B/R Expert Picks for the 2026 Men's NCAA Championship Game

The 2026 men's NCAA tournament began with 68 teams battling for a national championship, and now the Connecticut Huskies and Michigan Wolverines are the final two teams left standing.

Coming off an emotional rally against Duke in the Elite Eight, the Huskies were on the other end of a second-half comeback on Saturday as they tried to protect a 14-point lead. The defense was the story, shutting down a high-powered Illinois offense that came in averaging 83.8 points in a 71-62 final.

The late game was all Wolverines in an utterly dominant performance from start to finish, with center Aday Mara scoring a career-high 26 points and point guard Elliot Cadeau (13 points, 10 assists) logging a double-double. After a 32-point blowout against Tennessee in the Elite Eight, Michigan cruised to a 91-73 win to send the Wildcats packing.

With the matchup set, it's time for one final round of picks from the Bleacher Report college basketball team of David Kenyon, Kerry Miller and Joel Reuter on who will hoist the trophy.

Viewing and betting details for the national championship game, along with a look back at how Connecticut and Michigan got this far, provide a full preview of Monday's game.

Game Information

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Date: Monday, April 6th

Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Time: 8:50 p.m. ET

TV: TBS, TNT, truTV

Spread: Michigan (-7.5) via FanDuel

Moneyline: Michigan (-330), UConn (+260)

Total: o/u 145.5

How the Connecticut Huskies Got Here

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Tarris Reed Jr.

After winning back-to-back national championships, the UConn Huskies took a step backward during the 2024-25 season, finishing 24-11 and falling to No. 1 seed Florida in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

They returned Alex Karaban, Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr., who were joined by the No. 11 recruiting class in the nation headlined by 5-star Braylon Mullins and Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr. That roster ranked No. 4 in the AP poll to begin the 2025-26 season.

A four-point loss to Arizona on Nov. 19 was the only blip on their resume during a 22-1 start to the year. A bad loss to Marquette in the regular-season finale and a 20-point loss to St. John's in the Big East championship knocked them down to the 2-seed line, but they are once again on the doorstep of a title.

Here is a look back at their path to the national championship game:

First Round: (2) UConn 82, (15) Furman 71
Second Round: (2) UConn 73, (7) UCLA 57
Sweet 16: (2) UConn 67, (3) Michigan State 63
Elite Eight: (2) UConn 73, (1) Duke 72
Final Four: (2) UConn 71, (3) Illinois 62

Tarris Reed Jr. is averaging 20.8 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in the NCAA tournament and controlling the game on the inside, while Braylon Mullins followed up his dramatic game-winner against Duke with another dagger three down the stretch on Saturday.

However, the driving force has been the Huskies defense. They are allowing just 65 points per game, and held an Illinois squad that had the nation's No. 1 offense below 65 points for just the second time all year. The first also came against UConn back in November.

With a win, head coach Dan Hurley would become just the seventh coach in NCAA tournament history with three national championships.

How Michigan Wolverines Got Here

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The Michigan Wolverines reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 5 seed in the 2025 NCAA tournament, snapping a two-year drought in their first season under head coach Dusty May after he was hired from Florida Atlantic.

After losing Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin to the NBA, the Wolverines turned to the transfer portal to restock the roster. They added eventual Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), Aday Mara (UCLA), Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois) and Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina), and they combined for 105.7 minutes per game.

Losses to Wisconsin and Duke were the only blemishes during a 29-2 regular season. They fell to Purdue in the Big Ten championship game, but still claimed the third No. 1 seed.

Here is a look back at their path to the national championship game:

First Round: (1) Michigan 101, (16) Howard 80
Second Round: (1) Michigan 95, (9) Saint Louis 72
Sweet 16: (1) Michigan 90, (4) Alabama 77
Elite Eight: (1) Michigan 95, (6) Tennessee 62
Final Four: (1) Michigan 91, (1) Arizona 73

With All-American Yaxel Lendeborg slowed by an MCL sprain and ankle injury in the second half, others will need to help shoulder the scoring load, and they have proven time and again to be one of the nation's most complete teams.

The Wolverines have an average margin of victory of 21.6 points in the NCAA tournament, and have not won a game by less than 13 points. They slowed the No. 3 (Alabama) and No. 6 (Arizona) offenses in the country to get to this point, and defense has been their calling card all year.

After coming up short in the title game in 1992, 1993, 2013 and 2018, the Wolverines will look to claim their first national championship since a Glen Rice-led squad won it all in 1989.

Predictions

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The winner of Arizona vs. Michigan on Saturday night was always going to be the heavy favorite in the national championship game on Monday, and after the dominant effort that the Wolverines put together, it's hard to argue.

However, there's something to be said for having the hot hand, and UConn is playing elite basketball right now coming off a game where they completely shut down a high-powered Illinois offense.

The Huskies have leaned heavily on post Tarris Reed Jr. throughout the NCAA tournament, and if his production is negated by Michigan's size inside, the UConn guards will need to step up offensively.

On the other side, Michigan will look to push the pace against a UConn team that ranks No. 319 in KenPom's adjusted tempo. The Huskies are 22-0 when they hold the opposition below 65 points, so a higher scoring game will benefit the Wolverines.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Michigan

Kerry Miller: Michigan

Joel Reuter: Michigan