Six-time champion UConn heads into Monday night one more win away from claiming the school’s third title in the last four seasons and joining an elite group in the halls of basketball history.
The Huskies are in the National Championship of the NCAA Tournament, facing No. 1 seed Michigan for the right to cut down the nets. UConn and Michigan are set to tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET on TBS and truTV, with the Huskies listed as a 7.5-point underdog.
Below, we’ll dive into why the Huskies can knock off Michigan and win the 2026 National Championship in Indianapolis. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right, including on upsets, spreads, and totals!
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Why UConn Can Win the National Championship
First, let's dive into the payouts for each team to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
UConn vs. Illinois Spread, Over/Under
Michigan enters the National Championship as 7.5-point favorites, returning a 1.29x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
UConn is the underdog with a 3.33x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Michigan Wolverines -7.5 (2x payout)
- Over/Under: 144.5 (1.88 payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: UConn 3.33x | Michigan 1.29x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
UConn Just Wins... and Keeps Winning
March is notoriously UConn's time.
The Huskies won it all as a No. 4 seed in 2023, then came back and did it again the next year to become the first back-to-back champions in the NCAA Tournament since Florida in 2006-07.
After losing in the second round to Florida last year, UConn is back in the championship again this year, winning 18 of its past 19 NCAA Tournament games.
The last team to win three titles in four seasons was the UCLA dynasty, which won 10 from 1965 to 1975. A win would be the school’s seventh national title, something only UCLA (11) and North Carolina (8) have done.
The Huskies have never lost in the title game, boasting a perfect 6-0 record.
The Huskies Level Up in March
It’s one thing to win. UConn has done plenty of that, but they've been a covering machine as well.
During their title run in 2023, UConn beat No. 13 Iona by 24, No. 5 Saint Mary’s by 15, No. 8 Arkansas by 23, and No. 3 Gonzaga by 28. The Huskies then beat Miami by 13 and San Diego State by 17, covering in all six tourney games.
In their defense in 2024, this time as a No. 1 seed, the Huskies beat No. 16 Stetson by 39, No. 9 Northwestern by 17, No. 5 San Diego State by 30, and No. 3 Illinois by 25 to get back to the Round of Four. Once in Glendale, UConn beat Alabama by 14 and Purdue by 15, once again covering in all six games.
Last year, UConn covered vs. No. 9 Oklahoma and took No. 1 Florida to the very end, losing by two. That’s 14 straight covers.
This year, the cover streak ended vs. Furman in the first round, “only” winning by 11. Since then, the program's notched a 16-point win over No. 7 UCLA, a four-point win vs. Michigan State, and wins as an underdog to No. 1 Duke (73-72) and No. 3 Illinois (71-62).
If you're keeping track at home, that's 19 games and 18 wins, with 14 coming by double digits.
The Metrics, While Imperfect, Still Make a Strong Case
The Huskies may not be the No. 1 team in some metrics like Michigan, but they have the No. 8-rated defense per KenPom. Via Bart Torvik, the Huskies have the 11th-best defense in terms of adjusted efficiency.
UConn has held opponents to 65.1 points per game, tops in the Big East and 10th-best in the country. They've limited 12 straight opponents to under 75 points.
Torvik also lists Connecticut as ninth in power rating with a .9563 mark. This has the look of a team that is tremendous on paper and has the championship DNA to match.
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Make UConn vs. Michigan National Championship Picks on PrizePicks
Can UConn knock off Michigan and join North Carolina and UCLA as the only schools with seven national titles? To do so, they have to get by a Michigan team ranked No. 1 by many accounts.
You can make your UConn vs. Michigan 2026 NCAA Tournament National Championship picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money, including on game winners, spreads and over/unders, now available in 35 states!
Keep it right here with the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, news, and analysis.
