March Madness has arrived, with the first of 32 NCAA Div. I men’s basketball tournaments tipping off March 4. And once the action is underway, it’ll be non-stop basketball until the final tournaments crown a champion on Selection Sunday. Then, we jump right into the NCAA Tournament.
To help predict and keep track of which teams clinch those automatic bids to the big dance, BetFTW put together this tracker of each conference tourney, from the Atlantic Sun to the SEC and everything in between. It includes brackets, betting odds, picks and sleepers for each conference, and will be updated as more tournaments get underway and ultimately conclude.
Let the fun begin.
Ivy League (Winner: Yale)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Princeton (+100)
Brown is riding a nice little streak, but Princeton is the one team the Bears just haven’t been able to knock off. Not to mention, Princeton’s nine-game winning streak is longer and includes wins over each of these teams.
Sleeper: Cornell (+350)
Cornell has an offense that can hang with both Yale and Princeton, as a plus-14 scoring margin in four combined games against those teams shows.
SEC (Winner: Auburn)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Kentucky (+500)
I know we’re used to John Calipari teams folding around this time of year, as it’s been six years since the Wildcats have claimed a tournament title. But this team can score with anybody and is playing with a ton of confidence right now.
Sleeper: Florida (+1400)
Florida is playing good ball entering the tournament, particularly on the offensive end where senior guard Zyon Pullin has been on a tear, averaging almost 20 points in his last four games.
Big Ten (Winner: Illinois)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Purdue (+100)
Purdue might just be the best team in the country, so I’m certainly not about to pick against the Boilermakers in their own league.
Sleeper: Northwestern (+1600)
The Wildcats already have a bye to the quarterfinals, making their path a little easier. And they have wins over each of the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds while also taking No. 1 Purdue to overtime on the road.
American Athletic (Winner: UAB)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: SMU (+400)
I thought I would be going on a limb by picking SMU here, considering it’s the No. 6 seed with four losses in its last five games, but these are the second-best odds. I get it, though. The Mustangs have been playing some extremely tight games and have the kind of offense/defense balance that can thrive in a conference where the top top teams are so closely aligned.
Sleeper: Charlotte (+1500)
Charlotte is a big team that can be hard to defend, and leading scorer Lu’Cye Patterson is coming off a season-high 27 points, which could be a huge confidence boost going forward.
Atlantic 10 (Winner: Duquesne)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Massachusetts (+700)
I’ll roll with the Minutemen at these long odds because they landed on Richmond’s side of the bracket, and I think the Spiders are a beatable top seed.
Sleeper: Duquesne (+1400)
Duquesne has a top-50 Kenpom defensive rating and six wins in its last seven games, including four straight.
MAC (Winner: Akron)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Toledo (+275)
I love that I’m getting No. 1-seed Toledo at just the third-best odds considering the two favorites have to go through each other.
Sleeper: Bowling Green (+1600)
The Falcons took their first-round opponent Central Michigan to overtime each time they played this season and actually beat potential semifinal opponent Toledo the second time they met.
WAC (Winner: Grand Canyon)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Grand Canyon (-145)
With top-60 offensive and defensive Kenpom ratings, Grand Canyon is a heavy favorite in this conference for a reason.
Sleeper: Seattle (+700)
Seattle can potentially muck things up against any team with a strong defense, and we’ve seen the Redhawks hang in games with Grand Canyon, including a win in January.
SWAC (Winner: Grambling)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Alcorn (+250)
Alcorn is just playing with a ton of confidence right now, winning nine straight games.
Sleeper: Bethune-cookman (+2200)
Bethune-Cookman has two wins over its first-round opponent Southern, which is tied for the second-best tournament odds. A third win would give the Wildcats a good chance to play spoiler the rest of the way through.
Pac-12 (Winner: Oregon)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Washington State (+500)
The Cougars’ slower pace can throw a lot of teams off their game, and it becomes tougher to compete with their size in the half court.
Sleeper: UCLA (+4500)
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bruins reach the semifinals, though that’s likely where things become a little more iffy. But this is a young team with nothing to lose, so I don’t expect them to feel much pressure.
Mountain West (Winner: New Mexico)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: San Diego State (+260)
Not many teams in the country defend as well as the Aztecs, which I believe will give them the advantage in a potential third meeting against Utah State in the semifinals.
Sleeper: Boise State (+600)
Boise is a fresh off a win over San Diego State, its sixth victory in the last seven games.
MEAC (Winner: Howard)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Norfolk State (+180)
I expect Norfolk State to re-claim the MEAC tournament title after Howard ended its two-year championship streak last season. The Eagles are just rolling right now, winning four of their last five games with a 20-point average margin.
Sleeper: Morgan State (+3000)
We know Morgan State can beat No. 2 NC Central, as its done so twice this season. The only question is whether the Bears can make it through their side of the bracket.
