March Madness Odds, Bracket Predictions & Favorites 2024
March Madness Odds 2024. Get all the latest betting odds, favorites and bracket predictions for the NCAA men's basketball National Championship Tournament.
With the 2023-24 college basketball season underway, it’s time to take a look at the available March Madness odds. Not only will we list out the current odds to win March Madness, but we also have March Madness predictions and odds to make the March Madness Final Four.
It may be the hardest champion to predict in all of sports, but we still gave it our shot. But let’s not waste any more time; let's jump right into the NCAA March Madness odds, March Madness favorites, odds to make the March Madness Final Four and more.
📈 March Madness Odds & Futures for 2024
The latest odds to win March Madness at a few of the best sportsbooks in the USA can be seen below. It should be noted that March Madness betting odds will vary across sportsbooks, but these are the consensus odds for the 10 teams with the shortest odds entering the season:
| Team 🏀 | Current Odds | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|
Connecticut Huskies | +360 | +1300 |
Houston Cougars | +550 | +1500 |
+700 | +950 | |
Arizona Wildcats | +1200 | +1200 |
+1300 | +2200 | |
+1600 | +2600 | |
Auburn Tigers | +1700 | +4000 |
Iowa State Cyclones | +2000 | +5000 |
+2200 | +1400 | |
Baylor Bears | +3000 | +4000 |
💸 Betting on March Madness 2024
Because, as we just mentioned, March Madness bracket odds will vary across sportsbooks, it’s wise to have an account at multiple platforms to best take advantage of March Madness odds.
The best sportsbooks also offer unique welcome bonuses to new users, so be sure to check them out below before exploring each sportsbook’s odds to win March Madness.
⭐ March Madness Favorites for 2024
Using the table of best odds to win March Madness above, we’ll detail four of the top five March Madness contenders below. Again, at other sportsbooks, the list of March Madness favorites may look different.
*EDITORS NOTE* - The March Madness predictions below were written entering the 2023-24 NCABB Regular Season, but the odds have been updated to reflect the latest March Madness odds.
Purdue Boilermakers (+700 at FanDuel)
It’s no surprise Purdue leads the pack in terms of March Madness odds. They were pegged as one of the March Madness favorites as soon as last season ended, in large part thanks to big man Zach Edey. The 7’4” reigning National Player of the Year is ready to lead his squad to the Big Dance yet again, although this time, the Boilermakers are expecting to make it past the first round.
Arizona Wildcats (+1200 at DraftKings)
There’s a sizable dropoff regarding March Madness bracket odds for the next of the March Madness favorites on the list, that being Arizona. They were also bounced in the first round last season but look to have the capability to make a deep run for the 2024 edition. They have a great blend of young and veteran talent and might just be the deepest, most balanced team in all the country.
Marquette Golden Eagles (+3000 at Caesars)
Just behind Kansas in terms of March Madness contenders is Marquette, whose March Madness odds have already jumped a fair amount since opening. The Golden Eagles have failed to make it past the second round in each of their last four tournament appearances, but Shaka Smart and his squad should be able to do so this season. The trio of Kam Jones, Oso Ighodaro and Tyler Kolek should be lethal all season long.
Kansas Jayhawks (+5000 at BetMGM)
Tied with Marquette pertaining to current odds to win March Madness is Kansas, who are one of the few perennial March Madness favorites. It helps when one of the best big men in all the country transfers in (Hunter Dickinson) to provide leadership and be a go-to scorer for their talented freshmen. The Jayhawks are only one season removed from winning it all, and very well could hoist the trophy at the end of this campaign as well.
🏀 March Madness Predictions for 2024
Of the March Madness contenders this season, at least regarding March Madness Final Four odds, there are a few teams that stick out more than others. But, only four can make it, so our March Madness bracket predictions pertaining to the Final Four like Purdue, Creighton, Michigan State and Texas A&M’s chances. These teams are scattered throughout the listed odds to make the March Madness Final Four, so our March Madness predictions aren’t just riding with the March Madness favorites.
As far as March Madness bracket predictions surrounding the actual winner of the tournament, we like the Creighton Blue Jays (+3000 at Bet365) to win their first-ever title. They were oh-so-close to reaching the Final Four last year and bring back a ton of high-end talent in Ryan Kalkbrenner, Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander. They also get sharpshooter Steven Ashworth from Utah State to help fill the void of losing Ryan Nembhard. All in all, regarding the March Madness odds, our March Madness predictions will side with the Blue Jays.
🔭 March Madness Picks: Longshot Candidates to Watch
Just as there is every season, there surely will be some teams that aren’t regarded as March Madness favorites at the beginning of the season, but then defy the March Madness betting odds when tournament time comes around. We’ve identified a specific darkhorse for this season that doesn’t appear until way further down the list of current odds to win March Madness: Texas Tech (+8000 at BetRivers).
Texas Tech has a new head coach in Grant McCasland who prides his teams on defense. Historically, the Red Raiders have consistently been amongst the best defensive teams in the country, so this truly is a perfect fit. Granted, they could see some struggles on the other end of the court, but in March, defense is what wins. It’s a longshot for a reason, but we’ll still lay our darkhorse March Madness bracket predictions on TTU.
