March Madness guide: Odds, upset picks, projections for all the NCAA Tournament action

March Madness guide: Odds, upset picks, projections for all the NCAA Tournament action

Hannah Vanbiber
Apr 5, 2024

Follow live coverage as UConn, Purdue play for the national championship today

Welcome to your 2024 March Madness Hub. Every day throughout the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments, we’ll add analysis, matchup previews, expert picks and more, and we’ll consolidate all of it here. Feel free to bookmark this page for continued reference.

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The American Gaming Association estimates that one in four Americans placed a bet during last year’s NCAA Tournaments — whether it was a wager on a sportsbook, a friendly bet in an office pool or a challenge among friends.

In other words, March is a time for fans to get in on the action, and we’re here to cover every angle. Get started by entering our Predictions Challenge for the men’s and women’s final weekend. Game on!

Previews for upcoming games

Women’s Final Four — Friday, April 5

Men’s Final Four — Saturday, April 6

  • 6:09 p.m. ET: Purdue vs. NC State (preview to come)
  • 8:49 p.m. ET: UConn vs. Alabama (preview to come)

Final Four coverage

Women’s Final Four odds: South Carolina, Iowa favored to meet in final

Men’s Final Four odds: UConn, Purdue favored to meet in final

Big-picture analysis

Two coaches explain why offense is the new defense: The transfer portal, NIL deals and college basketball

Women’s college basketball has made huge strides. How have sportsbooks responded?

Men’s NCAA Tournament winner odds

Odds from BetMGM. Find the best ticket deals on StubHub to see your favorite team.

Women’s NCAA Tournament winner odds

Odds from BetMGM. Find the best ticket deals on StubHub to see your favorite team.

Elite Eight coverage

Elite 8 expert predictions: Daily NCAA Men’s Tournament bracket and TV schedule: Expert predictions for Saturday’s Elite Eight

Sweet 16 coverage

A beginner’s guide to the women’s Sweet 16: Burning questions, upsets to watch and more

Women’s Sweet 16 projections: Model picks every women’s team’s chances to make each round

Men’s Sweet 16 projections: Model picks every men’s team’s chances to make each round

Men’s Tournament upsets: Can NC State continue its miraculous run in the Sweet 16?

Men’s Sweet 16 odds and TV schedule: Will chalk continue?

Odds analysis

Who is the favorite to win Men’s NCAA Tournament? UConn, Houston, Purdue lead top tier of odds

Who is the favorite to win Women’s NCAA Tournament? South Carolina, Iowa and LSU form top tier

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Bracket Picks: CJ Moore has UConn winning the title

March Madness best future bets for teams to reach Sweet 16 and Final Four of men’s NCAA Tournament

Key stats, betting trends and facts for all 68 men’s teams

Who will make a Final Four run in March Madness? Our experts make their picks

March Madness odds, schedule for the NCAA Tournament opening round games

Men’s first round bets: Best picks for March Madness

NCAA Tournament power rankings: Why UConn tops our list of title contenders

Men’s second round: Projected scores and best bets for every game

Party props & downloadable brackets

Printable women’s March Madness bracket (DOWNLOAD)

Printable men’s March Madness bracket (DOWNLOAD)

2024 college basketball tournaments party prop sheet: Upsets, Caitlin Clark point total and more fun bets

Party Props #2: Caitlin Clark points, buzzer beaters and will a No. 11 seed survive?

Party Props final edition: Guess the outcomes of the semifinal and championship games

Daily picks for men’s games

Friday first-round bracket picks, start times and TV schedule

Saturday second-round bracket picks, start times and TV schedule

Sunday second-round bracket picks, start times and TV schedule

Sweet 16 games: picks, start times and TV schedule

Elite Eight games: picks, start times and TV schedule

Profiles and predictions for every team

Men’s March Madness Big Board: Your guide to all 68 teams in the men’s tournament

Women’s March Madness Big Board: Your guide to all 68 teams in the women’s tournament

Everything to know about the women’s NCAA Tournament: Final Four contenders, Cinderellas and more

NCAA Tournament projections: Model picks every team’s chances to make each round

Women’s NCAA Tournament projections: Model picks every team’s chances to make each round

Regional breakdowns: Analysis and team profiles for the Men’s Tournament

Men’s East Region: Can UConn emerge and repeat as champions?

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Men’s West Region: Can North Carolina find redemption, or will a dark horse prevail?

Men’s South Region: Is Houston primed to return to the Final Four?

Men’s Midwest Region: Can Purdue bounce back from last year’s embarrassing upset?

Bracket Breakers: Men’s Tournament most likely upsets

Bracket Breakers overview: As college basketball changes, so does our model to predict upsets in the NCAA Tournament

Bracket Breakers chooses its 10 most likely first-round stunners in the men’s tourney

Bracket Breakers MIDWEST: Oregon, McNeese look to bust brackets in Midwest Region

Bracket Breakers EAST: UAB, Duquesne look to bust brackets in the chalky East Region

Bracket Breakers WEST: New Mexico, Grand Canyon look to bust brackets in West Region

Bracket Breakers SOUTH: NC State, James Madison look to bust brackets in South Region

Bracket Breakers second-round upset possibilities projecting every possible matchup

Bracket Breakers second-round Sunday upset picks: Can Grand Canyon and Yale continue their Cinderella run into the Sweet 16?

Bracket Breakers: Women’s Tournament most likely upsets

Women’s March Madness upset picks: Bracket Breakers chooses its 10 most likely first-round stunners

Women’s upset picks for Saturday games: Florida Gulf Coast, Green Bay and more

Women’s upset picks for round-two Sunday games: Can Duke take down Ohio State?

Are Caitlin Clark and Iowa on upset alert vs. West Virginia on Monday?

Brackets and pools ideas and advice

Want to win your March Madness bracket? These strategies and tips can help

8 last-minute brackets for March Madness procrastinators

Picking the funniest March Madness bracket name

A beginner’s guide on how to fill out an NCAA Tournament bracket: The basics, tips and trends

10 tips for filling out your March Madness bracket

March Madness squares: How to play, historical trends and which numbers you want 

Tired of brackets? How to play NCAA Tournament survivor, Calcutta auctions and upset drafts

Intro to betting

(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic;  Photos: Aaron J. Thornton, G Fiume via Getty Images)

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Hannah Vanbiber

Hannah Vanbiber is a staff editor for sports betting at The Athletic. Hannah previously wrote for Gaming Today, New York Sports Day, Rocky Top Insider, MLIVE, and other sports betting outlets as a freelance writer. She started her journalism career in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as a reporter and editor covering local sports. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahVanbiber