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Odds to Win March Madness 2024: NCAA Men’s Tournament Futures Tracker
Updated March 31, 2024 | Author: Sascha Paruk
- Track the odds to win the NCAA Tournament throughout the 2023-24 college basketball season
- UConn is the favorite to win the March Madness tournament
- View the odds to win 2024 March Madness for all teams remaining
We have been tracking the odds to win March Madness from the time they opened, which was right after last year’s championship, and will continue collecting and displaying the odds to win the NCAA Tournament right through to the National Championship. The 2024 March Madness tournament began with the “First Four” on Tuesday, March 19 in Dayton, Ohio. The first round followed on Thursday, March 21, and Friday, March 22, at eight regional sites across the country. The Final Four will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, with the title game on Monday, April 8.
The graphs below show the odds to win the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. You can look back to as early as May 7, 2023 as well as see the most recent odds to win the tournament in the table under the graph.
Jump to: ACC Teams / Big 12 Teams / Big East Teams / Big Ten Teams / Pac-12 Teams / SEC Teams / Mid-Majors
Also on this page: March Madness Betting Options / March Madness FAQs
2024 March Madness Odds
UConn became the NCAA Tournament favorite in the middle of February while they were on a 14-game winning streak, with the 14th win being a blowout over a very good Marquette team. Though the Huskies lost their next game (badly) to Creighton, they remained the favorites.
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It is worth noting that UConn also opened the season as the favorite, but we have seen Kansas and Purdue listed as the favorites during different parts of the season – Kansas’ run was very early in the season, while Purdue really gained momentum in December/January.
2024 NCAA Tournament Favorites
UConn is currently the favorite to win the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Connecticut is given +100 odds, which means their probability to win the College Basketball National Championship is 50%. If you placed a $20 bet on the Huskies, you would stand to win $20 and return $40.
After UConn, we have Purdue (+350), Tennessee (+750), and Duke (+800) rounding out the top five in the odds to win the March Madness tournament.
NCAA Men’s National Championship odds above are updated every 15-60 minutes from top online sportsbooks.
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March Madness Odds Movement Timeline
- March 29: On the first day of the Sweet 16, we saw two of the top five contenders get sent home. Arizona, who had the fourth-best odds to win the National Championship, and North Carolina, who had the fifth-best, were both upset. We also saw yet another dominant victory by UConn, this time over San Diego State, which moved the Huskies’ championship odds near even-money. The second day of the Sweet 16 saw another 1-seed fall, as Houston was upset by Duke after their leader Jamal Shead left very early with an ankle injury and did not return. Houston had the second-best odds to win the tournament before being eliminated. Purdue now enters the Elite 8 with the second-best odds behind UConn. Marquette, who had the fifth-best odds to win March Madness, was also upset.
- March 25: The only real upset of the second round came in Clemson beating Baylor. The Bears had the 12th-best odds to win the national championship entering the second-round. Clemson was near the bottom of the odds entering the Round of 32 and they didn’t change sportsbooks’ minds with their win on Sunday. The Tigers have the second-worst odds to win March Madness.
- March 23: All the #1 seeds managed to survive the first-round of the tournament this year, but two of the top nine contenders in odds to win March Madness were sent home early. Both Kentucky and Auburn, who were a very trendy pick to win the tournament, were upset in the first round.
- March 17: UConn enters the NCAA Men’s Tournament as the #1 overall seed and the favorites to win the tournament. Their odds got slightly better after the bracket was revealed. Iowa State, who got a #2 seed after winning the Big 12 championship, and Auburn, who got a #4 seed after winning the SEC championship, both saw their odds to win March Madness notably improve after Selection Sunday.
- February 27: Iowa State, whose odds to win March Madness were once as long as +9000, has entered the top ten contenders. Big wins over Houston, TCU, and Kansas, as well as close losses to Baylor and Houston since the calendar turned to 2024 has resulted in the Cyclones’ odds to win the tournament improving dramatically.
- February 15: UConn has taken over as the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament
- Jan. 22, 2024: A packed group at the top is now led by Purdue (+821), Houston (+1043), Arizona (+1057), and UConn (+1086).
- Nov. 21, 2023: Tennessee, which opened at +4000, has improved to +1857 during their 4-0 start, eighth-best in the nation.
