At “Wanna Bet?” we break down games daily, but always keep an eye on long-term plays worth the wait. Last weekend, we gave you our first batch of futures bets for the coming college basketball season. Now that we’re a few days in and we have some more data, we are back to give you more.
We’ll be giving you our plays on a regular basis here at Hoops HQ throughout the season. We’re not just digging into the numbers on the blue blood matchups that everyone is talking about; because some of the smaller conferences don’t get the same attention, we are able to find advantages there.
But we don’t sleep on the big leagues, either. Early season uncertainty and new rosters can create plenty of soft spots, even in the power conferences. Whether it’s a Big West grinder or an ACC showdown, we’re always looking for the smartest plays on the board.
Here, then, is part two of our futures bets. Happy playing!
Wanna Bet? Here Are Three Futures Plays for the 2025-26 Season
Hoops HQ’s gambling experts went deep into the numbers to serve up some off-the-beaten path futures bets for college basketball
Bethune-Cookman to Win the SWAC (+450) BetMGM
Since taking over at Bethune-Cookman in 2021, Reggie Theus has steadily elevated the program. Each season under his watch has shown clear progress, culminating in a 13-5 record in SWAC play last year, which earned the Wildcats a third-place conference finish. The addition of Doctor Bradley should provide a spark on both ends of the court, while returning core pieces Seneca Willoughby and Daniel Rouzan have shown significant growth under Coach Theus. They also brought in Southern transfer Jordan Johnson, who helped the Jaguars win the SWAC as the team’s second-leading scorer. Other than Southern, we’re skeptical about anyone else in the conference. Jackson State’s surge to second in 2024-25 was impressive, but sustaining that level of play seems unlikely. This feels like a two-team race and we prefer to take our chances on the better price.
Houston Cougars to Win National Championship (+1000) FanDuel
Last year felt like it would certainly be Kelvin Sampson’s first national championship win after the Cougars pulled off the miracle comeback against Duke in the Final Four — then they ran into a Florida team that was riding an insane run by Walter Clayton Jr. This year, Houston brings back a strong core in Joseph Tugler, Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp, along with three top-20 recruits that seem to fit perfectly with what Sampson wants to do. The Big 12 is an extremely diverse conference in terms of play styles, so the Cougars will have a bunch of good tests throughout the regular season to get them ready for the big dance. Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas are solid for a non-conference schedule as well.
Michigan to Win Big Ten (+480) ESPN Bet
Yaxel Lendeborg to Win John Wooden Award (+1000) FanDuel
If Michigan goes on to win the Big Ten, there is a good chance Lendeborg wins the Wooden Award. Lendeborg was awesome at UAB, improving in a big way through two years in Birmingham. It seems that we’ve seen another step forward now as he transfers to Michigan. Dusty May impressed in his first year in Ann Arbor as the Wolverines finished tied for second in the Big Ten and won the conference tournament. Adding Lendeborg and Elliot Cadeau could be the difference for this team.
