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Top odds to win March Madness: Houston and Alabama lead the charge

The updated odds to win March Madness are out with the 2024 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament here.

The UConn Huskies come in at No. 1 with +380 odds to hoist the trophy in Arizona next month.

Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars are currently second with +550 odds while the Purdue Boilermakers come in at third (+700).

Let’s check in on the odds to win March Madness this year.

Note: March Madness odds provided by ESPN BET

UConn Huskies +380

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UConn heads into its first-round matchup against Stetson at 31-3 on the season. That includes wins over seven top-25 teams. Dan Hurley’s squad has five players averaging double-digit points. That includes Tristen Newton averaging 15.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists on 50% from two-point range.

The Huskies biggest threat in the East Region has to be Iowa State and Illinois. San Diego State should also be considered a sleeper.

Houston Cougars: +550

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Houston’s disappointing 2023 Tourney run came to an end in the Sweet 16. That’s after Kelvin Sampson’s squad entered the tourney with a 33-4 record. The hope for these Cougars is that things change starting Friday against Longwood.

Houston entered the Conference USA Tournament ranked No. 1 in the nation, only to be blown out by Iowa State by 28 points in the championship game. The South Region is tough with Marquette and Kentucky joining Houston.

Purdue Boilermakers: +700

Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Our odds to win March Madness now includes star center Zach Edey and his squad. Edey averaged 24.4 points and 11.7 rebounds during the regular season. He was absolutely dominant in the grand scheme of things.

The question here is whether he can get more help from a scoring standpoint. Braden Smith ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game. Purdue will be tested in a Midwest region that includes Tennessee, Kansas and Creighton.

Arizona Wildcats (+1100)

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It seems as if Caleb Love has been playing college ball for a decade. His experience for Arizona should help when it comes to the program’s odds to win March Madness.

As a senior this season, Love is averaging 18.1 points to go with 4.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 42% shooting. We also like the Wildcats’ depth with Oumar Ballo and Keshad Johnson doing their thing.

Related: Top 10 Round 1 upsets in March Madness history

Odds to win March Madness

Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s a look at the top-10 teams with the best odds to hoist the trophy in Arizona.

  • UConn Huskies: +380
  • Houston Cougars: +550
  • Purdue Boilermakers: +700
  • Arizona Wildcats: +1100
  • North Carolina Tar Heels: +1300
  • Auburn Tigers: +1500
  • Tennessee Volunteers: +1600
  • Iowa State Cylones: +1700
  • Kentucky Wildcats: +2000
  • Marquette Golden Eagles: +2000

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