- Nov. 14, 2023: The Jayhawks remain the NCAA Tournament betting favorite early in the season, with Purdue moving up to second after Duke suffered a home loss to Arizona.
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March Madness has become one of the busiest times of the year for sportsbooks. With online sports betting legalized in nearly half of the United States already, and North Carolina sports betting apps just becoming available this month, the 2024 NCAA Tournament is going to be the most-heavily-bet March Madness tournament in history. The sportsbooks listed above are offering the biggest sign-up bonuses in the country at the moment.
But note that not all are available in the same subset of states. Visit the following pages to see where they are operational:
- See where BetMGM is available
- See where Caesars Sportsbook is available
- See where DraftKings Sportsbook is available
- See where FanDuel Sportsbook is available
ACC Teams
The ACC was very top heavy this season with North Carolina and Duke being neck-and-neck. UNC was given the better odds to win the NCAA Tournament but the fifth-best odds meant nothing, as they were sent home in the Sweet 16. Duke is hovering around the top seven in odds to win March Madness, after we saw Kentucky and Auburn sent home early. No other ACC teams are seen as real contenders when looking at the futures odds, in spite of NC State also still being alive.
| ACC Team | National Championships | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| UNC | 6 | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
| Duke | 5 | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
| Louisville | 3 | 1980, 1986, 2013 |
| NC State | 2 | 1974, 1983 |
| Syracuse | 1 | 2003 |
| Virginia | 1 | 2019 |
| Boston College | 0 | N/A |
| Clemson | 0 | N/A |
| Florida State | 0 | N/A |
| Georgia Tech | 0 | N/A |
| Miami | 0 | N/A |
| Notre Dame | 0 | N/A |
| Pittsburgh | 0 | N/A |
| Virginia Tech | 0 | N/A |
| Wake Forest | 0 | N/A |
Big 12 Teams
Houston is representing the Big 12 well in their first season since joining the conference. The Cougars entered the NCAA Tournament as a #1 seed and currently have the second-best odds to win March Madness.
Iowa State also found themselves in the top six for odds to win the tournament, while Baylor and Kansas were among the top 20 contenders entering March Madness. All three have been eliminated now, though.
| Big 12 Team | National Championships | Year(s) | Final Fours (Most Recent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 4 | 1952, 1988, 2008, 2022 | 15 (2022) |
| Cincinnati | 2 | 1961, 1962 | 6 (1992) |
| Oklahoma State | 2 | 1945, 1946 | 6 (2004) |
| Baylor | 1 | 2021 | 3 (2021) |
| Houston | 0 | N/A | 6 (2021) |
| Oklahoma | 0 | N/A | 5 (2016) |
| Kansas State | 0 | N/A | 4 (1964) |
| Texas | 0 | N/A | 3 (2003) |
| West Virginia | 0 | N/A | 2 (2010) |
| Iowa State | 0 | N/A | 1 (1944) |
| Texas Tech | 0 | N/A | 1 (2019) |
| UCF | 0 | N/A | 1 (1978) |
| TCU | 0 | N/A | N/A |
| BYU | 0 | N/A | N/A |
Big East Teams
The Big East possesses the favorite to win the March Madness tournament this year in UConn. The Huskies entered the tournament as the top #1 seed and every sportsbook gives the Huskies the best odds to win March Madness. Fellow Big East schools Marquette and Creighton are also still alive.
| Big East Team | National Championships | Best NCAA Tournament Finish (Year) |
|---|---|---|
| UConn | 5 | Champion (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023) |
| Villanova | 3 | Champion (1985, 2016, 2018) |
| Georgetown | 1 | Champion (1984) |
| Marquette | 1 | Champion (1977) |
| Butler | 0 | Runner-up (2010, 2011) |
| Seton Hall | 0 | Runner-up (1989) |
| St. John’s | 0 | Runner-up (1952) |
| DePaul | 0 | Final Four (1943, 1979) |
| Providence | 0 | Final Four (1973, 1987) |
| Creighton | 0 | Elite Eight (1941) |
| Xavier | 0 | Elite Eight (2004, 2008, 2017) |
Big Ten Teams
Though Purdue became just the second #1 seed to lose to a #16 seed in last year’s tournament, the Boilermakers are back among the top contenders to win this year’s NCAA Tournament. Purdue has remained among the teams with the best odds to win March Madness and currently have the third-best odds to be crowned National Champions.
