March Madness Projections: Predicting the Prestigious NCAA Tourney
March Madness 2024 has arrived!
Houston, Purdue, and UConn are battling for the top overall seed, and as each conference tournament approaches, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arizona are vying for the remaining No. 1 seed, but Kentucky, who has risen in the rankings for the last two weeks, maybe the most exciting team in the nation.
A lot may happen from now until Selection Sunday, but the conference tournaments will determine the winners of those lines. Upon thoroughly examining the tournament brackets of the sport’s most prestigious conferences, we assembled championship forecasts and underdog selections for each bracket.
Big 12 Tournament
Four new Big 12 teams—UCF, Cincinnati, BYU, and Houston—will compete in the Big 12 Tournament this year. It will also be the last appearance for Oklahoma and Texas before they go to the SEC.
After finishing 10-8 in conference play—the poorest record in Bill Self’s tenure—Kansas was seeded sixth in the tournament. Texas, which won the Big 12 Tournament last year, is seeded seventh and will play Kansas State in the quarterfinals.
Most Likely to Win: Houston
Bookmakers Favourite to Win the Big Ten: Houston @ -140
The Best Underdog: Baylor [+900]
ACC Tournament
After last weekend’s victory against Duke, No. 1 seed North Carolina secured the ACC regular season crown. That said, the defending ACC Tournament champion is (only) somewhat more popular with bettors than their in-state opponent. Naturally, bettors will take advantage of said lines, particularly with the use of BetMGM North Carolina bonus code
Some league clubs, not including Duke, UNC, and Clemson, could be nervous about Selection Sunday if they don’t have a good showing this week. That comprises the Virginia, Wake Forest, and Pittsburgh bubble teams. With any luck, North Carolina and Duke will meet for a record-tying third time for the ACC title.
Most Likely to Win: Duke
Bookmakers Favourite to Win the Big Ten: Duke @ +165
The Best Underdog: Clemson [+800]
Big Ten Tournament
The odds of Purdue winning the Big Ten are quite high. With Zach Edey at the helm, the Boilermakers won the Big Ten regular season earlier this month and will be looking to go far in the NCAA Tournament.
Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Michigan State are some teams to watch since they are in the bubble. The Spartans will be making their 26th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. This week’s performance would be crucial in confirming it.
Most Likely to Win: Purdue
Bookmakers Favourite to Win the Big Ten: Purdue @ +100
The Best Underdog: Ohio State [+3000]
Big East Tournament
Even though the Huskies have won five straight national titles, it is stunning that they haven’t won the Big East regular season crown in 25 years until this year. While the Huskies have a slight advantage in odds, Creighton and Marquette are vying for second place. The health of Marquette’s top point guard, Tyler Kolek, who was out for the rest of the regular season with an injury, is something to watch this week.
Marquette can potentially be the leading rival when they are fully operational. St. John’s, Villanova, and Seton Hall are the three Big East teams on the cusp of elimination in the last week of play.
Most Likely to Win: UConn
Bookmakers Favourite to Win the Big Ten: UConn @ -140
The Best Underdog: St. Johns [+900]
Pac-12 Tournament
The “Conference of Champions” final dance will be this week in Sin City. Under Coach Tommy Lloyd, Arizona has not lost consecutive games. Under his leadership, the program has maintained an undefeated Pac-12 tournament record since 2022.
No matter what happens, the only teams guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament are the top two teams in the Pac-12: the Wildcats and Washington State. Colorado is on the verge of elimination but needs a boost this week, and it would need the other nine to come out on top.
Most Likely to Win: Arizona
Bookmakers Favourite to Win the Big Ten: Arizona @ -155
The Best Underdog: Washington State [+600]
Mountain West Tournament
Here at Mountain West, you’ll undoubtedly find an entertaining college basketball game, as six Mountain West teams could be playing in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Utah State secured the top overall seed after their home-court victory against New Mexico in the season-ending match. The previous year’s conference final was San Diego State’s triumph against Utah State. UNLV entered the week with a 10-game winning streak, but they will likely have to win every game to secure a place.
Most Likely to Win: Nevada [+450]
Bookmakers Favourite to Win the Big Ten: San Diego State @ +290
The Best Underdog: UNLC [+500]
SEC Tournament
Tennessee, the top seed, fell to Kentucky at home only days after claiming the SEC regular season championship. For the second year in a row, the Volunteers are heavy favorites to win the hardware, but they’re up against some formidable opponents.
The status of both Texas A&M and Mississippi State is uncertain. Both teams have a lot riding on this week to convince the committee that they deserve a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Most Likely to Win: Kentucky [+430]
Bookmakers Favourite to Win the Big Ten: Tennessee @ +145The Best Underdog: Florida [+1800 to]