Updated September 21, 2026
The Big East tournament is one of the most storied events in college basketball. And while the glory days featuring programs like Syracuse and Louisville are behind us, there is still some great basketball to enjoy from Madison Square Garden at this event each March. Here, we look at the college basketball betting markets to win the Big East and break down which teams are true contenders to win the Big East basketball tournament.
Team | Odds |
|---|---|
UConn | +110 |
St. John's | +125 |
Villanova | +800 |
Seton Hall | +2800 |
Creighton | +3300 |
Marquette | +5000 |
Xavier | +10000 |
Georgetown | +10000 |
DePaul | +10000 |
Butler | +10000 |
Providence | +10000 |
Odds current as of March 9, 2026
UConn is a slight favorite to win this year's Big East tournament, but the margin between them and the next team on the list of favorites is razor-thin. St. John's has proved this year that last season was no fluke, as Rick Pitino has them playing some of the best two-way basketball in the country. The Red Storm managed to win this tournament last year at UConn's expense and they will try to do so again in this year's edition.
Looking forward to the Big East tournament, there is a group of about four teams that could cut down the nets at Madison Square Garden. St. John's is playing with a home-court advantage in that event in New York City. UConn is the most complete team in the conference and one of the top contenders to win the national title. Villanova has put things together admirably as the year has gone on. And Seton Hall plays incredible defense and won't make it easy on anyone to beat them.
Beyond those four teams, it is hard to see anyone making a run to win the championship. But it will be interesting to see if teams like Creighton and Marquette can step up to cause some trouble for the top-four teams in the tournament from the quarterfinals on.
The first Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament took place in 1980. Since then, the conference has gone through many changes, with the most notable one coming a few years ago when it was split into the “new” Big East and the AAC. As it stands, the Big East has 11 teams in it that play a regular-season schedule before competing in the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament.
As with the other conference tournaments, the winner of the Big East tournament wins their spot in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball tournament. UConn and Georgetown are tied for the lead with eight conference championships, Villanova has six to put them in third place.
In 2024, the Big East got its latest national championship as a conference, as UConn won the NCAA Tournament. They will look to replicate that result this season, but they will face stern competition from the rest of this league first.
Wins | Big East Team | Last Yr Won |
|---|---|---|
8 | Connecticut | 2024 |
8 | Georgetown | 2021 |
6 | Villanova | 2022 |
5 | Syracuse | 2006 |
4 | St. John's | 2025 |
3 | Seton Hall | 2016 |
3 | Louisville | 2013 |
1 | Marquette | 2023 |
1 | Providence | 2022 |