CBS Sports college basketball analysts have released their early predictions for the 2027 NCAA Tournament, with Duke and Florida emerging as the consensus favorites to win the national championship. Five experts participated, and their picks were heavily concentrated on those two programs: three selected Duke to cut down the nets, while two chose Florida.
Expert champion picks
Matt Norlander, Cameron Salerno, and Isaac Trotter each tabbed Duke as the 2027 champion, citing the Blue Devils' deep roster, returning production, and the presence of projected 2028 No. 1 draft pick Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. Gary Parrish and David Cobb picked Florida, noting the Gators return six of their top seven scorers from a team that won the SEC by three games and earned a No. 1 seed in 2026.
Bold predictions for the season
The panel also offered several bold forecasts. Parrish declared that no mid-major program will reach the Final Four for the next decade, arguing the resource gap has become too wide. Norlander projected Arizona freshman Caleb Holt to win Freshman of the Year over highly touted peers like Kansas' Tyran Stokes. Cobb predicted that an SEC team with a barely .500 conference record will make the expanded 76-team NCAA field because the league's strength of schedule will soften the penalty for losses. Salerno forecast that Duke's Boumtje Boumtje will capture National Player of the Year honors as a 17-year-old freshman. Trotter highlighted St. John's veteran backcourt of Quinn Ellis, Ian Jackson, and Tounde Yessoufou as a unit that could carry the Johnnies to the Final Four.
Final Four projections and sleepers
The experts' Final Four picks included a mix of traditional powers and potential surprises. Duke, Florida, Texas Tech, UConn, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Arkansas, and Miami all appeared in at least one projection. Additionally, the writers identified several unranked teams they believe could reach the Sweet 16, including Purdue, Ohio State, Marquette, Missouri, and Iowa.
The 2026-27 season will be the first with a 76-team tournament bracket, a change that several analysts say will alter bubble dynamics and increase opportunities for power-conference teams with sub-.500 league records.
