After a historic stretch, expectations have never been higher for Tennessee basketball. Rick Barnes has led the Vols to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances — marking the second and third time the program has reached that point of the NCAA Tournament. Now, with a retooled roster, he’s looking to crack into the Final Four.
If Barnes can make history and reach the program’s first appearance in the Final Four, he’ll be just two wins away from winning his first national championship, as well. Just weeks ahead of the 2025-26 season, FanDuel has odds listed for the eventual winner of the title. The Vols sit at +3000, good for a tie with Alabama for the 15th-best odds in the country.
The betting favorite to win the national title is Purdue at +900. Then, it’s Houston (who the Vols will play this year), Duke (who UT will meet in an exhibition on Sunday), UConn and Florida (who Tennessee will play in its SEC schedule), rounding out the top five.
The rest of the way until the Vols’ mark feature Kentucky, Michigan, St. John’s, Louisville, Texas Tech, BYU, Arkansas, UCLA and Kansas.
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To win the SEC, Tennessee is given +900 odds. This is the fifth-best in the conference. The favorite is defending national and SEC Tournament title winner Florida, followed by Kentucky, Arkansas and Alabama.
The Vols are projected to be led by two newcomers. True freshman Nate Ament is on track to be a one-and-done talent that could be one of the first players selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. His odds to win the Wooden Award, handed to the top player in the country, are set at +5000. That’s tied for the 13th-best odds.
Belmont and Maryland transfer point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie is also already turning heads. While he’s a very different player than Zakai Zeigler, he’s being asked to fill the shoes of one of the greatest players in program history. So far, he’s looked up to the task behind his lights-out shooting. His Wooden Award odds are at +5000, tying him with Ament for 13th.
UT will begin the regular season on Nov. 3 when hosting Mercer. However, you can get your first look at the team on Sunday, Oct. 26, in an exhibition against Duke in Knoxville.
