The 2024 March Madness tournament is finally upon us as the top college basketball teams in the country compete to be crowned national champions.
The top schools in the country will compete for a chance to cut down the nets at the State Farm Arena in Arizona on April 8th with the UConn Huskies looking to make it back-to-back championships.
But who are their main competition? We'll take a look at the contenders and provide our best free NCAAB betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash.
| March Madness 2024 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| UConn Huskies | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Houston Cougars | +550 | +600 | +500 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | +700 | +700 | +650 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +1100 | +1600 | +1400 |
| Arizona Wildcats | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
Learn more about how to bet on March Madness here.
March Madness 2024 information
- First Four: March 19-20
- First round: March 21-22
- Second round: March 23-24
- Sweet 16: March 28-29
- Elite Eight: March 30-31
- Final Four: Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
- NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
March Madness 2024 favorites
Below you'll find a list of favorites to win the 2024 March Madness tournament.
UConn Huskies - (+400)
The Huskies haven’t snuck up on anyone this season and they are the top-ranked team in the country because of their excellent performances.
Coach Dan Hurley still has one of the Big East’s most talented rosters, led by guard Tristen Newton who has achieved a fantastic 15.2 points per game, 7 rebounds per game and 6 assists per game on average this season. The addition of Cam Spencer has bolstered the Huskies’ outside shooting also.
UConn’s defensive length and rebounding, plus its inside-outside scoring, was a big part of its post-season dominance in 2023 which led to their championship and it has showcased a terrific defense in the season’s early going too.
The Huskies have one of America’s most raucous fan bases, and they travel well. But with the number one seeding in the tournament they have a great geographical advantage too so considering all of that taking UConn to be the first team to repeat since Florida in 2006 and 2007 looks a good bet.
Houston Cougars - (+600)
The Cougars again boast one of the best defensive clubs in the country and seem like a more bona fide championship contender in 2023-24 compared to recent times. Considering how good they are it's crazy that the school has never won an NCAA championship, and even crazier that they haven't reached a final in 40 years.
Houston has been battle-tested by playing the hellacious Big XII slate since they were in the AAC until last season, and it has risen to the challenge by going 15-3 in conference play.
The Cougars still have a suspect offense which is a worry, and it's likely to be the reason they don't go all the way for the first time. But many people will tell you that defense is what wins championships, so they simply cannot be ruled out as potential winners.
Purdue Boilermakers - (+700)
The Boilermakers have been absolutely dominant over the Big 10 yet again in 2023-24, led by likely repeat National Player of the Year, Zach Edey.
Purdue are in the title conversation yet again, but the ghosts of the last three years where they have collapsed inexplicably must be exorcised first before they can find that success. The Boilermakers have fallen to a double-digit seed in three consecutive tournaments, including memorable losses to St. Peter’s in 2022 and No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson last March.
There are genuine concerns when it comes to coach Matt Painter’s ability to game plan against smaller schools, but if they manage to get that right this time then nobody would be surprised to see them cut the nets down for the first time in their history.
Tennessee Volunteers - (+1600)
Head coach Rick Barnes has been around long enough, yet he is still starving for the first taste of a national championship in his career. The Volunteers are a great defensive team, still averaging 80 points per game, which is why they are ranked in the top-5 and at +1600 there is tremendous value in backing Tennessee.
Tennessee have got some geographic advantage, and will start their tournament against St Peter's which will see them enter as heavy early favorites and with a chance to warm up with great performances.
But there has to be real concerns that Barnes has only ever even been able to make it to the final four once before, and that was over 20 years ago. It seems highly unlikely that they will be able to change that, but crazier things have happened in basketball so they should not be ruled out.
Arizona Wildcats - (+1200)
Arizona Wildcats are a real dark horse to go all the way in 2024, because they're so consistent when it comes to getting to the latter stages.
The Wildcats have let down bettors over the past two decades by failing to reach the Final Four since 2001, when Lute Olson was still the coach. But Arizona is once again atop the Pac-12 in its conference swansong, led by impactful transfers like Caleb Love from North Carolina, which has helped it average almost 90 points per season.
Arizona are still a battle-tested team based thanks mainly to its non-conference slate. The Wildcats have a neutral-site win against Alabama this season and a road victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium. If you can score as much as they do you always have a chance of success.
