NCAA Tournament: Who are the betting favorites as the First 4 tip off?

• The NCAA Tournament tips off Tuesday with the First Four in Dayton. Who has the best betting odds to win the title?
• The top seeds in each region are the favorites according to odds posted by FanDuel and other sports betting websites.
• North Carolina can silence some critics with a win in the First Four over San Diego State.

---

Full Story

The NCAA Tournament starts Tuesday night, March 18, with the First Four in Dayton. This year’s play-in round has some intrigue following the controversial selection of North Carolina as the last team in the field. They’ll take on San Diego State at 9:10 p.m. EST.

As you decide which teams to advance when filling out your bracket, let’s look at who has the best odds to win the national championship according to the sportsbooks in Las Vegas and online.

The numbers used in this story are courtesy of FanDuel.

Who are the tournament’s betting favorites?

$100 bet wins

• Duke +290
• Florida +340
• Auburn +550
• Houston +600
• Alabama +2,000
• Tennessee +2,300

Unsurprisingly, the top teams include all four No. 1 seeds, starting with the Duke Blue Devils. Oddsmakers don’t seem concerned with star freshman Cooper Flagg’s injured ankle.

The top SEC teams are also getting a lot of love. Florida and Auburn are neck-and-neck, and because they’re in separate regions, they could meet in the Final Four. The same goes for Alabama and Tennessee, both No. 2 seeds, on the other side of the bracket.

Who are some betting long shots?

If you’re looking for a few long shots to place a wager on, the two-time defending champion Connecticut Huskies fit into that category.

$100 bet wins

• Connecticut +17,000
• Michigan +19,000
• N. Carolina +24,000
• Creighton +30,000
• Colorado St. +55,000
• Drake +70,000

A $100 bet on UConn to three-peat will earn you $17,000. The Big 10 champs are surprisingly a long shot, as are the Tar Heels. There are also a few true Cinderella teams like Colorado State and Drake, while the Creighton Blue Jays have the experience to make a dark horse run. A $100 bet on Creighton to win the title would net you $30,000.

“Everybody’s zero and zero now, and it takes six games to win it all, and you got to take it one at a time,” said Creighton guard Steve Ashworth. “So you got to be able to be a mature team and a confident team –– that you can do it one step at a time –– and, you know, start a whole new season over, in a way.”

Who is playing in the First Four Tuesday?

The First Four in Dayton Tuesday night features a pair of No. 16 seeds –– Alabama State against St. Francis of Pennsylvania. Then, two No. 11 seeds, veteran tournament teams San Diego State and North Carolina. The Aztecs were bounced out of the last two NCAA tournaments by the eventual national champions, UConn. But this year, they’re ready for more.

“I’ve been coming to this event for a long time, and this is something brand new,” said Aztec head coach Brian Dutcher. “I mean, I’ve been to four National Championship games –– three at Michigan as an assistant, once to the head coach at San Diego State –– but I’ve never been in the First Four, so this is a new experience.”

Dutcher added, “It’s rapid. Coaches are overthinkers anyway, so we always complain and worry we don’t have enough time to get ready. But at the end of the day, March is for players, so our guys will be ready.”

A North Carolina win will take a little steam away from critics who say they shouldn’t be in the Big Dance.

“Given the way our season went –– it’s been an up and down year –– but been very fortunate and grateful for the opportunity we have to be in this tournament, and kind of have like a clean slate,” Tar Heel guard R.J. Davis said. “It’s 0-0. What happened in the regular season, what happened in the ACC Tournament, is now in the past, and we’re focused on winning some games in March.”

While one team will continue their clean slate, one team will see an abrupt end to their season. That’s just how it works during March Madness.