March Madness Picks & Predictions

The 2024 March Madness tournament is quickly approaching. Whether you're fine-tuning your bracket predictions or looking to place bets on individual games, our detailed betting guides and match analyses are here to guide you every step of the way. Explore our expert insights and predictions to ensure your March Madness picks are as sharp as a last-second three-pointer!

2024 March Madness Predictions: Tournament preview and NCAA Basketball Picks

For college basketball fans around the world, there’s nothing quite like March. The NCAA college basketball tournament, known as March Madness, is one of the most popular sporting events on the American sports calendar because it brings together schools of all sizes and locations to compete for college basketball’s ultimate prize.

With sports betting now widely legal in the United States, sports fans have the opportunity to place bets on the entire tournament and individual games. In this guide, we’ll go over some key information and strategies so that you can make the best possible decisions for placing bets on this tournament.

Most people are pretty familiar with filling out a bracket at their office or with their family. That’s been a March tradition for decades, and it’s one reason why the event is so popular. Lots of people who never watch basketball fill out brackets, and it gives them a reason to care about the tournament overall.

Betting on March Madness gives people a reason to care about every game. Through the first and second rounds, you can make real money on your Cinderellas by taking them to win the game at excellent odds. As the tournament continues, you can figure out how teams like to play and use what you’ve learned about them to make intelligent bets in the later rounds. 

Filling out a bracket is great, but betting on the individual games and the tournament winner is the best way to make the excitement last through every game of the event. Get ready to rock this year with our basketball predictions. 

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NCAAB Picks: Who will win the 2024 College Basketball tournament?

It’s natural for people to look toward last year’s champions, the Connecticut Huskies. It’s supposed to be difficult to win the NCAA tournament because you have to win six consecutive games, but Dan Hurley’s Huskies made it look easy. Over the course of six games, you could have blindly taken Connecticut -12.5 and their opponent’s team total under 65.5 and won every time. The Huskies were that dominant, and they did that as a No. 4 seed.

This season, they’ll hold a No. 1 seed, and they look even stronger than they did a season ago. The Huskies have mostly dominated the Big East, and they appear to have another gear that only great teams can reach. Tristen Newton can take over games with his shooting, and if the Huskies hold the lead late, Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban rarely miss a free throw. On paper, Connecticut has every piece of the puzzle to repeat as champions. They shoot the ball well, they play disciplined defense and they rebound the basketball and limit teams to one shot. This team has won 25 games for a reason.

But repeating as champions is hard. There are no free passes in the NCAA tournament and no easy games. All it takes is one bad night and a team’s season is over. That’s why only two teams — Duke in 1992 and Florida in 2007 — have managed to repeat as champions since the end of the UCLA dynasty in 1975.

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Connecticut’s conference rival, Villanova, found out first-hand how hard it is to repeat in 2017. The Wildcats came in as the top overall seed and looked poised to earn a second consecutive title. But Villanova had an off-night against Wisconsin, and its season ended in the second round. The next year, there were no off-nights and Villanova won its second title in three years. But when you’re the champion, you get everyone’s best shot.

There’s another reason to shy away from Connecticut: the Huskies have always been a program that thrives on lower expectations. The NCAA keeps the strongest teams as close to home as possible as a reward for great regular seasons. But in Connecticut’s case, that hasn’t been a reward when it’s happened. 

Out of six Final Four appearances, Connecticut has come out of the West Regional five times. They’ve only made it out of the East once, and that was as a No. 7 seed with no expectations. When Connecticut has earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the East, as it will this year, it has fallen one game short of the Final Four four times and lost in the second round once.

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If not Connecticut, then who might raise the trophy? Bring up Purdue, and you’ll hear a lot of groaning. Matt Painter’s team has really struggled in March, going out to North Texas, Saint Peter’s and Fairleigh Dickinson in the past three tournaments. But the Boilermakers have a matchup nightmare in 7’4” Zach Edey at center and good guards like Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. All Purdue needs is a little luck to go its way at the right time.

Houston also represents a solid choice. The Cougars are well known for their defense, but they can also score when they need points. Jamal Shead is a scorer and all of the Houston players commit to rebounding after forcing a tough shot. Houston games aren’t pretty to watch unless you like defense, but the Cougars are highly effective.

If you’re looking for a high-value play, you might want to consider Marquette. The Golden Eagles took a big hit after getting waxed at Connecticut, but they feature strong inside and outside play and a brilliant coach in Shaka Smart. Marquette played Purdue to the wire in the Maui Invitational in November, and the Golden Eagles have the ability to play with any team in the country. If the bracket falls right, they could make a run.

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2024 NCAAB Picks: Who are the top teams this year?

