If Indiana sports have proven anything lately, this might finally be the time the Purdue Boilermakers get over the hump.
Although Matt Painter’s team has failed to make it past the Sweet Sixteen in five consecutive years, the No. 1 Boilermakers trail only Michigan in the latest March Madness and college basketball odds, with Purdue currently sporting a 7-0 record.
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Here’s a look at the National Championship odds, as a new college basketball season tipped off last month.
March Madness odds
|
Team |
|
|---|---|
|
Michigan Wolverines |
|
|
Purdue Boilermakers |
|
|
Duke Blue Devils |
|
|
Houston Cougars |
|
|
UConn Huskies |
|
|
Gonzaga Bulldogs |
|
|
Arizona Wildcats |
|
|
Louisville Cardinals |
|
|
Florida Gators |
|
|
BYU Cougars |
Odds as of 12-1-2025.
March Madness betting splits
Highest ticket percentage:
• Purdue 11.1%
• Houston 8.8%
• Duke 8.4%
Highest handle percentage:
• Purdue 13.8%
• Houston 8.9%
• Kentucky 8.5%
All data courtesy of BetMGM.
March Madness 2026 schedule
|
Event |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Selection Sunday |
March 15 |
|
First Four |
March 17-18 |
|
First Round |
March 19-20 |
|
Second Round |
March 21-22 |
|
Sweet 16 |
March 26-27 |
|
Elite Eight |
March 28-29 |
|
Final Four |
April 4 |
|
National Championship Game |
April 6 |
Popular March Madness markets
Past March Madness winners
|
Year |
Champion |
Opening odds |
Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025 |
Florida |
+8000 |
Houston |
|
2024 |
Connecticut |
+1100 |
Purdue |
|
2023 |
Connecticut |
+1600 |
San Diego State |
|
2022 |
Kansas |
+2000 |
North Carolina |
|
2021 |
Baylor |
+800 |
Gonzaga |
|
2020 |
No tournament (COVID-19) |
N/A |
N/A |
|
2019 |
Virginia |
+1800 |
Texas Tech |
|
2018 |
Villanova |
+1200 |
Michigan |
|
2017 |
North Carolina |
+2400 |
Gonzaga |
|
2016 |
Villanova |
+2000 |
North Carolina |
|
2015 |
Duke |
+1000 |
Wisconsin |
March Madness trends
• Of the 20 teams that have entered the tournament with undefeated records, only seven have gone on to win the national championship.
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• Only 13 teams successfully defended their national championship the following season.
• UCLA has the most NCAA titles of all time (11), although the Bruins have not won the tournament since 1995.
• A No. 1-seeded team has won the national championship 59.6% of the time since regional seeding was introduced in 1979.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
