This month, we will finally see the return of college basketball, and that includes the Texas Longhorns competing in a few exhibition games, with the women taking on the UConn Huskies on Oct. 19, and the men playing the St. John's Red Storm at Madison Square Garden one week later.
The actual season is still a month away, but that hasn't stopped people from already looking to March and April, including oddsmakers in Vegas.
While the Longhorns women have continuously been one of the top programs in the country over the last few years, it has been a while since the Texas men could say the same. That's expected to change this year, and both teams are currently toward the top of the odds to win it all...
Men's college basketball preseason National Championship odds
In fact, men's head coach Sean Miller has built the Longhorns back into a top-10 program, both in the odds standings and the preseason rankings.
1. Florida Gators, +550
2. Duke Blue Devils, +600
3. UConn Huskies, +1200
4. Illinois Fighting Illini, +1300
5. Michigan State Spartans, Arizona Wildcats, +2000
7. Louisville Cardinals, Texas Longhorns, Texas Tech Red Raiders, +2200
10. Virginia Cavaliers, +2500
Odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Currently, the Horns are tied with the Louisville Cardinals and Texas Tech Red Raiders as the seventh-favorite team to bring home the natty, trailing the Florida Gators, Duke Blue Devils, UConn Huskies, Illinois Fighting Illini, Michigan State Spartans, and Arizona Wildcats.
This will only be Miller's second year at Texas, and he has undeniably already turned the program back around.
Just last season, he led the Horns to the Sweet 16, and then he added a couple of cherries on top this offseason with the No. 5 recruiting class and No. 4 transfer portal class. In other words, Texas is set up for success, and the oddsmakers recognize that fact.
Texas will start its 2026-27 regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, with a home game against the Chicago State Cougars.
Women's college basketball preseason National Championship odds
When it comes to the women's odds, it's mostly the usual suspects at the top: the Horns, the Gamecocks, the Huskies, the Trojans, the Tigers, and the National Championship-defending Bruins.
1. South Carolina Gamecocks, +240
2. UConn Huskies, +290
3. USC Trojans, +460
4. Texas Longhorns, +840
5. UCLA Bruins, Michigan Wolverines, LSU Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, +2200
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Vanderbilt Commodores, Oklahoma State Cowgirls, +3000
The Longhorns rang in as the fourth favorites to win it all this spring, only trailing South Carolina, UConn, and USC. They are followed not so closely by UCLA, Michigan, LSU, and Duke, who are trailed by Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma State.
Texas women's head coach Vic Schaefer always has his team in the national conversations, and despite losing quite a few stars this offseason, that is expected to remain true during the 2026-27 campaign.
The Horns will face both UConn and the UCLA Bruins in exhibition games this year, before tipping off the actual season with a home matchup on Wednesday, Nov. 4, against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.
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