If you want more Action Network content, be sure to add us as a preferred source on Google.
The new college basketball season is here.
That means our staff is back to break down their top futures to get you ready from a betting perspective.
So, dive in below for college basketball futures, including conference title, National Championship and Final Four picks.
Be sure to download the Action Network app for more expert picks and analysis!
5 College Basketball Futures
Illinois
To Win National Championship (+1400)
There may be plenty of hype surrounding teams like Florida, Duke and UConn heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season, but a little further down the championship odds board is a team I was able to snag at 15/1 to win it all.
The Fighting Illini are well worth a sprinkle, or a preseason bandwagon pick if your alma mater is still rebuilding (looking at you, DePaul) and you need another team to root for come March.
This Illinois team brings so much experience, familiarity and trust in Brad Underwood’s system that it’s hard not to fall in love with this bunch.
The Illini return five key players from their Final Four run while adding guards Stefan Vaaks and Quentin Coleman to the mix.
If Illinois can come anywhere close to matching its offensive efficiency from a year ago while making the defensive improvements Underwood has prioritized this season, look out, Big Ten.
Look out, anyone standing in this team’s way come March.
ILL-INI!
Pick: Illinois to Win National Championship (+1400)
Ole Miss
To Make Final Four (+7400)
I always like to play one long shot to make the Final Four at the beginning of the season, and Ole Miss fits the bill for me in 2026-27.
The Rebels are flying totally under the radar in the SEC entering the year, but if there’s one coach I do not bet against when it comes to putting together a roster year over year, it’s Chris Beard.
Last year was a difficult one, but the Rebs were playing good ball at the end of the season, and were actually a shot away from making it to the SEC Tournament title game. Beard has done a lot of nice things thus far in his time in Oxford, most notably the Sweet 16 appearance in 2024-25.
Throughout his coaching career — and not just at Mississippi — he's consistently built competitive teams around transfers and unconventional roster constructions, and now has another intriguing collection of talent this season.
The headliner is Adam “Budd” Clark, who averaged 12.7 points and 4.9 assists for Seton Hall while earning Second Team All-Big East and All-Defensive honors.
Corey Stephenson gives the Rebels another proven scorer after averaging 18.0 points at FIU, while former Florida big man Micah Handlogten brings size, rebounding and experience at 7-foot-1.
Roman Siulepa is another intriguing piece, coming off a freshman season at Pitt in which he started all 33 games and averaged 10 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Just as importantly, Beard isn't rebuilding completely from scratch. Ilias Kamardine is back after averaging 11.3 points and a team-high 3.8 assists last season, and he played some of his best basketball during the aforementioned run to the SEC Tournament semifinals.
He gives this group a steady, experienced guard who already understands Beard's system.
Yes, there are some unknowns with this team, but that’s baked into the 74/1 number, which is simply way too high. Beard has veteran guards, size, scoring and multiple ways to construct a lineup.
If the pieces click by March, Ole Miss will be dangerous and has a considerably higher ceiling than this number suggests.
Count the Rebels out at your own risk.
Pick: Ole Miss to Make Final Four (+7400)
Marquette
To Win Big East (+700)
By Sean Paul
The best bet to win the Big East? This one is a layup. The value is strong with Marquette. I view the Golden Eagles as the biggest threat to UConn, yet St. John’s is way closer in the odds department.
Three of the Golden Eagles' top five scorers are returning: Nigel James Jr., Royce Parham and Adrien Stevens.
James will battle for Big East Player of the Year after coming off averaging 16 points and four assists per game as a freshman.
Plus, Shaka Smart finally renewed his transfer portal membership, snagging two studs in wing Nolan Minessale and big man Sananda Fru.
Fru will give Marquette the interior threat it lacked last year. The German big averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in just 22 minutes per game last season. He'll have way more leash in Milwaukee and could average close to a double-double.
Minessale is a bit different. He can play 1-4 basically and fills up the stat sheet. How will he handle the Big East athletes? Time will tell, but he's skilled and tough.
