shooting abilities.
It'll never be a surprise if McDermott coaches an elite offense. He should have another squad led by offense in 2026, so I think Creighton is a worthy long-shot Big East title bet.
I'll be betting the Jays, as I believe in the mix of coaching and talent. At +600, sitting on Creighton to win the Big East is a terrific bet to grab.
Best Big East Value Bet
Marquette Golden Eagles
Can Shaka Smart continue to defy logic and churn out teams that contend in the Big East while seldom using the portal? I could see the Golden Eagles having a shot here.
Replacing Tyler Kolek last year appeared seamless with Kam Jones waiting in the wings.
It might not be as easy to replace Jones, unless senior wing Chase Ross takes a big offensive leap. I don't doubt Ross averaging 13-15 points per game, but he's not the playmaker that Kolek or Jones were.
What we know about Marquette is that it'll be a terrific defensive team. That's the case for basically every Smart-coached team.
With Ross back, Shawn Jones being healthy and gifted freshman Nigel James Jr. joining the fray, the Golden Eagles should force a ton of turnovers.
What don't we know about Marquette? Just how good these freshmen are. The Golden Eagles bring in five top-120 recruits, with James and Adrien Stevens standing out as the bigger names.
It would be huge for Marquette to get a big scoring boost from Stevens or James to answer some of the questions on how it replaces Jones, David Joplin and Stevie Mitchell.
I'll take a dart throw on Marquette at +2200. It's not super likely, but Marquette might be a top-10 defensive team in America, and that's worth the long-shot bet.
Big East Player to Target for Props
Jason Edwards (Providence)
If you're looking for a pure bucket-getter to target in props, Jason Edwards is a safe bet. In two Division I seasons, Edwards averaged 19.5 points per game at North Texas and 17.5 points last year at Vanderbilt.
Edwards could see even larger numbers at Providence, as the Friars have a roster catered to him and Jaylin Sellers getting buckets.
I'd also look at targeting his assist props. He's never been a huge distributor, but Providence lacks a true point guard.
There could be a chance to capitalize on some lower assist props based on his low numbers over the years.
Edwards showing more passing won’t only be beneficial for early-season assist props, but it'll also show defenses that he's more than a scorer.
