Women’s NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament Betting Preview

Kyle Garlett Article ByKyle Garlett

March 18, 2024

It was a season for record-breaking in women’s college basketball. Multiple scoring records fell, as did records for television viewership. And now we all turn our attention to what is sure to be an incredible Women’s NCAA Division I Tournament, with the chance for more records.

First Four

The first “First Four” was played on the men’s side in 2011. The women expanded their field in 2022, and since then they’ve also been playing the First Four.

We start things off for the women on Wednesday, with Sacred Heart and Presbyterian playing for the right to be the 16-seed that plays South Carolina in the Round of 64. South Carolina is the runaway favorite to win the entire tournament – college basketball online sportsbooks have them at -120, and the winner on Wednesday night is in for a rough Friday.

Also tipping off on Wednesday is Vanderbilt and Columbia, playing for the right to be a 12-seed. The Commodores are in their first tournament in 10 years, and Columbia, which began playing in the Ivy League in 1986, is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

On Thursday, the two games feature Auburn and Arizona playing for the 11-seed, and Holy Cross and Tennessee Martin playing for a 16-seed. The winner of Auburn-Arizona will play Syracuse on Saturday. The Holy Cross-Tennessee Martin winner gets No. 1 seed Iowa.

Caitlin Clark set multiple records this year, including most three-pointers made in one season. The record for career three-pointers made is 537 and held by Taylor Robertson. Iowa online sportsbooks are taking bets on when Clark, who has 520, will break the record and hit three-pointer 538. The betting favorite is the Elite 8, at +200. If she can get there by the second round, the payout is +5000.

Albany 1 Region

As mentioned already, South Carolina is the overwhelming favorite to cut down the nets in Cleveland and win the National Championship. They have an entirely new starting lineup from last year, and they are actually better than last year’s Final Four team.

They are first in the nation in defense, second overall in offense, and they are a perfect 32-0. Notre Dame is the No. 2 seed in the region, and Indiana online sportsbooks have the Irish a distant +4500 to win the tournament.

Albany 2 Region

Iowa is the No. 1 seed in the Albany 2 Region, which includes No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 LSU, and No. 4 Kansas. It’s a tough bracket for the Hawkeyes, and if they do make it back to the Final Four, it will be well-earned. UCLA is one of the deepest teams in the country, and LSU is the defending champion. If things go as planned for the Hawkeyes and Tigers, we’ll see the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rematch, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Portland 3 Region

USC is the top seed in the Portland 3 Region, and they face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first round. Freshman JuJu Watkins finished as the nation’s second-leading scorer, only trailing Clark. Also in the region is UConn, who, despite losing five players to season-ending injuries, are once again in the national championship conversation. The 11-time national champion is paying +1600 to win another title at Connecticut online sportsbooks.

Portland 4 Region

The final region is Portland 4, and the Texas Longhorns are the top seed. Even after losing point guard Rori Harmon to a torn ACL in December, Texas still managed to win the Big 12 and earn a top seed. Stanford is the two-seed, and they were in the running for the No. 1 until the final day. 

BetUS.com has Clark as the big favorite to win WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2024, paying +400. But if she doesn’t, Stanford’s Cameron Brink is a likely candidate. She was an NCAA champion in 2021, she has twice been the Pac-12 Player of the Year, and most WNBA online sportsbooks have the Los Angeles Sparks selecting her with the No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, just behind Clark.

Men’s NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament Betting Preview

Kyle Garlett Article ByKyle Garlett

March 18, 2024

After a great week of conference tournament action, and a final goodbye to the Pac-12 conference, the Men’s NCAA Tournament field is set. On Tuesday, the first of 67 games tips off.

First Four

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we have the First Four, as eight teams compete in four games for the right to play in the final field of 64 teams.

The first game on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, is between Wagner and Howard. The winner will be the 16th seed in the West Region and play No. 1 seed North Carolina on Thursday. Wagner is in the tournament for the first time in 21 years, while Howard was a 16-seed last year and lost to Kansas.

The second game Tuesday night is for the 10th seed in the Midwest, as Virginia takes on Colorado State. BetUS.com has the Rams of CSU two-point favorites to advance to the first round on Thursday and play the 7th-seeded Texas Longhorns.

Wednesday’s games feature two other similar battles – Grambling and Montana State play as 16-seeds, with the winner playing the No. 1 seed in the Midwest, Purdue. Colorado and Boise State are 10-seeds, and the winner there will play No. 7 Florida in the South. Grambling is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since moving to Division I. The Bobcats of Montana State are in the Big Dance for the third straight year.

Final Four Betting Odds

Purdue is the top seed in the Midwest, and college basketball online sportsbooks have the Boilermakers as the heavy favorite to win the region. They are paying +165, while No. 2 seed Tennessee is at +350. The Creighton Blue Jays are the No. 3 seed, and they are +400 to make the Final Four. Kansas is the four-seed and Gonzaga is the five, but it is the Bulldogs who have the fourth-shortest odds in the region at +700.

North Carolina is the top seed in the West Region. However, the newly opened online sportsbooks in the Tar Heel State do not have them as the favorites to advance to the Final Four. UNC is second at +230, and Arizona is first at +190. The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 matchups for the West Region take place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Baylor is the third-seed and pays +700. Alabama is No. 4 and paying +900 to make a Final Four run.

The defending champion Connecticut Huskies are the top seed in the East Region, and they are big favorites to win it, paying +105. Auburn is the No. 4 seed, and their odds for the Final Four are +380. Iowa State is the two seed, but Iowa retail sportsbooks have them as the third-most likely team to advance. A Final Four bet on the Cyclones pays +400. Illinois, the three seed, is +750.

To no one’s surprise, the Houston Cougars were given the top seed in the South, and they are favorites to win the region at +140. Duke is next, with No. 2 seed Marquette trailing them. Wisconsin retail sportsbooks have the Golden Eagles at +550 and the Blue Devils at +450, despite Duke being just the fourth seed. Kentucky is the No. 3 seed and they are paying +700.

Five versus Twelve Upset

When you fill out your bracket this week, you do have to pick at least one No. 12 seed to beat a No. 5 seed. Otherwise your bracket is incomplete. Or at least ignoring the history of this matchup.

The No. 12 seed is 53-99 all-time in the first round, which is a winning percentage of .349, and at least one 12-seed has won in 17 of the last 22 tournaments.

Bovada.lv provides the odds for the four matchups this year:

No. 12 McNeese State vs. No. 5 Gonzaga (-6.5)

No. 12 UAB vs. No. 5 San Diego State (-6.5)

No. 12 Grand Canyon vs. No. St. Mary’s (-5)

No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Wisconsin (-4.5)

Along with the bookmakers rating James Madison with the best chance for the upset, so do the numbers. JMU is one of just four teams this year to win 30 games – they finished the season 31-3. They also head into the first round matchup with the Badgers on a 13-game win streak.