The four odds-on college basketball favorites to win the men's NCAA Tournament were in action on Saturday, Feb. 21.
No. 3 Duke defeated No. 1 Michigan 68-63 and No. 4 Arizona took down No. 2 Houston 73-66 in a rare potential Final Four preview during the regular season. The Blue Devils and Cougars both reached the Final Four last season, with Houston taking down Duke 70-67 to advance to the national championship before falling to Florida.
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The Big 12 owns 40% of the top-10 favorites to win the title, with Arizona, Houston, Iowa State and Kansas all among the nation's favorites to win the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten has three teams in the top 10, and the ACC, SEC and Big East have one each.
Florida, coincidentally the second-most recent back-to-back champions (before UConn did so in 2023 and 2024), is looking to accomplish the feat again in 2026. The Gators have found their stride in recent weeks, winning 11 of their last 12 games.