Beyond the favorites, you’ll have several potential options who can make a run at the title if they get the right bracket. Tennessee certainly comes to mind, as the Volunteers feature the nation’s best pure scorer in Dalton Knecht. Knecht gives the Volunteers that extra something that makes them difficult for anyone to handle. Tennessee is set to win the SEC regular season title, and Knecht’s scoring is a big reason.

North Carolina has been a maddening team for bettors, because the Tar Heels have shown themselves capable of big wins yet equally capable of head-scratching losses. A team that can beat Tennessee, Oklahoma and Duke can play with anyone. A team that can lose to Syracuse and Georgia Tech can go out in the first round. The Heels made the national title game just two years ago, so Hubert Davis can clearly coach under pressure. This is a high-risk, high-reward option.

Kansas will get a lot of attention because of its name and its seed, but the Jayhawks might be a team to fade. Kansas has a strong record, but only because it has one of the best home-court advantages in the nation at Allen Fieldhouse. The tournament won’t be played at Allen Fieldhouse, and Kansas is nowhere near the same team on the road. With the Jayhawks also likely missing Kevin McCullar Jr., the deck seems stacked against Kansas.

2024 National Championship: Odds on the Favorites to Win it all

No matter who you take to win the national championship, you’ll get good odds on them doing so. That’s because they have to win six games without a single loss, and they’ll be doing that against some of the best teams in the nation. At the top 25 level, anyone can beat anyone, which is why you don’t want to go crazy and make too many bets.

Here are the current odds:

• Connecticut+480
• Houston +650
• Purdue +750
• Arizona +1300
• Tennessee +1300
• North Carolina +1700
• Duke +2000
• Kentucky +2200
• Creighton +2500
• Marquette +3000
• Auburn +3000
• Iowa State +3000
• Baylor +3000
• Illinois +3000
• Alabama +4500
• Kansas +4500
• Florida +6500
• BYU +6500
• Gonzaga +6500
• Michigan State +7500

odds from the fanduel website

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NCAA Basketball: 2024 Final Four Predictions

When making your Final Four predictions, you want to carefully look at each region. You also want to be willing to take a couple chances. Don’t just blindly back the No. 1 seeds to make it to Arizona. The 2008 tournament is the only one where all four No. 1 seeds got to the Final Four. Usually, one or two of the top seeds make it through, while the others fall short for one reason or another.

In recent years, lower-seeded teams like Florida Atlantic, South Carolina, Virginia Commonwealth, Wichita State and Syracuse have shown that any seed can make a deep run to the Final Four. So if you feel good about one, go ahead and take a chance. However, before you bet a longshot, make sure they don’t share a bracket with another team you like. Hedging your bets is one thing, but you don’t want to accidentally bet against another bet you’ve got. 

Teams like Baylor and Illinois could be good value here. They’ve proven they can play with the best but not beat them consistently. Beating them in their region, however, is a much less daunting task.

Odds for the 2024 Final Four teams

• Connecticut +100
• Houston +140
• Purdue +170
• Arizona +280
• Tennessee +280
• North Carolina +340
• Duke +390
• Kentucky +440
• Creighton +500
• Auburn +550
• Illinois +600
• Iowa State +600
• Marquette +600
• Baylor +600
• Alabama +1000
• Kansas +1000
• BYU +1600
• Gonzaga +1600
• Florida +1600
• San Diego State +1800

Odds provided by FanDuel

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March Madness Predictions: How to Make reliable NCAA Basketball Picks

If you’re looking to place bets on March Madness, you need to know what you’re betting. In some states, that’s tricky, because college sports come with restrictions that don’t exist in professional sports.

For example, in the pros, if you want to bet on the Indiana Pacers, you’ll see every starter’s points, rebounds, assists, blocks and more stats as options for prop betting. If you want to bet on Purdue, none of that will be there. Many states do not allow any prop bets on college games. Your only prop betting option is team totals, because that’s not an individual play. Some states also don’t allow you to bet on teams in that state. In New Jersey, for example, no bets are allowed on in-state college teams. When Princeton, Saint Peter’s and Fairleigh Dickinson captured the imagination of the nation the past two years, bettors in their home state were out of luck, because no bets were offered on any of their games.

However, outside of that, the standard basketball bets of spreads, totals and betting by half (college basketball is played by halves, not quarters, so quarters betting isn’t a thing) will be available. You can place bets on futures before or after the field is announced on March 17. The first games will take place on March 19, and the national championship game takes place on April 8. You’ll have 67 games available to bet over a three-week span, so you’ll want to know the teams as well as possible.

