The 2026-27 college basketball season is less than three months away, and the Florida Gators have joined the Duke Blue Devils as NCAA championship co-favorites at plus-600, according to FanDuel.
ESPN’s preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams are set to face off as part of the 2026 SEC-ACC Challenge for the second consecutive season. Last year’s matchup saw Duke secure a narrow 67-66 victory over Florida; this time, the game will be played in Gainesville at the O’Connell Center on Dec. 1.
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Florida did not open the offseason as a favorite to win the NCAA Tournament, as many had anticipated that at least part of their core frontcourt would forgo college eligibility and enter the 2026 NBA Draft. With Florida retaining Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu, the Gators should certainly be among the title favorites and the top 25 polls as they are released in the coming months.
Among Power Four programs, Florida returns the highest percentage of minutes played at 78.9%, further cementing the team’s stability. Following the recent injunction, the Gators should also have Denzel Aberdeen — who was a part of the national championship team in 2025 before transferring to Kentucky — back with the program.
Though the SEC-ACC Challenge will be a major test for the Gators, they will still have key matchups before they meet Duke, starting with the Miami Hurricanes, against whom they tip off the season in Tampa on Nov. 2.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida joins Duke atop 2027 NCAA championship odds
