Last Updated: February 17, 2026 at 4:40 p.m. ET.
The UConn Huskies haven’t slowed down not one bit with an unbeaten record and looking every bit like the team to beat once again.
Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong continue to lead the charge, forming a dominant duo that has UConn positioned for another deep run toward April.
Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team began the year on a determined revenge mission after last season’s championship loss to Geno Auriemma’s squad. That push hit a bump, though, when an overtime loss to Oklahoma handed the Gamecocks their second defeat and slid them behind UCLA in the latest title odds.
With the race at the top growing increasingly tight, new challengers are starting to surface as March Madness nears, with Oklahoma and Iowa building strong cases to enter the championship conversation.
Here’s a look at where the latest 2025–26 title odds stand across the field.
Odds to win 2025-26 Women's March Madness
| Team | Movement | |
|---|---|---|
 UConn Huskies | <<-300>> | -- |
 UCLA Bruins | <<+650>> | ▲ |
 South Carolina Gamecocks | <<+900>> | ▼ |
 Texas Longhorns | <<+1400>> | ▼ |
 LSU Tigers | <<+1600>> | ▼ |
 Vanderbilt Commodores | <<+4000>> | ▲ |
 Michigan Wolverines | <<+7000>> | ▼ |
 Duke Blue Devils | <<+7500>> | -- |
 Louisville Cardinals | <<+10000>> | ▲ |
 Ohio State Buckeyes | <<+10000>> | ▲ |
Odds as of 2-17-2026.
Women's March Madness opening odds
- South Carolina: +145
- UConn: +400
- Texas: +400
- Notre Dame: +700
- USC: +950
- UCLA: +1200
- NC State: +2000
- LSU: +3000
- Stanford: +3000
- Duke: +5000
It should come as no surprise that oddsmakers were high on South Carolina after the Gamecocks became just the 10th team ever to cap off an undefeated season with a national championship.
But it's the UCLA Bruins who shook up the scene this season after going 30-2 and putting all of women's college basketball on notice after being the No. 1 ranked team in the country for most of this season. Led by Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, the Bruins are out for blood and appear to be a shoe-in to win the Big Ten tournament ahead of March Madness.
March Madness 2026 schedule
| Event | Date | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | March 15 | -- |
| First Four | March 18–19 | UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio) |
| First Round | March 20–23 | Top 16 seeds host. |
| Second Round | March 20–23 | Top 16 seeds host. |
| Sweet 16 | March 27–30 | Sacramento, CA; Fort Worth, TX |
| Elite Eight | March 27–30 | Sacramento, CA; Fort Worth, TX |
| Final Four | April 3 | Mortgage Matchup Center (Phoenix, AZ) |
| National Championship Game | April 5 | Mortgage Matchup Center (Phoenix, AZ) |
March Madness betting splits
Highest ticket percentage:
• UConn 17.3%
• South Carolina 14.8%
• UCLA 11.1%
Highest handle percentage:
• UConn 30.3%
• South Carolina 23.9%
• UCLA 12.4%
Biggest liabilities:
• UConn
• USC
• South Carolina
All data courtesy of BetMGM.
Aisha Quiñones' 2026 March Madness futures bets
| Bet | Odds | Bet Date | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Title: UConn | -300 | February 12 | 0.5 |
| Final Four: Vanderbilt | +4000 | February 12 | 0.5 |
| To Make NCAA Tournament Field of 68: USC | +15000 | February 12 | 0.5 |
What makes this UConn group especially dangerous in a tournament setting is lineup flexibility. The Huskies can play small to maximize spacing or lean into length and rebounding without sacrificing offensive flow. Geno Auriemma’s teams historically peak in March by tightening rotations and sharpening execution, and this roster already looks comfortable in high-pressure moments.
With experience, depth, and star power aligned, the Huskies enter the Final Four conversation as the most complete team in the country and the safest pick to cut down the nets again.
Vanderbilt's defensive structure forces opponents into uncomfortable possessions, and they’ve shown the ability to control pace against both fast and methodical teams. That adaptability is key in navigating the bracket. Vanderbilt also benefits from continuity, plus experienced contributors who understand roles and rarely beat themselves with turnovers or poor shot decisions.
If their defense dictates games early in the bracket, a Final Four appearance becomes a realistic outcome rather than a surprise.
Losing a dominant offensive centerpiece like JuJu Watkins changes the ceiling, but it doesn’t eliminate USC’s foundation. The Trojans still possess athleticism, length on the perimeter, and a defensive identity capable of keeping them competitive against top-tier opponents.
From a résumé standpoint, USC’s schedule strength and defensive efficiency should keep them firmly within the at-large conversation. They may win differently with fewer offensive explosions & more grind-it-out results, but consistency and competitiveness across conference play are enough to secure a spot in the Field of 68.
Understanding March Madness futures odds
Sportsbooks will post odds for the NCAA women's basketball championship as early as the summer before the season starts. These odds are constantly adjusted throughout the offseason as players get hurt, suspended or are traded. Once the season begins in November, title odds will change as often as daily as teams win and lose games and as players get hurt or suspended. Sportsbooks will also adjust the March Madness futures odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.
March Madness futures odds will usually look like this:
- Indiana Hoosiers +800
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to win $800 if the Hoosiers win the NCAA women's basketball title. If it's close to the end of the regular season or even during the tournament and college basketball has a very dominant team, you might see that a team is has a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
- South Carolina Gamecocks -165
This means that you would need to bet $165 to win $100 on a South Carolina championship.
Above we have posted the American odds for March Madness futures. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool.
How to bet college basketball futures
Learning how to successfully bet on March Madness is one of the hardest things to do in sports betting. The lose-and-go-home format and the fact that a school needs to win six straight games against quality opponents means that the favorites don't always take home the title.
Another factor that comes into play is that the tournament bracket isn't set until Selection Sunday. As the college basketball season winds down, you can be pretty sure that the big favorites will slide into the bracket as top seeds. But for teams in the middle of the pack, nothing is certain.
As always when betting futures odds, be sure to look into injuries and suspensions. You might find some current value in a team that is expecting to get a key player back before March Madness begins.
Where to bet on Women's March Madness
If you're in a state that allows mobile, or online betting, make sure you know which sites are the best March Madness betting sites. Great betting sites offer sharp odds, quick payouts and are safe and secure when it comes to depositing and withdrawing your money.
Past Women's March Madness champions
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | UConn |  South Carolina |
| 2024 | South Carolina |  Iowa |
| 2023 | LSU | Iowa |
| 2022 | South Carolina | UConn |
| 2021 |  Stanford |  Arizona |
| 2020 | COVID-19 | COVID-19 |
| 2019 |  Baylor |  Duke |
| 2018 |  Notre Dame |  Mississippi State |
| 2017 | South Carolina | Mississippi State |
| 2016 | UConn |  Syracuse |
| 2015 | UConn | Notre Dame |
| 2014 | UConn | Notre Dame |
| 2013 | UConn |  Louisville |
| 2012 | Baylor | Notre Dame |
Women's March Madness trends
• The last four winners of the tournament all entered the season as the No. 1 seed.
• Since 1982, a No. 1 seed has made the Final Four every year.
• UConn has the most women's NCAA titles of all-time (11), including four straight years of successfully defending the championship from 2013-2016.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here