With all that talent and Smart's coaching chops, I’ll take the number with Marquette.
Pick: Marquette to Win Big East (+700)
Tennessee
To Win SEC (+1000)
The narrative that Rick Barnes is an overrated coach is nothing short of malarkey. For the third time in four seasons, the Vols made an Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament.
Barnes is one of the best coaches in college basketball, and his willingness to adapt to a complete roster overhaul could be the key to an even deeper postseason run.
Known for their bruising defense and dominance on the glass, the Vols took a different approach in the transfer portal this offseason, prioritizing an all-out offensive attack.
Barnes did not disappoint.
Nine transfers arrive in Knoxville, four of whom averaged at least 15 points per game last season. Jalen Washington’s eligibility remains in flux, but even if he isn’t granted another year, this is an immensely talented and dangerous Tennessee team.
Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris headlines the group after a breakout sophomore season in which he averaged 21.4 points per game. He showed an ability to take care of the ball while drawing fouls at a high rate, making him an ideal centerpiece for this revamped offense.
Jalen Haralson joins Harris in the ACC-to-SEC pipeline after starring at Notre Dame, where he averaged 16.2 points per game. He brings excellent touch for a big man and drew the eighth-most fouls per 40 minutes (7.5) in college basketball.
Add in microwave scorer Terrence Hill Jr., the A-10 Sixth Man of the Year, along with elite shooters Dai Dai Ames and Tyler Lundblade, and Tennessee has the offensive firepower to finally crack the top 15 nationally.
The question is whether the defense can maintain its reputation as a bruising, physical unit.
I trust Barnes to make the Vols an SEC contender once again.
DeWayne Brown II should take a step forward as a sophomore, and it’s not as if Barnes completely abandoned defense in the transfer portal. Miles Rubin (Loyola Chicago) and Braedan Lue (Kennesaw State) should provide some much-needed depth off the bench.
Florida may be the best team in the SEC, but with the Gators priced at close to even money, I don’t see enough value to justify a bet. Instead, I’d rather back Tennessee at +1000.
If this offense clicks, we could see a version of the Vols unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Tennessee also gets its two toughest conference matchups — Florida and Alabama — at home, which is a significant advantage.
Pick: Tennessee to Win SEC (+1000)
Kansas
To Win Big 12 (+425)
By Ryan Minion
While Arizona is surely the most well-rounded team on paper in the Big 12, Kansas is my preferred betting option in futures markets. This price is far too steep for Bill Self's squad, especially if you line shop.
Self did a spectacular job replacing Darryn Peterson and Flory Bidunga by signing the top-ranked freshman in the incoming 2026 class, 6-foot-7 wing Tyran Stokes.
In addition to Stokes’ spectacular athleticism that allows him to score from anywhere on the floor, the Kansas freshman has a bulky 230-pound frame — along with a 7-foot wingspan — making him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenders at any position.
Stokes is a legit three-level scorer who boasts elite perimeter shooting prowess. However, he also excels as a slasher who uses his size to effortlessly bully defenders in the lane while maintaining an uncanny ability to finish through contact.
The freshman is also an impressive ball-handler for his size and uses his massive frame to defend all positions on the floor 1-through-5.
Kansas also secured another top-25 five-star recruit in the incoming 2026 class in 6-foot-3 freshman guard Taylen Kinney, whose elite handles and exceptional 3-point shooting stroke should make Kansas’ offense far more efficient.
Alongside Kinney, the Jayhawks return an experienced backcourt in senior guard Melvin Council Jr. and fifth-year wing Tre White — both of whom are expected to play vital roles at both ends of the floor.
In more recent news, Kansas just added Trey Kaufman-Renn. The former Purdue big man was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA and should fit perfectly into a Jayhawks frontcourt that lost Flory Bidunga to Louisville.
For a program that already has arguably the best head coach in the entire sport and has an ideal mix of young talent and experience, the Jayhawks are being slept on far too heavily.
Pick: Kansas to Win Big 12 (+425)
