Odds to Win March Madness Ahead of Sweet 16 – Gonzaga Remains Title Favorite

By Eric Rosales in College Basketball
Published:

- Gonzaga Bulldogs remain betting favorite after opening weekend of NCAA Tournament
- Kansas Jayhawks jump to second betting favorite
- Read below for analysis on the March Madness odds ahead of the Sweet 16
Take a deep breath. What an opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The path to the Sweet 16 was chock full of party-crashers, laying plenty of brackets to waste. The latest Final Four odds have a lot of heavyweights already off the board.
Before we embark on the next round, let’s review the most updated NCAA Tournament odds, featuring all the teams still standing, including the pre-tournament favorite, still in the mix.
Updates 2022 NCAA Tournament Odds
Team | Odds |
---|---|
Gonzaga | +225 |
Kansas | +450 |
Arizona | +500 |
Houston | +1000 |
Duke | +1000 |
Purdue | +1100 |
Texas Tech | +1400 |
Villanova | +1400 |
UCLA | +1600 |
North Carolina | +2000 |
Arkansas | +5000 |
Providence | +5000 |
Michigan | +5000 |
Miami | +7500 |
Iowa State | +10000 |
St Peter’s | +20000 |
* Odds as of March 20 at at Caesars Sportsbook. See all available Caesars Sportsbook promo codes.
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Gonzaga Still Top of Table
For all the madness happening around them, the top-seeded Bulldogs still own the top NCAA Tournament champion odds. They sit at +225 to take it all, shortening from +350 pre-tournament.
"I said I love this group. We don't deserve this. We've worked so hard to get here. Let's not end this now. Let's go out guns blazing. A little hard to get the G rated version, so, sorry."- Drew Timme on his halftime speech to the Zags. pic.twitter.com/AbbZEOPBO2
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) March 20, 2022
The ‘Zags did taste a little pressure in Round 2 against Memphis, overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit to escape with an 82-78 win. Drew Timme, one of the top candidates in the Wooden Award odds, poured in 25 to keep the Bulldogs rolling.
The West Region is the only bracket that has arrived at chalk, with the four top seeds set to square off. Gonzaga will take on #4 Arkansas, while #2 Duke battles 3rd-seeded Texas Tech.
Yooo @Jeremyroach10 🥶🤯‼️💦pic.twitter.com/T30fgIsD33
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 21, 2022
With Gonzaga next, the Razorbacks’ odds fade from +4000 to +5000, but the Red Raiders shoot up the board, climbing to +1400 from +2300. The Blue Devils, who barely outlasted 7th-seeded Michigan State, have faded to +1000, after starting at +800.
Kansas Jumps To 2nd-Best Odds
After the West region, every other bracket has been detonated, including the Midwest, where top-seeded Kansas is into the Sweet 16 and oddsmakers are taking notice. They jump from +1300 to +475 odds.
Another NCAA Tournament, another win for Kansas.
The Jayhawks have won a game in each of the last 15 NCAA Tournaments, the longest active streak by any program.#PayHeed | @KUHoops pic.twitter.com/bW4dqTSANr
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 18, 2022
Their opponent in the Sweet 16 did a little moving and shaking of their own. The Providence Friars, who won the Big East Tournament, dismantled upstart Richmond in Round 2 by 28. You needed a magnifying glass to see their pre-tourney odds, which averaged around +22500. They now sit at +5000.
A couple of Sunday shockers set up an all double-digit seeded matchup in the Sweet 16. The No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones sent 3-seed Wisconsin packing earlier in the day, while the 10th-seeded Miami Hurricanes smacked the 2-seed Auburn Tigers.
OMG ISAIAH WONG JUST DROPPED A HAMMER ON JABARI SMITH @CanesHoops pic.twitter.com/aB1AwuS4XS
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2022
That guarantees a double-digit seed will reach the Elite Eight, the 20th time that’s happened since the tourney expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Miami (+5000) and Iowa State (+12500) still have distant odds.
East Region A Toss Up
If you’re lookin for shock and awe, look no further than the East, where 2nd-seeded Kentucky was beat in Round 1 by St. Peter’s, while top-seeded Baylor got bounced in Round 2 by the North Carolina, who may just be peaking at the right time.
St. Peter's does it on both ends and they're neck-and-neck with Kentucky in the 2nd half. 😯
(📽️: @MarchMadnessMBB)pic.twitter.com/4c2yl8xHbp
— theScore (@theScore) March 18, 2022
Third-seeded Purdue and 4-seed UCLA are also through to the Sweet 16.
The Bruins have seen their stock jump from +2400 to +1600. They’ll lock horns with the Tar Heels, who started at distant +16000 odds, now down to +2000 odds to take it all.
RJ Davis finishes with a career-high 30 points, including this tough and-one bucket in the closing stages of overtime.
North Carolina survives despite blowing a 25-point lead to knock off No. 1 Baylor 93-86 in OT.
🎥 @CBSSportspic.twitter.com/24NSXVW0ki
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 19, 2022
The Boilermakers outlasted a very game Texas Longhorns group Sunday, pulling away to win 81-71. Their odds improve slightly from +1600 to +1100. Purdue seemingly should have the best matchup against 15-seed St Peter’s.
But the Peacocks, just the third 15-seed to land in Sweet 16 rarified air, haven’t looked out of place at the tournament.
If you’re thinking anything can happen at March Madness, the Peacocks still have +20000 odds, down from +75000.
Arizona Still in Mix
The South Region has their top two seeds through, but barely. Arizona needed OT to get past 9-seed TCU to win in Round 2. They are comfortably into the title conversation though, with +500 odds, a jump from their +650 odds.
BENNEDICT MATHURIN WITH THE DUNK OF THE TOURNAMENT 😱
(via @MarchMadnessMBB)pic.twitter.com/Wt96Y2v1PH
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 21, 2022
The other Wildcats, Villanova at the 2-seed, looked every bit the been-there, done-that squad who worked through Delaware and Ohio State. They’ve shortened from +2200 to +1400.
There’s another power lurking: the 5-seed Houston Cougars, a Final Four squad a year ago, put the clamps on both UAB and Illinois to advance. They have the nation’s attention, now at +1000 title odds from the +3500 odds they had coming in.
What a game for Hunter Dickinson 💪
27 pts
11 rebs
8-13 FG
3-5 3PT#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/2HttXh7IZ6— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2022
The Michigan Wolverines are the wild card. The 11th seed hadn’t won back-to-back games since the second week of February, but they’ve done it here, most notably bouncing 3-seed Tennessee. They averaged +13500 odds coming in, and that’s down to +5000.
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- BETMGM SPORTSBOOK
USE CODE SBD1500 & GET $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS
- DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK
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- FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
BET $5 & GET $250 IF YOUR BET WINS
- CAESARS SPORTSBOOK
USE CODE SBD2DYW & BET $1 TO DOUBLE THE WINNINGS ON YOUR FIRST 10 BETS!

Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.