Selection Sunday is over, the bracket has been released and March Madness is upon us. While we have plenty of tips to help you fill out your brackets and make your first-round wagers, there are also plenty of opportunities for futures wagers — teams to win the national championship, make the Sweet 16 and more.
Duke (+300) is the top overall seed and favorite to cut down the nets at BetMGM, followed closely by Michigan (+350), Arizona (+400) and Florida (+650). But there is usually value to be found a little further down the odds board.
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Our college basketball handicappers — Corbie Craig, Matt Jacob and Matt Russell — give their favorite 2026 NCAA tournament futures bets below.
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Best March Madness futures bets
Vanderbilt to make Sweet 16 (+105)
Craig: Fresh off a strong SEC tournament showing, I’m staying on the Vanderbilt train given how the bracket sets up. The Commodores’ opening matchup against McNeese should be a manageable first step, meaning the real hurdle likely comes in Round 2 against either Nebraska or Troy. Where the value shows up in this wager is that I give Troy a legitimate puncher’s chance as the 13-seed against Nebraska in the opener.
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If that upset lands, this +105 ticket suddenly becomes an outstanding number with Vanderbilt likely favored to reach the Sweet 16. Even in the scenario where Nebraska advances, I still make this price worth a small wager based on the matchup dynamics and the Commodores’ current form.
VCU to make the Sweet 16 (11-1)
Jacob: I’m a big believer in the power of momentum in March — and the VCU Rams have a ton of it right now. Going back to Dec. 15, the Rams are 21-3. That includes a 16-1 mark since mid-January and an ongoing six-game winning streak.
Another critical NCAA tournament intangible is the ability to be a chameleon, and VCU checks that box, too. Want to speed the game up? The Rams are happy to run and gun. Prefer to slow it down? They’re more than willing to comply. For proof of VCU’s ability to adapt, look at one particular three-game stretch from Jan. 30-Feb. 6: The Rams beat visiting Loyola-Chicago 89-75, then went to Fordham and prevailed 63-59, then returned home and blew out Dayton 99-73.
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VCU is capable of switching hats from game to game in large part because of its depth. Eleven players average more than 10 minutes per game, with seven of those logging more than 21 minutes of court time. All seven average between 7.2 and 14.4 points per game; five of the seven shoot better than 44% from the field; and six of the seven hit better than 35% of their 3-point attempts.
Finally, of all the double-digit seeds in this year’s field, I believe VCU has the smoothest path to the Sweet 16. The Rams open against a North Carolina team without its best player (hence the reason the sixth-seeded Tar Heels are a scant 2-point favorite). If they get past UNC, the likely next opponent is Illinois, which enters the Big Dance having dropped five of its last nine games.
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Iowa State to make the Final Four (+300)
Russell: If you’ve been paying attention to college basketball since November, you know that Michigan took the sport by storm, blowing out every team in sight. Maybe you even hopped on the Wolverines bandwagon and grabbed a futures ticket on Michigan, that’s only increased in value. However, it might be time to worry a little.
Here’s what we’re looking for in a Final Four team:
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Pieces that pass the eye test
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Value against the biggest hurdle in the region
Iowa State is on the precipice of qualifying for the common trope about national champions needing to finish in the top-20 of both offensive and defensive metrics via KenPom, with the fourth-best defensive efficiency and 21st in offense.
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Maybe the Cyclones would be one tick higher up the rankings on offense had Tamin Lipsey not missed four games early in the season, but he’s one of the many pieces that make the Cyclones pleasing to watch as he runs the offense and pressures opposing point guards on defense. If up-and-coming star head coach T.J. Otzelberger absolutely needs an outside shot to be made, he can turn to Milan Momcilivic and his absurd 49.6% 3-point shooting. Meanwhile, senior Joshua Jefferson does the work inside. This trio allows for their support pieces to contribute under the radar.
[Click here for NCAA tournament printable bracket]
The Cyclones’ final 11 games included games with tournament teams TCU, Texas Tech (twice), Kansas, BYU, and Arizona (twice). The Cyclones will be thrilled to get out of Big 12 play, and should have no trouble getting to the Sweet 16. From there, it’s likely Tennessee (and notoriously disappointing-in-the-second-weekend Rick Barnes) or Virginia, who is probably a year away in Ryan Odom’s first year.
At that point, if Michigan makes it through to the Midwest Regional final, market ratings suggest that the Wolverines might be a 4-point favorite, and the Cyclones a short underdog of less than +200. That also implies that the Wolverines’ rating is correct, something in question for a team who has covered one game (by a half-point) since losing L.J. Cason for the season.
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At +300, both second weekend games have to amount to coin-flips, and it’s possible that would only be the worst-case scenario for Iowa State.
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