📖 March Madness Betting Strategies
Your eyes might get real wide when first taking a glance at the best odds to win March Madness, spotting a team you believe has insane value. However, it’s worth mentioning that you might want to do the proper research before placing a bet on any March Madness odds. Whether that’s how the team typically performs in a tournament setting, how injury prone they are or anything else.
Of course, it also makes sense to shop around for the best odds, like we touched on briefly earlier. You can guarantee you’re maximizing your potential profit when doing so. Plus, there are a ton of different sportsbook promo codes that you could claim and use in conjunction with any of the available current odds to win March Madness. The list of strategies goes on and on, just be sure you’re 100% certain that you want to place your bet before doing so.
🔍 March Madness Trends & Statistics
- Experienced coaches tend to thrive in March Madness
- Only three Final Four teams since 2012 have ranked 41st or worse in adjusted defensive efficiency that season
- No. 12 vs. No. 5 seed first round matchup is nearly a toss up per the numbers
- Only two no. 1 seeds have lost in the first round in the history of March Madness
Schools With Most March Madness Championships
- UCLA - 11
- Kentucky - 8
- North Carolina - 6
- Duke - 5
- UConn - 5
- Indiana - 5
- Kansas 4
- Villanova - 3
- Louisville - 2
- Cincinnati - 2
- Florida - 2
- Michigan State - 2
- NC State - 2
- Oklahoma State - 2
- San Francisco - 2
📜 Past 10 March Madness Winners
| Year | Team | Seeding | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
2023 | UConn | 4 Seed | San Diego State |
2022 | Kansas | 1 Seed | North Carolina |
2021 | Baylor | 1 Seed | Gonzaga |
2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2019 | Virginia | 1 Seed | Texas Tech |
2018 | Villanova | 1 Seed | Michigan |
2017 | North Carolina | 1 Seed | Gonzaga |
2016 | Villanova | 2 Seed | North Carolina |
2015 | Duke | 1 Seed | Wisconsin |
2014 | UConn | 7 Seed | Kentucky |
The table above gives a good indication that the 2024 March Madness odds should probably favor a no. 1 seed once the brackets are released. After all, the top-line seeds have won six national championships since 2015.
🧐 What Happened in Last Year’s March Madness?
We’ve been discussing the odds to win March Madness for this season, but how did the tournament go down last time out? It got started off with a bang, as no. 16 seed Farleigh Dickinson knocked off a no. 1 seed for just the second time ever, defeating Purdue. There were plenty of more upsets along the way, but none more notable than that.
Last year’s tournament was rather unique in the fact that not a single no. 1 seed reached the Elite Eight. The Final Four consisted of no. 9 seed Florida Atlantic, no. 5 seeds San Diego State and Miami (FL) along with no. 4 seed and eventual champions UConn. Unfortunately, the National Championship game wasn’t all that close, being decided by 17 points.
🔢 How Do Sportsbooks Calculate March Madness Betting Odds?
March Madness odds are calculated just like the odds for any other sport or event. Each book sets their own odds and tries to carry the most competitive prices on the market. But with Division I basketball, their jobs are even tougher. There are so many teams involved that we see countless games with lines that appear faulty year in and year out. Because of this, March Madness betting odds are one of the best features to take advantage of when it comes to sports betting.
🔢 How to Read March Madness Betting Odds
You may see March Madness odds for a particular matchup look something like this:
- UConn Huskies -7.5 (-110) vs. San Diego State Aztecs +7.5 (-110)
This means UConn is the favored team due to the ‘-’ next to their spread, whereas SDSU is the underdog because of the ‘+’. In this case, UConn would need to win by at least eight points for a spread bet to be successful on them, while the Aztecs could win outright or lose by seven or less. On both sides, it would require $11 to profit $10.
🏀 March Madness Bracket Odds
Why are NCAA March Madness odds and the tournament itself so popular? It’s because of the unique format. No other sport in America does it like college basketball, with a tournament format filled with 64+ teams. For the bracket itself, the number of total possible outcomes is an astronomical 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 – yes, 9.2 quintillion.
So, the odds of filling one out completely correctly are one in 9.2 quintillion. Instead, you probably have a better chance of winning when betting on each game or matchup individually. You’ll probably even have better luck at NCAAB futures than filling out a bracket 100%.
📍 Where Can I Bet on March Madness?
Just to be clear, you don’t have to necessarily live in a state where betting is legal in order to bet on March Madness odds. However, when actually placing a bet, you must be physically located in a legal betting state. The states below all offer some from of online legal sports betting:
- Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming
❓ FAQs
❓ Do March Madness Odds Change Throughout the Season?
Yes, NCAA March Madness odds undoubtedly change during the course of the season. You’ll want to check back in regularly just in case you spot something you like!
❓ Do March Madness Odds Vary Across Different Sportsbooks?
Yes, the best odds to win March Madness along with March Madness Final Four odds will absolutely vary across different sportsbooks. This is the main reason why it’s essential to have an account on multiple platforms.
❓ How Accurate Have Past March Madness Odds Been in Predicting the Winner?
Because no. 1 seeds are typically the winners of the NCAA Tournament, March Madness bracket odds in the past have actually been somewhat accurate, as no. 1 seeds typically offer the shortest March Madness odds.
Who is the Favorite to Win March Madness 2024?
Purdue is the current favorite according to FanDuel Sportsbook's odds to win the 2024 tournament.
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