March Madness Preview: 6 Betting Favorites to Win the 2024 NCAA Tournament
We all know March Madness is right around the corner. In fact, next week, we will see the month of March roll in. The action is never greater in College Basketball than this time of years. Teams are fighting for their tournament lives even before the madness begins. If you have not started your betting to win the NCAA Tournament, now is a great time. You will still get some pretty good odds on teams before the brackets come out. Let’s take a look at six betting favorites we feel could win the 2024 NCAA Tournament:
UConn Huskies +500
The good news for the Connecticut Huskies if they are not going to have to play a true road game in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies road struggles against ranked teams continued in their recent loss to Creighton. Despite that, this team is still likely to be the top seed overall, and out of the Big East, the favorite to win the dance. This is the defending champion as well, so the factor of being there and done that is strong with this squad. The Huskies come into the final weeks of the regular season at 5/1 odds to win it all.
Purdue Boilermakers +750
Look, we have heard it, you have heard it, they have heard it. Yes, Purdue lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament a season ago. Yes, it was as a #1 seed. Yes, they are going to be a #1 seed again this season. Do not count on them losing in the first round again. This is a very talented team, with probably the most dominant player in the country on their squad. Zach Edey is a force inside, and the guard play around him seems to be getting better each game. The Boilermakers look like they will be the champions of the Big Ten. The conference has not had a ton of tournament success as of late, but they are look to shatter the history books with a March Madness run.
Houston Cougars +850
Kelvin Sampson has one of the best teams in all of the country. The defense that the Cougars play is terrific. They simply do not give up easy looks. The teams that are most successful in the big dance are teams that make it tough to score each and every time down the floor. Houston currently leads, what we feel is the best basketball conference in the country this season - the Big 12. The Cougars will be battle tested, with the likes of Kansas, Baylor and Iowa State late in the season. Will the move to the new conference pay immediate dividends with a March Madness run?
Arizona Wildcats +1200
On the other side of the coin, Arizona is kind of anti Houston. The Wildcats are an elite offensive team that will need to improve on the defensive end. This is another team that took an early March Madness exit a season ago. The coaching staff for the Wildcats is gearing up to make sure that does not happen again. Arizona will head into the tournament as a likely #1 seed, especially if they can take care of business in the Pac-12 as the season unfolds. Arizona is listed at 12/1 odds.
Tennessee Volunteers +1300
Rick Barnes has been a little snake bitten in the past with the NCAA Tournament. Will the Volunteers shoot the basketball well enough down the stretch? There is no doubt, they are one of several teams out of the SEC, you do not want to see in your bracket. They are tough and battle tested. The Orange have won three straight games, and will have several NCAA Tournament like games down the stretch with Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina and Kentucky still on their schedule. Tennessee is listed at 13/1 odds
North Carolina Tar Heels +1800
In a sport that loves to celebrate their big name programs, it feels like both North Carolina and Duke are going a little under noticed this season. At 20-6, the Tar Heels are without a doubt one of the best teams in the country. A recent loss to Syracuse dropped them down a game, but now they are in a tie with Duke for the ACC title. As long as neither team slips up prior, the March 9th game in Durham will be for the regular season title. Remember, Armando Bacot and the Tar Heels are just a season removed from getting to the title game.
There you have it. Those are the Top six favorites to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament. There are plenty of other teams that have chances, but we are starting today with the six favorites. Next week we can look at six other teams that are a little more “sleepers” or “underdogs” to cut the nets down in April. Enjoy the madness and good luck!
Derek Hudson
Derek is a long time sports bettor who grew up in Providence, RI. Derek is data driven and believes the key to betting the sportsbooks is finding an edge in analytics. Derek is happily married and has two young boys. Derek will bet on anything if you let him.
