The Midwest Region Is Deep & Balanced Heading Into The Sweet 16
There's Some Value On The March Madness Region Odds Board
Many sports fans were upset that there weren’t many upsets in the Round of 32. The only upset in the Round of 32 was Clemson’s win over Baylor, leaving favorites to go 15-1 straight up in those 16 games.
But while watching no upsets at the moment, now we’ve got some really intriguing college basketball matchups that should be super competitive in the Sweet 16.
At the end of the day, this is what the television channels want. The ratings will be so much better with the top teams still around.
With that, the NCAA Tournament schedule for the Sweet 16 was released. The odds of winning all four regions have also been updated.
Therefore, we’ll examine all of the March Madness Region odds. Only four teams remain in each portion of the NCAA Tournament bracket.
East Region
| Team | Odds *Last Updated: 3/26/2024 |
|---|---|
 Connecticut | -230 |
 Iowa State | +420 |
 Illinois | +600 |
 San Diego State | +1200 |
East Region Analysis
The UConn Huskies are the No. 1 seed in this region. The Huskies won the NCAA Tournament last year and look just as good this year heading into the Sweet 16. They’ll face a red-hot San Diego State squad that played against the Huskies in last year’s Championship game.
Nobody was able to beat the Aztecs but the Huskies. So you’d have to imagine that UConn will take care of business against SDSU.
Meanwhile, the Illinois-Iowa State matchup is intriguing. Illinois and Iowa State both won their conference titles. Illinois is the No. 3 seed and the slight underdog to Iowa State, the No. 2 seed in the East Region.
However, the steam has shifted the Illinois line from +2.5 to +2. The Fighting Illini have scored at least 85 points in both NCAA Tournament games so far. The Fighting Illini have a real fighting chance to knock off Iowa State.
It’s just unlikely either team gets by a really good UConn team. The Huskies have the highest probability with their March Madness Region odds.
West Region
| Team | Odds *Last Updated: 3/26/2024 |
|---|---|
 Arizona | +110 |
 North Carolina | +180 |
 Alabama | +410 |
 Clemson | +950 |
West Region Analysis
Although North Carolina is the No. 1 seed in the West Region, Arizona is the favorite to win the Region. It’s not because North Carolina is the worse NCAAB team. Ultimately, Arizona is facing No. 6 Clemson and has a better chance at making the Elite Eight.
Clemson has looked really good in the NCAA Tournament. They’ve just been inconsistent throughout the year. Ironically enough, Clemson defeated Alabama earlier in the year on the road, 85-77. If Alabama and Clemson were to both get upsets, Clemson would be an underdog to Alabama despite that road win.
Anyway, North Carolina at +180 looks like great odds, too. The Tar Heels still look like the best team in the region analytically and with the eye test. We recommend riding North Carolina, but to think about taking a flier on Clemson at +950.
After all, with a defensive efficiency that ranks below 100, Alabama will not make it into the Final Four. Despite how it looked against Grand Canyon, the defense isn’t good enough. Our NCAAB predictions believe it won’t look like that against North Carolina, Arizona, or even Clemson.
South Region
| Team | Odds *Last Updated: 3/26/2024 |
|---|---|
 Houston | +100 |
 Marquette | +200 |
 Duke | +350 |
 NC State | +1400 |
South Region Analysis
This Region has it all.
Houston escaped Texas A&M with an overtime win after watching four key NCAAB players foul out in that game. Houston, known for its defense, allowed 95 points in the win. They fouled at a super high rate and still won the game somehow.
But if that continues against Duke in the Sweet 16, Houston will be upset. The Duke Blue Devils have all the metrics for Championship level teams. When everyone thought Duke would be upset by James Madison, the Blue Devils rolled all over them.
Meanwhile, NC State beat Duke in the ACC Tournament. It would be hilarious if NC State faced Duke in the Elite Eight for a chance at a Final Four run. However, Marquette should be the team to kick North Carolina State out of the Region finally.
Ultimately, the winner of the Houston-Duke game will likely advance to the Final Four. After that Houston-Duke game, you’ll want to pay attention to the college basketball lines in this region.
Midwest Region
| Team | Odds *Last Updated: 3/26/2024 |
|---|---|
 Purdue | +120 |
 Tennessee | +210 |
 Creighton | +450 |
 Gonzaga | +500 |
Midwest Region Analysis
The Midwest Region has to be the most exciting Region. Anything can happen in this one.
Purdue was an afterthought for most after last year’s loss to Fairleigh Dickinson. But after two wins in the NCAA Tournament, the Boilermakers looked poised for a Final Four run.
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s defense is good enough to drag them into the Final Four. They also have good enough metrics to get into the Final Four.
On the other hand, Creighton just missed out on a Final Four last year, and Gonzaga looks better than it has in previous NCAA Tournaments.
We still believe Purdue and Tennessee will escape with wins in the Sweet 16 and face one another. At the start of the NCAA Tournament, we had Tennessee knocking off Purdue. But after watching the tournament play out, our opinions have changed. Purdue looks like the real deal and could pull off a Virginia-like season.
Virginia, for example, lost to UMBC in the NCAA Tournament and then came back the following year and won it all. Virginia was embarrassed and returned to work after that loss to a 16-seed. Purdue is doing the same. That’s why the March Madness Region odds still favor Purdue in the Midwest.
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