The Big Ten may not have as much representation as usual when looking at the odds to win the NCAA Tournament, but Illinois has advanced to the Elite 8 now.
| Big Ten Teams | National Championships | Best NCAA Tournament Finish (Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 5 | Champion (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987) |
| Michigan State | 2 | Champion (1979, 2000) |
| Maryland | 1 | Champion (2002) |
| Michigan | 1 | Champion (1989) |
| Ohio State | 1 | Champion (1960) |
| Wisconsin | 1 | Champion (1941) |
| Illinois | 0 | Runner-up (2005) |
| Iowa | 0 | Runner-up (1956) |
| Purdue | 0 | Runner-up (1969) |
| Minnesota | 0 | Final Four (1997) |
| Penn State | 0 | Final Four (1954) |
| Rutgers | 0 | Final Four (1976) |
| Northwestern | 0 | Round of 32 (2017) |
| Nebraska | 0 | Round of 64 (0-7 all-time tournament record) |
Pac-12 Teams
Arizona was the only Pac-12 team among the top five in odds to win March Madness, but they were upset by Clemson in the Sweet 16. As of the AP’s March 11 update, Washington State ranked among the top 25 teams in the country but sportsbooks weren’t giving them a real chance to win the NCAA Tournament. Their odds were longer than 100-1 before being knocked out.
| PAC-12 Team | National Championships | Best NCAA Tournament Finish (Year) |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 11 | Champion (1964, 1965, 1967-73, 1975, 1995) |
| Arizona | 1 | Champion (1997) |
| California | 1 | Champion (1959) |
| Oregon | 1 | Champion (1939) |
| Stanford | 1 | Champion (1942) |
| Utah | 1 | Champion (1944) |
| Washington State | 0 | Runner-up (1941) |
| Colorado | 0 | Final Four (1942, 1955) |
| Oregon State | 0 | Final Four (1949, 1963) |
| USC | 0 | Final Four (1940, 1954) |
| Washington | 0 | Final Four (1953) |
| Arizona State | 0 | Elite Eight (1961, 1963, 1975) |
SEC Teams
The SEC had three teams in the top eight contenders to win the March Madness tournament as it tipped off. However, only Tennessee remains of those three, as both Kentucky and Auburn were sent home in the first round.
| SEC Team | National Championships | Best NCAA Tournament Finish (Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 8 | Champion (1948-49, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012) |
| Florida | 2 | Champion (2006-07) |
| Arkansas | 1 | Champion (1994) |
| Auburn | 0 | Final Four (2019) |
| Georgia | 0 | Final Four (1983) |
| LSU | 0 | Final Four (1953, 1981, 1986, 2006) |
| Mississippi State | 0 | Final Four (1996) |
| South Carolina | 0 | Final Four (2017) |
| Alabama | 0 | Elite Eight (2004) |
| Missouri | 0 | Elite Eight (1944, 1976, 1994, 2002, 2009) |
| Tennessee | 0 | Elite Eight (2010) |
| Vanderbilt | 0 | Elite Eight (1965) |
| Ole Miss | 0 | Sweet 16 (2001) |
| Texas A&M | 0 | Sweet 16 (1951, 1969, 1980, 2007, 2016, 2018) |
Top Mid-Majors
With Gonzaga not having the dominant roster they typically have over the last half-decade, and Houston moving from The American to the Big 12, there were no mid-majors among the top contenders when it comes to odds to win the NCAA Tournament. The Mountain West Conference, who sent an all-time high six teams to the tournament, was quite disappointing in the first round, as they went just 2-3 (Boise State lost in the First Four).
However, Gonzaga is still alive in the Sweet 16.
March Madness Betting Options
While this page tracks the odds to win the NCAA Tournament title – also called an “outright” betting market – there are myriad other ways for bettors to wager on the NCAA Tournament. The subsections below explore how to bet on March Madness in more detail.
