UConn are the current defending champions, and are currently the favorites with oddsmakers to defend their title this year. However, there is some fierce competition in 2024 with teams like Houston closing the gap as March approaches.
This annual NCAA basketball tournament really lived up to its ‘madness’ moniker last year, with the No. 16 seed winning the whole thing, while Princeton, representing the Ivy League as the No. 15 seed made it all the way to the Sweet 16 stage of the event. They became the most talked about basketball team in the nation for a few weeks! The 2023 iteration of this tournament really was unprecedented, with no No.1 seed making it to the Elite Eight for the first time in history.
However, when all was said and done, the UConn Huskies won it all and they are currently the favorites to be repeat champions for the first time in nearly two decades. The Huskies had to overcome a lot of adversity to win their fifth National Championship in school history, but came up clutch when it mattered the most in crunch time.
Connecticut will face some stiff competition this year, with Houston and Purdue joining the Huskies among the favorites to take home the trophy. With that said, here is a look at the latest March Madness odds including some dark horses, long shots and hot favorites.
Our Top March Madness Sportsbook
After shopping around for the best odds on March Madness bets, we finally decided to go with FanDuel Sportsbook. This betting site not only has a plethora of manic March Madness bets to offer, but prices its odds competitively and offers quality betting lines.
That is not to mention that there are loads of pregame wagers, player bets and props up for grabs, and you can combine these into parlays or SGPs for a chance to hit those longer odds.
Run out of ideas? No problem, you can always refer to the Parlay Hub at FanDuel to see which bets are hot right now and what your fellow March Madness fanatics are betting on.
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March Madness 2024 Odds
| March Madness 2024 Futures Betting National Champion Odds | |
|---|---|
 UConn Huskies | +550 |
 Houston Cougars | +700 |
 Purdue Boilermakers | +750 |
 Arizona Wildcats | +1300 |
 Tennessee Volunteers | +1300 |
 North Carolina Tar Heels | +2000 |
 Marquette Golden Eagles | +2000 |
 Iowa State Cyclones | +2000 |
 Duke Blue Devils | +2200 |
 Auburn Tigers | +2200 |
Tournament Favorites
UConn Huskies (+550)
UConn Huskies (+550)
Although UConn are the clear favorites among most top sportsbooks, their competitors are closing the gap. The Huskies ran out comfortable winners in last year’s final, beating San Diego State 76-59, but the team has seen some key players leave for the NBA during the offseason. Additionally, their odds drifted out after a shocking loss to Creighton last week, losing by a 19 point margin which was their biggest defeat since 2019.
Good teams lose and our upset regularly, but the nature of this defeat is certainly cause for concern heading into the tournament.
Houston Cougars (+700)
Houston Cougars (+700)
Houston and head coach Kelvin Sampson will be looking for far better this year after a disappointing exit in the Sweet Sixteen in 2023. The Cougars have the nation’s best defense and rarely turn the ball over. The fact they are tough to score against and rarely turn the ball over means they will be a tough out. They seem to be peaking at just the right time as well, and are favored to win by a lot of pundits and fans.
Purdue Boilermakers (+750)
Purdue Boilermakers (+750)
It was a successful year last year for the Boilermakers, as they clinched the Big Ten Conference Tournament title. However, they suffered the same fate as many bigger teams over the years in this event as they were upset by Farleigh Dickinson in the first round. Purdue have done the hard yards plenty of times and know what it takes to win, having defeated six Top 25 teams.
March Madness Schedule Information
| March Madness 2024 Schedule | ||
|---|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | Sunday, March 17 | Nationwide |
| First Four | March 19-20 | Dayton, OH |
| First Round | March 21-22 | Nationwide |
| Second Round | March 23-24 | Nationwide |
| Sweet 16 | March 28-29 | Nationwide |
| Elite Eight | March 30-31 | Nationwide |
| Final Four | April 6-8 | State Farm Stadium, AZ |
| Championship Game | April 8 | State Farm Stadium, AZ |
How To Bet on March Madness
With March Madness fast approaching, bettors are doing their research and preparing for one of the most exciting betting events of the year. You will no doubt be hearing lots of ‘bracket’ talk over the next few weeks, and it is important to adopt a strategy when wagering on March Madness. If you really want to maximize your earning potential, you must study the form of each team throughout the regular season and different conference tournaments.
Once you feel you have a good understanding of each team’s strengths and weaknesses, you can then look to scour the betting options available. All of the top operators will have simple moneyline bets or more exotic wagers such as player props and futures. You can choose to bet on single game outcomes, game MVPs or even the eventual winner of the tournament before it begins via a futures bet.
I personally love prop bets and would urge you to look out for the various player and team prop options that will be available throughout the tournament. Also, keep your eyes peeled for odds boosts and other offers for certain games.
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Best Bet & Odds Comparison
Our Tip: Houston Cougars
We like the look of the Houston Cougars to emerge victorious from this year’s 2024 March Madness event. There will always be upsets, especially at the sweet sixteen stage, but do we really think a team like Princeton can go all the way and actually win the tournament? As we have mentioned above, Houston is rounding into form at just the right time and I think have a great chance of celebrating when the dust settles.
 March Madness 2024 Final Four and National Championship Outrights Betting Odds Overview |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges | To Reach Final Four Odds | Probability | National Champion Odds | Probability |
| UConn Huskies | +120 | 45.45% | +550 | 15.38% |
| Houston Cougars | +160⭐ | 38.46% | +700⭐ | 12.5% |
| Purdue Boilermakers | +170 | 37.03% | +750 | 11.76% |
| Arizona Wildcats | +280 | 26.31% | +1300 | 7.14% |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +280 | 26.31% | +1300 | 7.14% |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +400 | 20% | +2000 | 4.76% |
| Marquette Golden Eagles | +430 | 18.86% | +2000 | 4.76% |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | +430 | 18.86% | +2000 | 4.76% |
| Duke Blue Devils | +450 | 18.18% | +2200 | 4.34% |
| Auburn Tigers | +480 | 17.24% | +2200 | 4.34% |
First Four Round
March Madness 2024 has officially begun as we now brace ourselves for weeks of non stop college basketball action. We have seen the Wagner Seahawks, Tarleton State Texans, Abilene Christian Wildcats and the Colorado State Rams all emerge victorious from their opening games.
Although many don’t believe the tournament really begins until Thursday when the round of 64 starts, this NCAA extravaganza technically got underway on Tuesday as teams compete to take up the final four spots of the 64 that will battle it out for the crown.
We will update this page as the tournament progresses, so make sure you keep those brackets updated.
