2026 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP) Odds: Aday Mara Favored But Elliot Cadeau Has Value (April 6)

The 2026 NCAA Tournament will come to an end Monday night with the conclusion of the national championship game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Connecticut Huskies. Michigan is favored, but if you follow college basketball every year, then you know the Huskies can never be counted out when they make it this far.

At the conclusion of the game, along with celebrating the new national champions, the 2026 NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player (MOP) will be announced as well. Hopefully, the NCAA will be better prepared tonight than it was when Lauren Betts was named the MOP of the women’s tournament.

(Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)

Let’s take a look at the odds for the top candidates on betting boards and discuss who could win.

2026 NCAA Tournament Odds: Most Outstanding Player

Here are the odds, according to FanDuel, for several of the top candidates for the 2026 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player:

• Aday Mara (Michigan) +185
• Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) +350
• Tarris Reed Jr. (Connecticut) +450
• Elliot Cadeau (Michigan) +600
• Braylon Mullins (Connecticut) +1000
• Alex Karaban (Connecticut) +1500
• Silas Demary Jr. (Connecticut) +3000
• Trey McKenney (Michigan) +3500

Since Michigan is a heavy favorite, it is not surprising that three of the top four players on the board are Wolverines. But it is worth noting that even if the Wolverines win, Tarris Reed Jr. will not necessarily be out of the running (assuming he plays well tonight). However, it will take incredible effort on his part (if UConn loses) to win the award.

Former Houston star Hakeem Olajuwon was the last of 10 players in NCAA Tournament history to win MOP after playing for the team that lost the national championship game in 1983. He was named the winner because of the exceptional game he had in the semifinals, along with his play in the title game:

• Semifinal vs. Louisville: 21 points, 22 rebounds, and 8 blocks.
• Final vs. NC State: 20 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 blocks.

Typically, when a player performs that well, his team wins and he gets named MOP. But sometimes, this is proof that it takes more than one outstanding player to win a national championship.

Stat Lines From the Final Four for Top MOP Candidates

Since how a player performed in their Final Four game is relevant to winning the MOP, let’s take a look at the stat lines for the players listed above:

• Aday Mara (Michigan): 26 points, 11-16 FG, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
• Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan): 11 points, 3-3 from 3PT range, 3 rebounds, 1 assist (injured early in the game)
• Tarris Reed Jr. (Connecticut): 17 points, 6-12 FG, 11 rebounds
• Elliot Cadeau (Michigan): 13 points, 3-7 from 3PT range, 5 rebounds, 10 assists
• Braylon Mullins (Connecticut): 15 points, 4-7 from 3PT range, 3 rebounds
• Alex Karaban (Connecticut): 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
• Silas Demary Jr. (Connecticut): 7 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists
• Trey McKenney (Michigan): 16 points, 4-6 from 3PT range, 3 rebounds, 1 assist (off the bench)

It is worth pointing out that Yaxel Lendeborg has averaged 19 points per game over the course of the NCAA Tournament, second to only Reed Jr. among players in tonight’s title game. Aday Mara has averaged 16. Elliot Cadeau has averaged only 11 points per game but 8.6 assists per game, second among all tournament players.

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MOP Odds: My Pick(s)

I know the odds are heavily in Michigan’s favor, and that some consider it a fluke that the Huskies are even playing in the title game. But it would be foolish to overlook the Huskies. They were underdogs in 2011, 2014, and in 2023 in the title game, but went home national champions.

No one had a performance in their Final Four game as extraordinary as Olajuwon’s in 1983, so the MOP will likely come from the team that wins the game. But rather than assume one team is going to win, I’m going to make a pick for each team:

Michigan: Elliot Cadeau

Mara is getting a lot of attention, as is Lendeborg despite his injury, but I like Cadeau to win MOP. He doesn’t score as much as either Mara or Lendeborg, but he is the engine that makes Michigan’s ultra-efficient offense go. If he records a double-double (10+ points and 10+ assists), he’ll have an excellent chance. At +600, he is certainly a solid value play.

Connecticut: Tarris Reed Jr.

I hate to go with the guy with the shortest odds (the easy pick). But if UConn is going to win, they will need to keep up on the scoreboard with the Wolverines and go toe-to-toe on the boards with Reed likely leading the way. He is averaging 20.8 points and 13 rebounds a game in the tournament. He will not need to match those numbers, but if he gets close and UConn wins, he'll be the NCAA Tournament MOP award.