Even though we are only midway through the 2026 football season, let's face it, Illinois fans are pumped for the basketball campaign to begin, and it is no wonder why.
After a Final Four trip, the first one since 2005, Illinois is poised to not just make it back to the Big Dance, but potentially win it all. Head coach Brad Underwood brought back more than half of his team from last season, including huge playmakers like Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, and Tomislav Ivisic.
Then you also look at the new names on the roster, like lone transfer Stefan Vaaks and five-star freshman Quentin Coleman. This Illinois team is stacked and ready to finish what they started last season, and even the Vegas Oddsmakers can't argue that this team could win it all.
Best odds to win the 2027 Basketball National Championship
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
- Florida: +550
- Duke: +600
- UConn: +1200
- Illinois: +1300
- Michgian State: +2000
- Arizona: +2000
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.
Illinois currently sits with the fourth-best odds to win the 2027 National Championship and has the best odds of any other Big Ten team, sitting narrowly in front of Michigan State. Even the reigning National Champion Michigan Wolverines don't have anywhere near as good odds to win it all again. So, could this end up being a year to remember for Underwood and his players?
Heading into his 10th season with the Illini, Underwood could finally have everything he needs to get Illinois somewhere it has never been. Even after losing star freshman Keaton Wagler to the NBA, Underwood worked to find enough replacements and make this team even better than it was a season ago.
There has been a lot of talk in the offseason that this Illinois team is stronger and faster than the Final Four squad. With that speed, Underwood is hoping to move the ball faster, making it hard for defenses to catch up in transition.
The scoring abilities of the projected starters, which are Stojakovic, Mirkovic as long as he is ready to return from his foot injury, Ivisic, Vaaks, and Coleman, are off the charts. Coleman is expected to step into Wagler's role as a ball-handler, but there could be multiple guys on-ball this season for Illinois, making them a complex team to try and defend.
Getting stronger with help on the defensive end of the court, keeping teams out of the paint and forcing longer shots, will typically result in longer rebounds for guys like Mirkovic and Ivisic to easily go up and get.
It is hard to find a weakness in this team, which is probably why they have the fourth-best odds to win it all, but now they have to put their money where their mouth is. Illinois has to come out and compete from the start, especially with a tough non-conference schedule, but heading into the gauntlet of the Big Ten.
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