2026 College Basketball Crown Odds: How to Bet Tournament's First Round
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The College Basketball Crown is an eight-team, single-elimination postseason tournament in Las Vegas with games airing on FOX and FS1 from April 1-5.
Matchups will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena and this year's tourney is gearing up to be as exciting as ever.
But only one team can be king. Who will it be?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Let's dive into the odds for the first round of games at DraftKings Sportsbook as of March 30.
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(All times ET)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wednesday, Apri 1
Oklahoma vs. Colorado (8 p.m., FS1)
Point spread: Oklahoma -8.5 (Oklahoma favored to win by more than 8.5 points, otherwise Colorado covers)
Moneyline: Oklahoma -325 favorite to win; Colorado +260 underdog to win
Total Over/Under: 165.5 points scored by both teams combined
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What to know: Oklahoma ended the year with a 19-15 record. Nijel Pack led the Sooners, averaging 16.5 points per game, with Mohamed Wague leading the team in rebounds (6.7) and blocks (1.5). The underdog Buffs, on the other hand, come into this matchup with a 17-15 record and with an 11th-place finish in the Big 12. Their leading scorer is Isaiah Johnson, who averaged 16.9 ppg throughout the year.
Baylor vs. Minnesota (10:30 p.m., FS1)
Point Spread: Baylor -3.5 (Baylor favored to win by more than 3.5 points, otherwise Minnesota covers)
Moneyline: Baylor -170 favorite to win; Minnesota +142 underdog to win
Total Over/Under: 148.5 points scored by both teams combined
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What to know: The Baylor Bears started off their year winning 10 of their first 12 before suffering a few losing skids. Eventually, they finished the year 16-16. Their opponents, the Golden Gophers, lost 10 games from Jan. 9 to Feb. 14 before ending the year at 15-17.
Thursday, April 2
Stanford vs. West Virginia (8 p.m., FS1)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Point Spread: Stanford -1.5 (Stanford favored to win by more 1.5 points, otherwise West Virginia covers)
Moneyline: Stanford -125 favorite to win; West Virginia +105 underdog to win
Total Over/Under: 135.5 points scored by both teams combined
What to know: Stanford was on the bubble to make the NCAA tournament but ultimately missed a chance to dance, despite having a 20-12 record. Now the Cardinal get a shot at the Crown as 1.5-point favorites over West Virginia beginning on Thursday night. Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie made a name for himself this season as the team's leading scorer (22.8) and leader in assists (3.5).
Rutgers vs. Creighton (10:30 p.m., FS1)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Point Spread: Creighton -4.5 (Creighton favored to win by more than 4.5 points, otherwise Rutgers covers)
Moneyline: Creighton -180 favorite to win; Rutgers +150 underdog to win
Total Over/Under: 151.5 points scored by both teams combined
What to know: Creighton finished the year by losing 11 of its last 16 games and so did Rutgers. So which squad comes out on top when the two face off on Thursday night? Leading the charge for Rutgers is Tariq Francis who leads the team in points (16.9), assists (2.9) and steals (1.1). Creighton's Nik Graves is one to watch, as he leads the Bluejays in assists (4.3) and steals (1.0).