2024 NCAA Tournament Online Betting
The 2024 NCAA Tournament begins with First Four action on Tuesday, March 19 and concludes with the NCAA Championship Game on Monday, April 8. A total of 68 teams will try and win the national title with the defending champion Connecticut Huskies listed as the March Madness betting favorite. The First Four games take place on Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20. The First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament is set for Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22. Second Round games will be played on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. The Sweet Sixteen games will be played on Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29. Elite Eight games are scheduled for Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31. The Final Four will take place on Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona with the National Championship Game at the same location on Monday, April 8.
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2024 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament
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
NCAA Championship Game: Monday, April 8
The top four seeds in the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament are also the top four March Madness betting choices. The Connecticut Huskies are the No. 1 seed in the East Region and the overall favorite to win the title. The Houston Cougars are the No. 1 seed in the South Region and they are second in NCAA basketball futures. The Purdue Boilermakers are the No. 1 seed in the Midwest and they are third in college basketball futures odds to win the title. The North Carolina Tar Heels are the No. 1 seed in the West Region and they are fourth in futures odds. Also worth keeping an eye on are the No. 2 seeded Tennessee Volunteers and No. 2 seeded Arizona Wildcats, as both teams have been among the top choices in NCAA Tournament odds this season.
2024 NCAA Tournament First Four (All Times Eastern)
Tuesday, March 19 from the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
No. 16 Wagner Seahawks vs. No. 16 Howard Bison (-3, O/U 129), 6:40 p.m.
No. 10 Colorado State Rams (-2.5, O/U 120) vs. No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers, 9:10 p.m.
Wednesday, March 20 from the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
No. 16 Grambling Tigers vs. No. 16 Montana St. Bobcats (-3.5, O/U 133.5), 6:40 p.m.
No. 10 Colorado Buffaloes (-2.5, O/U 140) vs. No. 10 Boise State Broncos, 9:10 p.m.
2024 NCAA Tournament First Round (All Times Eastern)
Thursday, March 21
(8) Mississippi State vs. (9) Michigan State (-1.5, O/U 130.5) | 12:15 p.m. | CBS
(6) BYU (-9, O/U 142.5) vs. (11) Duquesne | 12:40 p.m. | truTV
(3) Creighton (-12.5, O/U 141.5) vs. (14) Akron | 1:30 p.m. | TNT
(2) Arizona (-20.5, O/U 161.5) vs. (15) Long Beach State | 2 p.m. | TBS
(1) North Carolina vs. (16) Howard or (16) Wagner | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
(3) Illinois (-12.5, O/U 147.5) vs. (14) Morehead State | 3:10 p.m. | truTV
(6) South Carolina (-1, O/U 133) vs. (11) Oregon | 4 p.m. | TNT
(7) Dayton vs. (10) Nevada (-1, O/U 136.5) | 4:30 p.m. | TBS
(7) Texas vs. (10) Colorado State or (10) Virginia | 6:50 p.m. | TNT
(3) Kentucky (-14, O/U 163) vs. (14) Oakland | 7:10 p.m. | CBS
(5) Gonzaga (-7, O/U 150) vs. (12) McNeese | 7:25 p.m. | TBS
(2) Iowa State (-16.5, O/U 135) vs. (15) South Dakota State | 7:35 p.m. | truTV
(2) Tennessee (-21, O/U 130) vs. (15) Saint Peter's | 9:20 p.m. | TNT
(6) Texas Tech (-5, O/U 145.5) vs. (11) NC State | 9:40 p.m. | CBS
(4) Kansas (-8, O/U 153.5) vs. (13) Samford | 9:55 p.m. | TBS
(7) Washington State vs. (10) Drake (-2, O/U 137.5) | 10:05 p.m. | truTV
Friday, March 22
(8) Florida Atlantic (-2.5, O/U 142) vs. (9) Northwestern | 12:15 p.m. | CBS
(3) Baylor (-13.5, O/U 138.5) vs. (14) Colgate | 12:40 p.m. | truTV
(5) San Diego State (-6.5, O/U 138.5) vs. (12) UAB | 1:45 p.m. | TNT
(2) Marquette (-14.5, O/U 157.5) vs. (15) Western Kentucky | 2 p.m. | TBS
(1) UConn (-26, O/U 145.5) vs. (16) Stetson | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
(6) Clemson vs. (11) New Mexico (-2, O/U 150) | 3:10 p.m. | truTV
(4) Auburn (-13, O/U 140.5) vs. (13) Yale | 4:15 p.m. | TNT
(7) Florida vs. (10) Colorado or (10) Boise State | 4:30 p.m. | TBS
(8) Nebraska (pick, O/U 147.5) vs. (9) Texas A&M | 6:50 p.m. | TNT
(4) Duke (-12, O/U 133) vs. (13) Vermont | 7:10 p.m. | CBS
(1) Purdue vs. (16) Grambling or Montana State | 7:25 p.m. | TBS
(4) Alabama (-9, O/U 173) vs. (13) College of Charleston | 7:35 pm. | truTV
(1) Houston (-24, O/U 128) vs. (16) Longwood | 9:20 p.m. | TNT
(5) Wisconsin (-5.5, O/U 145) vs. (12) James Madison | 9:40 p.m. | CBS
(8) Utah State vs. (9) TCU (-3.5, O/U 150.5) | 9:55 p.m. | TBS
(5) Saint Mary's (-5, O/U 131) vs. (12) Grand Canyon | 10:05 p.m. | truTV
NCAA Tournament History
The NCAA Tournament began in 1939, growing in size and stature over the years. The first tournament consisted of eight teams, and the format remained unchanged until 1951, when the field was doubled to 16. The number of participating schools doubled again to 32 in 1975 and reached 64 in 1985.
