Who will win the NCAA Tournament? Here’s what oddsmakers say as March Madness tips off
As the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off this week, bracket-crazed fans are always curious: Who are the trendy Final Four picks? Who are the sleepers?
This year’s tournament will be quite different than what we’ve seen before. It will take place solely in Indiana, there will be limited attendance, and perennial favorites Duke and Kentucky are noticeably absent after disappointing seasons.
Games will be televised on CBS and Turner Sports’ three networks: TNT, TBS and truTV, and live streaming will be available online at the NCAA’s March Madness Live
Here’s the rest of what you need to know about March Madness. The first four play-in games are scheduled for Thursday, with the Round of 64 games taking place Friday and Saturday.
Odds to win March Madness, according to Covers.com
With an undefeated 26-0 record and the top overall seed in the tournament, it’s no surprise Gonzaga has the best odds in the tournament, according to Covers.com. The other No. 1 seeds — Illinois, Baylor and Michigan — have the next best odds to win the title.
Gonzaga +180 (means a bet of $100 bet will win $180, plus your $100)
Illinois +500
Baylor +600
Michigan +800
Houston +1,600
Alabama +2,000
Iowa +2,000
Texas +2,000
Ohio State +2,500
Oklahoma State +4,000
Kansas +4,000
Texas Tech +4,000
Covers.com reports Illinois as the biggest climber in the odds and Villanova (+10,000) as the school with the furthest fall.
Odds to Advance to the Final Four, according to BetOnline.ag
Gonzaga is the only team according to BetOnline’s odds that gives an implied probability of more than 50% to win its region and advance to the Final Four. The top odds among the No. 2 seeds comes from Houston, which won seven straight games to close its season and win the American Athletic Conference. Here are the odds for the top four seeds of each region.
East Region
Michigan +200
Alabama +350
Texas +600
Florida State +600
Midwest Region
Illinois +150
Houston +240
West Virginia +850
Oklahoma State +850
South Region
Baylor +130
Ohio State +425
Arkansas +750
Purdue +750
Texas Tech, +750
West Region
Gonzaga -220 (means a bet of $220 bet will win $100, plus your $220)
Iowa +425
Kansas +1,200
Virginia +1,200
Prop Bets
Let’s have some fun, shall we? Fans are always on the lookout for upsets, buzzer beaters and all around madness in the tournament. Here’s a look at some of the top prop bets available.
Buzzer-beater shots during the Round of 64, according to Covers.com:
0: -185
1: +225
2: +700
3: +1,200
4: +2,000
Total overtime games in the tournament: Over/Under 4.5, according to Covers.com
Will any team forfeit due to COVID-19, according to BetOnline.ag:
Yes: +140
No: -180
Will a 12 seed beat a 5 seed in the Round of 64, according to BetOnline.ag:
Yes: -400
No: +250
March Madness sleepers, according to Sporting News
There are always going to be a few upsets in the NCAA Tournament, and potentially some teams with lower seeds who will make deep runs.
Led by Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State, a No. 4 seed, is a trendy pick to make a deep run. They have odds of +3,000 to win the title.
“We’re not saying Cunningham is the second coming of Carmelo Anthony, who led third-seeded Syracuse to a national title in 2003, but if there’s anyone in this year’s field who can pull off a similar feat, it would be him,” Sporting News said.
The website also lists Kansas and Wisconsin — each with +4,200 odds — as sleepers.
Round of 64 information, according to CBS Sports
Baylor is a 26-point favorite against No. 16 seed Hartford, which is the largest spread among the Round of 64 games. Two of the No. 1 seeds will await their challenger from Thursday’s First Four play-in games, so there is a chance Gonzaga may eventually dethrone Baylor with the largest spread.
The only lower seed favored to beat the higher seed is No. 10 seed Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights opened as 1-point favorites against Clemson.
This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 3:29 PM.