The Michigan Wolverines got a whole lot better on Tuesday morning when Yaxel Lendeborg officially opted out of the 2025 NBA Draft and announced he will be playing for Dusty May in Ann Arbor next season. The No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal this offseason will surely raise the floor and ceiling for any team in college basketball, and that is no different for the maize and blue.
In fact, now that Lendeborg will officially suit up for the Wolverines, the team’s betting odds of winning the NCAA Tournament next year have gone way up. According to the betting experts at DraftKings Sportsbook, Michigan has the fourth-best odds (+1,500) to win the national championship in 2025-26.
The only teams ahead:
- Houston (+1,000)
- Purdue (+1,000)
- Duke (+1,100)
The Wolverines have a nice blend of veteran leadership and young up-and-coming talent on next season’s squad. UNC point guard Elliot Cadeau, Illinois C Morez Johnson Jr. and UCLA C Aday Mara all transferred to Michigan this offseason and are expected to play a major role next season. Forward Will Tschetter, and guards Roddy Gayle Jr. and Nimari Burnett all opted to return for one more season. Finally, a four-man freshman class — led by local five-star guard/wing Trey McKenney — will also look to contribute right away.
Yes, losing a future first-round NBA pick in Danny Wolf — along with Vlad Goldin and Rubin Jones — hurts the Wolverines. But May and his staff reloaded as well as they could have. With Lendeborg officially onboard, the ceiling of this team is limitless. Betting odds aren’t out for individual conferences, but it wouldn’t surprise to see Michigan at either No. 1 or No. 2, depending on where the betting experts put the Boilermakers (likely ahead considering they were just ahead of Michigan in the national odds).
What do you think of the team’s chances of winning it all next season now that Lendeborg is officially coming back to college? Do you think the betting odds are justified? Let us know what you think down in the comments below.
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