Villanova Basketball Bets Surge After Leo XIV’s Election

The election of Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova graduate and the first United States native to hold the papacy, gave the university a boost in international recognition like few other moments — three men’s basketball national championships aside — in its 183 year history.

Naturally, sports bettors were quick to take the elevation of Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, as a sign of divine favor: per a report from Ben Fawkes, Yahoo Sports’ senior sports betting analyst, the 24 hours following Leo’s election saw tickets picking Villanova to win the 2026 men’s basketball national championship to surge. Prior to Prevost’s election, less than one percent of relevant sports bets picked the Wildcats to cut down the nets at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, 2026. A day later, some 22 percent of bets penciled Villanova in as champions.

Per FanDuel, the Wildcats’ odds of winning it all sit at +10000, tied for the 35th-best mark. As dollar volume sways betting odds, rather than the number of bets themselves, that indicates that bettors are tossing small dollar Hail Marys on Villanova at long odds rather than picking them as a legitimate championship threat: perhaps a sensible strategy as the Wildcats’ transformed roster looks to make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.