March Madness Futures: Sweet 16 & Final Four Odds
Once the bracket is set, sportsbooks will release a number of other March Madness futures betting options. These include betting on teams to reach the Sweet 16, Final Four odds, as well as odds to win the whole March Madness tournament. The payout is obviously lower with Sweet 16 and Final Four futures versus correctly picking the tournament winner, but the chances of winning these wagers is of course better than picking the tournament’s champion.
However, betting on teams to reach the Sweet 16 can be quite lucrative if you have the right 12/13/14 seed who makes their improbable run through the first two rounds.
There is no single correct March Madness betting strategy; with the amount of roster (and even coaching) turnover in college basketball, each season has to be approached anew.
Moneyline
As with regular-season games, each game in the NCAA Tournament can be wagered on individually. The most straightforward way to bet on a March Madness game is to bet the moneyline. This means betting on a team to win the game straight-up. If they advance to the next round, you win your bet.
Point Spreads
You can also bet each game against the spread, meaning betting on either the favorite to win by more than a set number of points or the underdog to not lose by that same number of points. Betting against the spread will be more common for lopsided games, for example, if Gonzaga is a 35.5-point favorite against its first-round opponent, sportsbooks may not even post a moneyline.
Totals
Each March Madness game can also be bet over or under the game total. Sportsbooks will set a game total for each game in the tournament and they will be wildly different depending on which teams are playing. You could see totals anywhere from about 115.5 to 174.5. Teams that play at a slower tempo (think Virginia and Texas) tend to score fewer points (because there are fewer possessions over the course of the game) and vice versa for teams that play quickly (think Gonzaga and Alabama).
NCAA Tournament Game Odds
When the 2024 March Madness tournament begins (on March 21), bettors will be able to find all the college basketball odds on SBD along with game previews and picks for each of the 63 games in the tournament proper.
Note that the odds for first-round games will come out on Selection Sunday (March 17) which means there will be nearly four full days of betting before tip-off. Monitor the college basketball public betting trends to see which teams are being most-heavily backed and how the lines are moving.
SBD’s editorial staff will release its annual expert brackets after Selection Sunday as well.
Best NCAAB Sports Betting Promos
Once you understand the types of wagers that can be made on the NCAA Tournament, it is a good idea to check out the March Madness bonuses available from the country’s top sportsbooks. Follow the links below to see the available sports-betting promo codes and bonus offers available at each sportsbook. (You will also find a list of which states those sportsbooks are operating in.)
- Caesars Sportsbook promos
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March Madness FAQs
When is Selection Sunday?
This year, Selection Sunday is March 17, 2024.
When does March Madness start?
The First Four, which reduces the field from 68 to 64 teams, take place on March 19 and 20. The first round (a.k.a. the round of 64) takes place on March 20 and 21, 2024.
What is the difference between March Madness point spreads and moneylines?
March Madness moneylines are the odds to win the game. March Madness spreads attempt to even the two teams by placing a handicap on one. With bets against the spread, the favorite has to win by a certain number for wagers to cash, while underdogs can still win against the spread as long as they don't lose the game by more than a certain number of points.
What is a March Madness futures bet?
If you make a March Madness futures bet on a team, you are wagering on them to reach a certain stage of the tournament - more than just one game. The most-common March Madness futures bet is wagering on a team to win the national championship. But bettors can also wager on teams to e.g. reach the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and/or Final Four.
Can I bet on individual games in the March Madness tournament?
Yes, though which teams you can bet on depends on the state in which you live. Some states (like New Jersey) do not allow residents to bet on in-state schools at all. Others (like Massachusetts) only allow residents to be on in-state schools' futures (not single games). While some (like Colorado and Ohio) do permit single-game betting on in-state schools. Everyone who lives in a legal sports-betting state can wager on single games for out-of-state teams in March Madness.
Who has won the NCAA Tournament the most?
UCLA has won the most college basketball national championships (11), followed by Kentucky (8), North Carolina (6), UConn (5), Duke (5) and Indiana (5). The only other schools with more than two are Kansas (4) and Villanova (3). Seven more schools have two titles (Cincinnati, Florida, Louisville, Michigan State, NC State, Oklahoma State, and San Francisco).
Who has the best odds to win March Madness?
UConn is currently the favorite to win the 2024 March Madness tournament.
Archived NCAA Tournament Odds: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
