And then there were 16.
March Madness is down to 16 teams, and there isn’t an unfamiliar face among them. For the second consecutive year, the second weekend is loaded with teams, coaches and even players who have been on this stage before and, in some cases, have a legacy to add onto.
In the East, each of the four head coaches remaining have been to the Final Four, and three have won a national championship. The exception is Duke’s Jon Scheyer, whose Blue Devils survived a major scare against No. 16 Siena in the first round but hold the No. 1 overall seed.
The shocking team not headed to the Sweet 16 is defending champion Florida, which was eliminated by Iowa in the second round. The Hawkeyes might be the biggest surprise second weekend team, but they aren’t the lowest seed. That would be Texas, which eliminated Gonzaga in the second round and will face Purdue next.
Here’s an updated look at each remaining March Madness team’s odds to win the national championship in 2026.
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Updated March Madness odds 2026
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Duke entered the NCAA Tournament as the betting favorite to win the national championship, but the Blue Devils now narrowly trail both Michigan (+320) and Arizona (+350) after the shaky performance against Siena in the first round.
Here are the odds for all 16 teams:
| Team | Odds |
| Michigan | +320 |
| Arizona | +350 |
| Duke | +360 |
| Houston | +700 |
| Illinois | +1300 |
| Purdue | +1300 |
| Iowa State | +1500 |
| UConn | +2500 |
| Michigan State | +3000 |
| St. Johns | +3500 |
| Arkansas | +4000 |
| Nebraska | +4000 |
| Tennessee | +5500 |
| Iowa | +11000 |
| Alabama | +15000 |
| Texas | +30000 |
Houston (+700) is the only other team anywhere close to the trio of Michigan, Arizona and Duke with Florida suffering a shocking exit at the hands of Iowa in the second round.
Illinois (+1300) and Purdue (+1300) follow Houston, with Illinois’ odds likely to skyrocket if it can pull off a win over Houston in the Sweet 16, and Nebraska’s odds (+4000) have improved considerably with Florida out of the South Region even if the Cornhuskers remain a distant contender.
Iowa State (+1500) sits just behind Illinois and Purdue as the Cyclones await word on star Joshua Jefferson’s status for the Sweet 16 and beyond. UConn, which has won two of the last three national championships, is +2500 to win, only slightly better than Sweet 16 opponent Michigan State (+2500). The most distant odds in the loaded East Region belong to St. John’s (+3500), which has to go through Duke to reach the Elite Eight.
Oddsmakers are not bullish on the chances of Iowa, Alabama or Texas. The Hawkeyes (+11000) and Longhorns (+30000) are by far the lowest seeds remaining, while Alabama (+15000) is a No. 4 seed but is without second-leading scorer Aden Holloway after a drug-related arrest. There is no timeline for Holloway’s return.
