March Madness Vegas Odds and NCAA Tournament Guide

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2026 March Madness Vegas Odds and NCAA Tournament Guide

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What‌ ‌Is‌ ‌March‌ ‌Madness?‌

March Madness is the unofficial name given to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which features 68 of the nation’s best teams. The term March Madness originally comes from the state of Illinois, but it is now associated with one of the biggest and most popular sporting events of the year.

March Madness has grown in popularity exponentially throughout the years. It features the 32 teams that win their conference championships, as well as an additional 36 top teams selected by the committee on Selection Sunday. The “madness” comes from the unpredictable nature of the tournament and from the Cinderella stories that come from it, with underdogs often making deeper runs than any other top sport.

When Does March Madness Start?‌

Selection Sunday is set for Sunday, March 15, 2026. The First Four games will take place on March 17-18.

The rest of the dates follow as outlined below:

March Madness Dates

Event	Dates
Selection Sunday	March 15 on CBS
First Four	March 17-18
First Round	March 19-20
Second Round	March 21-22
Sweet 16	March 26-27
Elite 8	March 28-29
Final Four	April 4 on TBS
National Championship	April 6 on TBS

2026 March Madness Final Four

The national semifinals and the championship game will take place at the Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, Indiana. This will be the 9th Final Four in Indianapolis, with the previous one taking place in 2021. Back then the Baylor Bears won the title beating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the finals.

TBS will televise the Final Four.

How‌ ‌Does‌ ‌March‌ ‌Madness‌ ‌Work?‌ ‌

College basketball teams can qualify for the March Madness Tournament by earning the automatic qualifying bid that is given to each conference. The winner of the conference tournament earns a right to the NCAA Tournament.

After all of the automatic bids are handed out then a selection committee fills out the rest of the field with deserving teams. Teams are placed into four different regions, and the champion of each region advances to the Final Four.

All of the teams are seeded before the tournament begins and placed on a bracket. March Madness is played on a “win-or-go-home” format.

March Madness Betting‌ ‌

March Madness is the second most popular event to bet on in the United States, second to the Super Bowl. Sportsbooks feature many promotions and bonuses around the March Madness Tournament every year.

Some states prohibit betting on March Madness, especially for games featuring in-state teams. Betting on collegiate sporting events is one of the biggest debates in the US sports betting industry.

Can I Bet on March Madness in my State?

The following states have allowed bettors to legally place bets on March Madness in 2026:

Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Nevada
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Virginia
Washington DC
West Virginia
Wyoming

Betting Strategy

Every sports bettor will have their own betting strategy when betting on the NCAA Tournament, but making a futures bet is one of the most popular betting options. Sportsbooks offer future betting markets on the eventual NCAA Champion or on what teams will reach the Final Four.

Another March Madness betting strategy is to simply bet on every game across the tournament. With 67 different games being played over three weeks, there are plenty of opportunities to win some money on the NCAA Tournament.

Vegas Odds NCAA Tournament – Common Bets

There are a variety of betting odds available when it comes to betting on the games, but you’ll usually see three main options. “moneyline” refers to the winner of the game, “over/under” will be based on the number of points in the game being higher or lower than a number determined by the Sportsbook, and “spread” which will give the underdogs a head start of a set number of points, and is designed to make it a “pick’em” where you decide which side is more likely to beat that spread total.

NCAA Basketball Vegas Odds – Prop Bets

Since the March Madness tournament is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, prop betting is also extremely popular. There will be a number of prop betting options for each game of the tournament as well as for a whole event.

Prop bets are bets that are made on unique aspects of a game or sporting event and can add some fun and excitement to your betting experience.

Will a Number 1 seed reach the Final Four?
Will a double-digit seed reach the Final Four?

College Basketball Vegas Odds – Biggest Spread Upsets

The spread is designed to make it a pick-em between the two sides, but it’s always a major upset if a team with a double-digit spread total manages to actually win the game. The biggest spread upset in March Madness came back in 2021 when Norfolk State went into the game as +21.5 point underdogs, but they still managed to upset Missouri by winning the game 86-84.

It’s rare to see spread totals that high in the NCAA Championship Game because it should always be two strong teams who make it that far. We’ve yet to see a double-digit upset in the Championship game, but Connecticut were +9.5 point underdogs when they won against Duke in 1999.

March Madness Predictions

Arizona Wildcats lead the way when talking about the favorites to win the title. 2026 March Madness odds favor the team from Tucson, Michigan, Duke and Houston Cougars following the Wildcats.

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How Many Teams in March Madness Are There?

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Each year, 68 teams are selected to play in the March Madness Tournament and then these teams are placed on the bracket. The field of 68 teams is made up of 32 automatic qualifiers and 36 at-large selections.

There is no requirement for how many teams can come from a certain conference.

2026 NCAA Final Four Tickets‌

Tickets have already gone on sale for all stages of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, even though the schedule and teams are yet to be finalized. At this stage you can still find NCAA Finals tickets for $230+, although expect prices to increase as the tournament progresses and demand for tickets increases. They are available at Ticketmaster or the NCAA official website.

March Madness Seeding – How Does It Work?

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The NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Committee releases the seeds for the entire bracket on Selection Sunday. The top overall seed is revealed first, and they are set to matchup with the number 4 overall seed in the Final Four.

As of early February 2026, the NCAA selection committee is in the process of evaluating teams for the 2026 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, with Selection Sunday scheduled for March 15, 2026.

The Lowest Seed to Win March Madness

In 1985 the Villanova Wildcats won the NCAA Tournament as the number 8 seed, the lowest to ever cut down the nets. In 2014, the Ucon Huskies were able to win the NCAA Tournament as a number 7 seed.

There have been four number 11 seeds that have reached the Final Four, but none have been able to win the final two games.

Previous March Madness Winners

Florida broke the UConn’s bac-to-back stretch, winning its third national title. It was their first since back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. The Gators beat the Houston Cougars in the finals, 65-63, coming back from a 12-point deficit to snatch this trophy. Walter Clayton Jr. was the one who brought the title, with 11 points, all in the second half, and the final defensive play, when he prevented the Cougars from scoring.

Who Won the Last 10 NCAA Basketball Championships?

Year	Team
2025	Florida
2024	UConn
2023	UConn
2022	Kansas
2021	Baylor
2020	No winner due to Covid
2019	Virginia
2018	Villanova
2017	North Carolina
2016	Villanova
2015	Duke
2014	Connecticut
2013	Louisville

Top 10 Schools With the Most Appearances in NCAA Tournaments

In light of the historic facts, March Madness seems to belong to the top-seeded teams time and over again. So far, Kentucky is the true torch-bearers with 60 appearances with the first one dating back to 1942. As one of the oldest franchises, Kentucky has also proven to be one of the most talented winning eight titles so far.