Will Texas Make the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament?

Kentucky's Mouhamed Dioubate, left, pressure Texas' Dailyn Swain (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026.
(AP Photo/James Crisp)
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Texas has strung together several late-season wins and is now expected to make the NCAA Tournament.

Texas NCAA Tournament Resume

Texas March Madness: Last Season

Texas lost to Xavier in the First Four in Dayton last season. 

Texas In the Final Four

It’s been almost 25 years since Rick Barnes took the Longhorns in 2003. Since then, Texas’ basketball odds have often been good but never great.

With Texas floating on the bubble, inexperienced bettors may think this is the wrong time to bet the Longhorns in the Final Four odds market. 

Ultimately, that may be the wrong way to think about betting for value. Given how often at-large teams make the Final Four, a Texas bet at a big fat number could be quite valuable in March – assuming the Longhorns end up on the right side of the bubble. 

Given the strength of the SEC and the committee’s increasing affection for big brands, it feels like Texas will be given the benefit of the doubt. (At 18-16, that seemed to be the case last year.)

Texas @ +8000

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About the Author Read More @chaseakiddy

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.