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March Madness Betting Tips for Beginner Bettors

If you’re totally new to sports betting, you’re not alone. Many people only watch basketball in March and only because everyone else is doing it. Still, just because you’re new to this is no reason to miss out on the action. These tips can help even a novice bettor find some good bets to make. There's more to life than NBA picks and predictions!

Tip #1: Stick to Teams You Know

There’s a lot of information on this tournament, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed with schools you’ve never heard of. If you’re new to sports betting, stay away from those games. The 8-9 and 7-10 games will usually be between two well-known schools. These games will be more favorable to you until you understand more about each team.

Tip #2: Don’t Make Too Many Plays

On the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament, there will be 32 games total. It’s easy to try to bet all of the games, but that’s where you make mistakes. If you’re new to sports betting, try to focus on one game per window and watch it. This can help you approach the bet with a clear head.

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Tip #3: Listen to the Pregame

The announcers can help you figure out what to look for during the game. If you hear someone mention that Creighton doesn’t commit fouls, you can use that to bet the under based on the clock not likely to stop. If Duke is facing a bad 3-point defense, the Blue Devils will likely cover the spread. The announcers’ keys to the game can be your keys too.

Tip #4: Lean Toward Experience

Teams with seniors have been here before. When the game gets tight, these teams are likely to make the big plays that save their seasons. If one team is full of seniors and the other only has one or two, the senior-heavy team is likely a stronger play.

Tip #5: Look At the Coaches

A smart coach is worth his weight in gold in March. Coaches who have been here before have learned how to recognize the danger signs of a game and make the right move that leads to a win. Backing a veteran coach will usually help you win.

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What not to do for March Madness Predictions

Making the wrong play happens, but what you don’t want to do is make an avoidable error. If you lose because Kentucky can’t hit a bunch of open 3-pointers, that’s one thing. If you lose because Kentucky couldn’t hit 3-pointers against Illinois’ tenacious defense, that’s a lapse in judgment. The best thing you can do for yourself is give yourself as much knowledge as possible. The worst thing you can do is rush into your bets. Here are a few things you don’t want to do:

• Bet heavily without looking at injuries: Injuries change how a team plays. If a key player is missing, think twice before you bet.
• Forget the crowd: Teams playing close to home usually get the crowd on their side. Lower seeds with a crowd advantage become dangerous
• Blindly bet favorites: Favorites don’t always win. The 12-5 upset is a thing for a reason. Over the past three tournaments, a 15 has beaten a 2 every year. Favorites are not a sure thing.
• Betting teams you don’t know: Uninformed decisions always come back to burn you. Before making any bet, familiarize yourself with both teams and how they like to play.
• Packing a parlay: Parlay bets are hard. Don’t try to chase your losses by going big on a parlay play.
• Not comparing odds: Comparing sportsbooks makes a big difference in the odds you get. Be sure you’re getting the best number for your pick.

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Stats to consider for March Madness Predictions

Stats are one of your best allies when it comes to March Madness. Knowing who does what thing well can give you an idea of how each team wants the game to go. Here are a few key stat leaders to keep in mind.

• Overall point average:  Zach Edey, Purdue, 23.7
• Three-point effectiveness per team: Koby Brea, Dayton, 49.1%
• Effectiveness in free throws by team: Joseph Girard, Clemson, 95.0%
• Average rebounds per game: Enrique Freeman, Akron, 12.8
• Average assists per game: Tyler Kolek, Marquette, 7.6
• Average blocks per game: Isaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky, 3.9
• Average steals per game: Arturo Dean, Florida International, 3.4
• Team with highest scoring average: Alabama, 91.5
• Team with the highest effectiveness in three-pointers: Kentucky, 40.7%
• Team with the highest free throw effectiveness: Villanova, 81.6%
• Team with the most rebounds per game: Florida, 43.7
• Team with the most assists per game: Kansas, 19.5
• Team with the most blocks per game: Kentucky, 6.8
• Team with the most fouls per game: Alabama, 19.3

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Conclusion: How to get Your March Madness Predictions Right?

During the three-week frenzy that is March Madness, it’s important to remember that not every bet is going to go your way. The smartest thing to do is to trust your information and process, because over time, that will lead you to success more often than not.

Don’t rely on the seeds as much as the matchups, because upsets do happen. It’s far more important to look at player form and team styles than it is to consider the seeds, especially after the first round.

If you need information, we’ve got you covered. Our experts use analytics, statistics and their own insights to provide you with free picks for each game in the tournament. When you check out our free website, you can trust you’re getting the best possible information, which will give you the best chance to get your March Madness predictions right. 

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Our current NCAA predictions

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With that information on your side, you’ll be ready to make smart bets and make this March Madness tournament the most exciting one yet.

NCAAB: Best Odds

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