Big West (Winner: Long Beach State)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: UC Davis (+450)
I just don’t like UC Irvine enough to bet -200 odds, so give me the No. 2 seed that played Irvine extremely close in both regular-season meetings and has a three-game winning streak entering the Big West tourney.
Sleeper: UC Riverside (+4500)
Riverside is averaging 80 points over its last four games, going 3-1 in that stretch, with the only loss coming in OT to No. 3 Hawai’i. Not to mention, the Highlanders beat UC Irvine in their last meeting.
Big East (Winner: UConn)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: UConn (-135)
The Huskies are steamrolling folks. They just aren’t a team to bet against right now.
Sleeper: Creighton (+425)
When one team is favored by as much as UConn is in this tournament, I think its fair to call the No. 2 seed a sleeper. So, give me Creighton, one of the few teams who have beaten the Huskies.
MAAC (Winner: Saint Peter's)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Rider (+700)
Rider has the MAAC’s longest active winning streak at seven games entering the tournament, and that includes a win over top seed Quinnipiac.
Sleeper: Niagara (+1700)
Niagara is a wildly inconsistent team, which is to be expected when two of the team’s leading scorers are underclassmen. But at their best, the Purple Eagles have given the MAAC’s best teams a run for their money.
Conference USA (Winner: Western Kentucky)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Sam Houston (+500)
Getting the fourth-best odds on the conference’s top seed is a steal, even if the Bearkats do have a tougher path to the final than No. 2 Louisiana Tech. If they get there, I like their chances to win.
Sleeper: UTEP (+1200)
UTEP is going to have a shot in every game with the way the Miners defend. They open tournament play against a Liberty team they just beat two games ago.
Big 12 (Winner: Iowa State)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Houston (-135)
Houston is the country’s top-ranked team for a reason. The Cougars are just a veteran and tested team, with great leadership and stubborn defense. But more than that, the opposite side of this bracket is brutal, making it tough to trust any of Iowa State, Baylor and Kansas.
Sleeper: TCU (+6500)
TCU is another veteran team, but I also like that the Wildcats could potentially catch Houston early in the tournament. They beat the Cougars back in January, and another win in that quarterfinal matchup could spark a deep run.
ACC (Winner: NC State)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: North Carolina (+150)
It’s hard to go in another direction after watching the Tar Heels go for a wire-to-wire win over Duke to close the regular season, leading by as much as 15 in the game. Defensively, UNC is just a lot to deal with.
Sleeper: Clemson (+850)
Clemson is the No. 6 seed in the tournament, but third-best tournament odds say the Tigers aren’t exactly the biggest sleeper. Still, if I have to take a team other than UNC and Duke, I like the team with a plus-two margin in three combined games against those teams.
America East (Winner: Vermont)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Vermont (-250)
As much as I hate to pick the favorite, Vermont has -250 odds for a reason. The Catamounts have just one conference loss all season, and that came by four points to a NJIT team they beat by 21 at home. I just don’t think any of these teams have the offense to consistently score against Vermont’s stifling defense.
Sleeper: Maine (+4500)
With the country’s 85th best Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency, Maine is able to hang around in almost every game. And the Black Bears are actually 4-1 in their last five, with the only loss coming by two points in overtime. They could absolutely play spoiler.
Southland (Winner: McNeese)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: McNeese (-240)
I wouldn’t necessarily make this pick as a standalone bet because of the short odds, but it McNeese would definitely be my play for this conference in a parlay. The Cowboys just appear to be the best team out of the Southland, riding a nine-game winning streak into tournament play.
Sleeper: Lamar (+1100)
Lamar proved it can hang around in a game against McNeese, using some stingy defense to play the Cowboys within two points two weeks ago. So, if the Cardinals can get past the top seed in a potential semifinal matchup, their chances look very good.
Big Sky (Winner: Montana State)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Eastern Washington (+215)
I like the favorite at these odds. The offense is really good at Eastern Washington, and three different players have led the Eagles in scoring in the last three games — each hitting at least 23 points. Winning each of those games by extremely tight margins should have been good preparation for what’s to come.
Sleeper: Idaho State (+2500)
How is Idaho State for a deep sleeper? The Bengals are 1-5 in their last six games entering the tournament. But here’s the thing, before losing at Montana on Monday, their previous four losses came by an average of 3.5 points. They’ve been playing some incredibly close games, and many of the teams they’ve pushed to the end and even beaten are on their side of the bracket.
Patriot League (Winner: Colgate)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Colgate (-250)
This is about as sure a bet as you can get in these early conference tournaments, as no other team in the Patriot League comes close to Colgate. The Raiders are 16-2 in conference play.
Sleeper: American (+750)
My sleeper is whichever team wins the quarterfinal matchup between American and Bucknell, but I’ll take American here since they won the previous two meetings. It also helps that American is the league’s second-best team away from home.
Summit League (Winner: South Dakota State)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: South Dakota State (+175)
Behind Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State is playing some good ball right now, averaging 81 points over the last five games, including three wins on the road.