Now, there are slots for 68 of the best D-I college basketball squads in America. There are 32 spaces reserved for automatic qualifiers – teams that win their end-of-the-season conference tournament. The selection committee picks the other 36 teams as at-large entrants based on their overall record, RPI, net rating, and other factors.
We may see another big change coming to March Madness in the very near future. The NCAA Transformation Committee recommended expanding the number of teams in the NCAA Tournament to accommodate the growing number of Division I teams in the country. There are now more than 350 Division I college basketball teams, and the committee wants to guarantee that at least a quarter of those programs can potentially make the NCAA Tournament. That could mean an expansion to a 96-team March Madness in as little as two years.
Most National Championships
WINS |
TEAM |
YEARS |
11 |
UCLA |
1964, 1965, 1967-73, 1975, 1995 |
8 |
Kentucky |
1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012 |
6 |
North Carolina |
1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
5 |
Connecticut |
1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023 |
5 |
Duke |
1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
5 |
Indiana |
1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 |
4 |
Kansas |
1952, 1988, 2008, 2022 |
3 |
Villanova |
1985, 2016, 2018 |
3 |
Louisville |
1961, 1962 |
2 |
Florida |
2006, 2007 |
2 |
Michigan State |
1979, 2000 |
2 |
N.C. State |
1974, 1983 |
2 |
San Francisco |
1955, 1956 |
2 |
Oklahoma State |
1945, 1946 |
In today’s era of "one and done" players leaving for the NBA and the transfer portal utilizing a perpetual revolving door, the idea of winning a 68-team tournament is much harder than it was in the 1960s and 1970s during the greatest dynasty in the history of men's college basketball.
UCLA's record of 11 titles won't be touched for quite some time. As great as John Calipari has been at Kentucky, his Wildcats have just one National Championship since 1998 and eight in totality. There has also been a shift in college basketball recruiting as teams are now rarely going all-in on freshmen that will be one and done. We are continually seeing veteran teams that grow together like Villanova, Virginia, Baylor, and Kansas win national titles while the uber-talented freshmen teams implode.
National Championship Games (2000)
YEARS |
WINNER |
RUNNER-UP |
LOCATION |
2023 |
Connecticut |
San Diego State |
NRG Stadium |
2022 |
Kansas |
North Carolina |
Caesars Superdome |
2021 |
Baylor |
Gonzaga |
Lucas Oil Stadium |
2020 |
Event Canceled |
2019 |
Virginia |
Texas Tech |
U.S. Bank Stadium |
2018 |
Villanova |
Michigan |
Alamodome |
2017 |
North Carolina |
Gonzaga |
University of Phoenix Stadium |
2016 |
Villanova |
North Carolina |
NRG Stadium |
2015 |
Duke |
Wisconsin |
Lucas Oil Stadium |
2014 |
Connecticut |
Kentucky |
AT&T Stadium |
2013 |
Louisville |
Michigan |
Georgia Dome |
2012 |
Kentucky |
Kansas |
Mercedes-Benz Superdome |
2011 |
Connecticut |
Butler |
Reliant Stadium |
2010 |
Duke |
Butler |
Lucas Oil Stadium |
2009 |
North Carolina |
Michigan State |
Ford Field |
2008 |
Kansas |
Memphis |
Alamodome |
2007 |
Florida |
Ohio State |
Georgia Dome |
2006 |
Florida |
UCLA |
RCA Dome |
2005 |
North Carolina |
Illinois |
Edward Jones Dome |
2004 |
Connecticut |
Georgia Tech |
Alamodome |
2003 |
Syracuse |
Kansas |
Louisiana Superdome |
2002 |
Maryland |
Indiana |
Georgia Dome |
2001 |
Duke |
Arizona |
Metrodome |
2000 |
Michigan State |
Florida |
RCA Dome |
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