- March Madness Selection Sunday was March 17th, 2024.
- The first games of March Madness were on Tuesday, March 19th.
- UConn is the betting favorite to win the national championship at BetMGM.
Another college basketball season is coming to a close. March is officially here, and the NCAA Tournament is underway.
Fortunately, BetMGM has reams of NCAA basketball odds for March Madness lovers to consider.
Of course, that’s true all year, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: Lots of people don’t pay attention to college basketball during the regular season.
No judgment here. If you’re one of those tournament-focused fans who only pays sporadic attention to the hardcourt through the end of the NFL season, then let me be your lifeline. I’m compiling all the key information you need to stay up on the Madness at a glance.
When Does March Madness Start?
The 2024 NCAA Tournament began with the First Four on Tuesday, March 19, followed by the start of the first round on Thursday, March 21.
If you subscribe to a slightly broader definition of March Madness, then the first low-major conference tournaments started the week of March 4.
March Madness Schedule: What the College Basketball Calendar Looks Like
A basic summary of the college basketball regular season goes something like this: nonconference games up to New Year’s; conference games through the end of February; conference tournaments in the first part of March; March Madness in the second part of March.
When is Selection Sunday for March Madness This Year?
Selection Sunday 2024 – the date when the 68-team bracket is revealed on the CBS Selection Show – was Sunday, March 17.
March Madness Locations for This Season’s Tournament
As usual, the opening week of NCAA Tournament games will be spread out over a variety of locations.
For regional and Final Four locations, you can check out my round-by-round breakdowns here:
If you’re really curious, our team also has a list of the future Final Four sites for the entire rest of the decade.
March Madness Odds
It’s one of the most googled questions of every single year: Who Is Predicted To Win March Madness?
For now, the answer is the UConn Huskies, who are +350 to win it all. But we’re still in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament, which means that betting NCAA basketball futures right now is less about nailing the right answer and more about getting a fat number with an underrated team.
If you’re new to betting college basketball odds, let me give you an example. Last year around this time, the favorites were mostly teams you would expect: Gonzaga (+900), North Carolina (+900), Kentucky (+1000), Kansas (+1400), Duke (+1600). There were some others mixed in, but you get the idea.
You might have noticed one conspicuously absent team: UConn. You know, the team that actually won the title last season. The Huskies were all the way down at +8000 to start the season. There’s sometimes value in throwing a dart with longer odds.
| Team | Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| UConn | +350 |
| Houston | +600 |
| Purdue | +650 |
| Arizona | +1100 |
| North Carolina | +1300 |
| Tennessee | +1500 |
| Auburn | +1700 |
| Iowa State | +1800 |
That’s a quick look at some of the most noteworthy teams right now. For a full market breakdown, you can head over to my college basketball national championship odds analysis.
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