March Madness has arrived, with the first of 32 NCAA Div. I men’s basketball tournaments tipping off March 4. And once the action is underway, it’ll be non-stop basketball until the final tournaments crown a champion on Selection Sunday. Then, we jump right into the NCAA Tournament.
To help predict and keep track of which teams clinch those automatic bids to the big dance, BetFTW put together this tracker of each conference tourney, from the Atlantic Sun to the SEC and everything in between. It includes brackets, betting odds, picks and sleepers for each conference, and will be updated as more tournaments get underway and ultimately conclude.
Let the fun begin.
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Lipscomb (+250)
I like the momentum Lipscomb is entering this tournament with, having won four straight games. The Bisons only got one crack at Stetson, who they’ll potentially play in the semifinals, and it didn’t go their way on the road. But I expect them to shoot the ball more to their standards in a second crack at the Hatters.
Sleeper: North Florida (+1200)
North Florida opens the tournament against Austin Peay, who it took to double overtime on the road in their one meeting this season. The Ospreys eventually lost that game, but with wins over Lipscomb and Stetson, they can absolutely compete with the top dogs in the ASUN.
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Appalachian State (+180)
Appalachian has to be the pick here. The Mountaineers beat No. 2 James Madison in both meetings this year, and they only have two conference losses all season — both tight losses on the road.
Sleeper: Arkansas State (+800)
Arkansas State is 8-2 in its last 10 games, with those two losses coming to the top two teams in the conference, including a tight four-point loss to James Madison.
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Youngstown State (+195)
Youngstown lost both its meetings to No. 1-seed Oakland this season, but I think the Penguins are playing better ball right now. They have three straight wins entering the tournament.
Sleeper: Milwaukee (+2200)
I’m shocked by how long these odds are considering the Panthers took Youngstown State to OT in both their meetings this year, and also went to OT in its second loss to Oakland after losing the first game by just five. Not to mention, they enter the tournament fresh off a 21-point beatdown of Green Bay.
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Colgate (-250)
This is about as sure a bet as you can get in these early conference tournaments, as no other team in the Patriot League comes close to Colgate. The Raiders are 16-2 in conference play.
Sleeper: American (+750)
My sleeper is whichever team wins the quarterfinal matchup between American and Bucknell, but I’ll take American here since they won the previous two meetings. It also helps that American is the league’s second-best team away from home.
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Little Rock (+175)
The top of the OVC is incredibly tight, but Little Rock stands out lately thanks to a nine-game winning streak that includes victories over Morehead State, UT Martin, Western Illinois and Tennessee State.
Sleeper: UT Martin (+400)
Metrics say Morehead State is this league’s best team, but UT Martin is seeded higher and already guaranteed a spot in the semis. The path to a title isn’t easy, but it is short.
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: UNC Asheville (+250)
I’m rolling with Asheville just because I don’t think the margin between No. 1 and No. 2 is worth the difference in odds. Playing on the opposite side of the bracket, I give Asheville as good a chance to advance as High Point.
Sleeper: Gardner-Webb (+800)
Gardner-Webb’s path to the championship potentially includes games against Presbyterian and UNC Asheville, teams the Bulldogs are 3-1 against this season, with the one loss coming by two points.
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Merrimack (+120)
Merrimack was riding a 10-game winning streak before a tight loss at Sacred Heart on Saturday. I expect the Warriors to buckle back down on defense and cruise to the championship round at the very least.
Sleeper: Le Moyne (+900)
Le Moyne has the pleasure of playing on the same side of the bracket as Central Connecticut, who the team has beaten twice. Knocking off the No. 1 seed again would give the Dolphins some incredible momentum going into the title game.
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Indiana State (+170)
The Sycamores are the 45th-ranked team on KenPom and have the easiest path to the final as the MVC’s top seed. I feel good about their chances to go the distance.
Sleeper: UNI (+1100)
Northern Iowa has won three straight games by an average of 13 points, including a 14-point win over No. 2-seed Drake. And the Panthers haven’t seen Indiana State since January, so it’s possible they catch the top seed off guard in a potential semifinal matchup.
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Gonzaga (+100)
We just got a preview of the potential WCC title game Saturday, and Gonzaga beat Saint Mary’s by 13, holding the Gaels to 37 percent from the field. That was the eighth straight win for the Bulldogs, who own the last five WCC tourney titles.
Sleeper: Santa Clara (+2500)
Do I actually believe someone other than Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s will win this tournament? No. But Santa Clara at least has a bye until the quarters, and the Broncos have a win over Gonzaga this year and played Saint Mary’s to five points in their last meeting.
Bracket & Odds (via BetMGM)
Prince’s Pick: Samford (+150)
Samford is one of the hottest shooting teams in the country. With Achor Achor leading the way, the Bulldogs are going to be tough to knock off.
Sleeper: Chattanooga (+550)
The Mocs are 3-1 against the two best teams on their side of the bracket. Recent losses to Western Carolina and The Citadel make them tough to trust, but their offense is better than what they’ve shown lately.
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Hofstra (+280)
Before losing to No. 1 seed Charleston on Saturday, Hofstra was riding a four-game winning streak. Tyler Thomas and Darlinstone Dubar are both averaging more than 18 points, and look primed to carry the team on a deep run.
Sleeper: Towson (+950)
This isn’t the wisest pick considering Towson has recent losses to the two teams it’ll most likely have to go through to reach the final, but then again, those recent games might’ve been the preview Towson needed of what’s to come.
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: South Dakota State (+175)
Behind Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State is playing some good ball right now, averaging 81 points over the last five games, including three wins on the road.
Sleeper: Kansas City (+650)
It took the Roos a while to get it together, but they’re peaking at just the right time. Kansas City has six straight wins, including victories over each of the top-two seeds.
Bracket & Odds (via DraftKings)
Prince’s Pick: Eastern Washington (+215)
I like the favorite at these odds. The offense is really good at Eastern Washington, and three different players have led the Eagles in scoring in the last three games — each hitting at least 23 points. Winning each of those games by extremely tight margins should have been good preparation for what’s to come.
Sleeper: Idaho State (+2500)
How is Idaho State for a deep sleeper? The Bengals are 1-5 in their last six games entering the tournament. But here’s the thing, before losing at Montana on Monday, their previous four losses came by an average of 3.5 points. They’ve been playing some incredibly close games, and many of the teams they’ve pushed to the end and even beaten are on their side of the bracket.
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