Sleeper: Kansas City (+650)
It took the Roos a while to get it together, but they’re peaking at just the right time. Kansas City has six straight wins, including victories over each of the top-two seeds.
CAA (Winner: Charleston)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Hofstra (+280)
Before losing to No. 1 seed Charleston on Saturday, Hofstra was riding a four-game winning streak. Tyler Thomas and Darlinstone Dubar are both averaging more than 18 points, and look primed to carry the team on a deep run.
Sleeper: Towson (+950)
This isn’t the wisest pick considering Towson has recent losses to the two teams it’ll most likely have to go through to reach the final, but then again, those recent games might’ve been the preview Towson needed of what’s to come.
West Coast (Winner: Saint Mary's)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Gonzaga (+100)
We just got a preview of the potential WCC title game Saturday, and Gonzaga beat Saint Mary’s by 13, holding the Gaels to 37 percent from the field. That was the eighth straight win for the Bulldogs, who own the last five WCC tourney titles.
Sleeper: Santa Clara (+2500)
Do I actually believe someone other than Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s will win this tournament? No. But Santa Clara at least has a bye until the quarters, and the Broncos have a win over Gonzaga this year and played Saint Mary’s to five points in their last meeting.
Northeast (Winner: Wagner)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Merrimack (+120)
Merrimack was riding a 10-game winning streak before a tight loss at Sacred Heart on Saturday. I expect the Warriors to buckle back down on defense and cruise to the championship round at the very least.
Sleeper: Le Moyne (+900)
Le Moyne has the pleasure of playing on the same side of the bracket as Central Connecticut, who the team has beaten twice. Knocking off the No. 1 seed again would give the Dolphins some incredible momentum going into the title game.
Horizon League (Winner: Oakland)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Youngstown State (+195)
Youngstown lost both its meetings to No. 1-seed Oakland this season, but I think the Penguins are playing better ball right now. They have three straight wins entering the tournament.
Sleeper: Milwaukee (+2200)
I’m shocked by how long these odds are considering the Panthers took Youngstown State to OT in both their meetings this year, and also went to OT in its second loss to Oakland after losing the first game by just five. Not to mention, they enter the tournament fresh off a 21-point beatdown of Green Bay.
Southern (Winner: Samford)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Samford (+150)
Samford is one of the hottest shooting teams in the country. With Achor Achor leading the way, the Bulldogs are going to be tough to knock off.
Sleeper: Chattanooga (+550)
The Mocs are 3-1 against the two best teams on their side of the bracket. Recent losses to Western Carolina and The Citadel make them tough to trust, but their offense is better than what they’ve shown lately.
Sun Belt (Winner: James Madison)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Appalachian State (+180)
Appalachian has to be the pick here. The Mountaineers beat No. 2 James Madison in both meetings this year, and they only have two conference losses all season — both tight losses on the road.
Sleeper: Arkansas State (+800)
Arkansas State is 8-2 in its last 10 games, with those two losses coming to the top two teams in the conference, including a tight four-point loss to James Madison.
Missouri Valley (Winner: Drake)
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Indiana State (+170)
The Sycamores are the 45th-ranked team on KenPom and have the easiest path to the final as the MVC’s top seed. I feel good about their chances to go the distance.
Sleeper: UNI (+1100)
Northern Iowa has won three straight games by an average of 13 points, including a 14-point win over No. 2-seed Drake. And the Panthers haven’t seen Indiana State since January, so it’s possible they catch the top seed off guard in a potential semifinal matchup.
Big South (Winner: Longwood)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: UNC Asheville (+250)
I’m rolling with Asheville just because I don’t think the margin between No. 1 and No. 2 is worth the difference in odds. Playing on the opposite side of the bracket, I give Asheville as good a chance to advance as High Point.
Sleeper: Gardner-Webb (+800)
Gardner-Webb’s path to the championship potentially includes games against Presbyterian and UNC Asheville, teams the Bulldogs are 3-1 against this season, with the one loss coming by two points.
ASUN (Winner: Stetson)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Lipscomb (+250)
I like the momentum Lipscomb is entering this tournament with, having won four straight games. The Bisons only got one crack at Stetson, who they’ll potentially play in the semifinals, and it didn’t go their way on the road. But I expect them to shoot the ball more to their standards in a second crack at the Hatters.
Sleeper: North Florida (+1200)
North Florida opens the tournament against Austin Peay, who it took to double overtime on the road in their one meeting this season. The Ospreys eventually lost that game, but with wins over Lipscomb and Stetson, they can absolutely compete with the top dogs in the ASUN.
Ohio Valley (Winner: Morehead State)
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Little Rock (+175)
The top of the OVC is incredibly tight, but Little Rock stands out lately thanks to a nine-game winning streak that includes victories over Morehead State, UT Martin, Western Illinois and Tennessee State.
Sleeper: UT Martin (+400)
Metrics say Morehead State is this league’s best team, but UT Martin is seeded higher and already guaranteed a spot in the semis. The path to a title isn’t easy, but it is short.
