2024 March Madness Sweet 16 Betting: Regional Futures Odds and Predictions

Betting on the outcome of a particular 2024 March Madness Sweet 16 matchup is not the only way to wager on the action moving forward, starting with the regional semifinals scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

Another popular type of NCAA Tournament betting odds involves futures, allowing fans to bet on a team to reach a specific round of the Big Dance and/or win the whole thing.

Below is a region-by-region breakdown of the March Madness futures odds for Connecticut, San Diego State, Iowa State, and Illinois in the East; North Carolina, Alabama, Arizona, and Clemson in the West; Houston, Duke, Marquette, and NC State in the South; and Purdue, Gonzaga, Tennessee, and Creighton in the Midwest.

Read more: UNC-Alabama Odds, Predictions | Marquette-NCSU Odds, Predictions | Sweet 16 Live Betting Odds | Sweet 16 Betting Odds, Predictions

The semifinals in the East and West regions are scheduled for Thursday, followed by the East and West Championship Games on Saturday. In the South and the Midwest, the semifinals occur on Friday, with those regions’ winners to be decided on Sunday. This year’s Final Four will be held from Saturday, April 6-8 in Phoenix.

East Region (Boston)

East Region Futures Odds

• Connecticut:
• Iowa State:
• Illinois:
• San Diego State:

National Championship Odds

• Connecticut:
• Iowa State:
• Illinois:
• San Diego State:

East Region Futures Analysis

Can anyone challenge — much less knock off — reigning national champion UConn? Right now, that’s the talking point for not just the East Region, but the entire field. The Huskies have few, if any, weaknesses, which means it’s going to take a miracle for anyone to beat them.

As well as Connecticut is playing right now, it’s worth remembering that this team has three losses on the year, though two came in December. The Huskies’ other loss this year, to Creighton on Feb. 20, went on a night when the Bluejays hit 14 of their 28 3-point attempts.

It’s hard to see San Diego State upsetting Connecticut, but the winner of Iowa State-Illinois could have a chance. Iowa State is good enough defensively to make it a close game, and Illinois guard Terrence Shannon is explosive enough to lead his team to an upset. If you’re seeking a value play, the Huskies are not the move given their current price.

East Region Champion Prediction: UConn

East Region Best Futures Bet: Illinois

West Region (Los Angeles)

West Region Futures Odds

• Arizona:
• North Carolina:
• Alabama:
• Clemson

National Championship Odds

• Arizona:
• North Carolina:
• Alabama:
• Clemson

West Region Futures Analysis

The West looks wide-open, as oddsmakers give Arizona, North Carolina, and Alabama shorter than 5-to-1 odds. This region will likely be decided by a matchup between North Carolina and Arizona, which is led by Caleb Love.

Before college hoops fans think about that possibility, UNC has to eliminate an Alabama team with one of the best offenses in the country. At the same time, Arizona faces a tough 6-seed in Clemson. But Bama’s defensive issues make it hard to trust the Tide, and Arizona has a talent advantage against the Tigers.

North Carolina vs Arizona would likely be a coin flip, but it would be interesting to see where the line is set, given that the Wildcats should have a strong fan presence out west. Whether you like the Heels or Wildcats head-to-head, UNC offers the most value at +200.

I also give Carolina the slight edge in a hard-to-predict battle with the player who led them to the national title game in 2022 with an unforgettable performance against Duke in the Final Four.

West Region Champion Prediction: North Carolina

West Region Best Futures Bet: North Carolina

South Region (Dallas)

South Region Futures Odds

• Houston:
• Marquette:
• Duke:
• NC State:

National Championship Odds

• Houston:
• Marquette:
• Duke:
• NC State:

South Region Futures Analysis

Like the West, the South features three legit contenders to capture the region’s spot in the Final Four. It’s telling that Duke, at , is the third-favorite in this group. The Blue Devils are just 4-point underdogs on Friday in the Sweet 16 against a Houston team with the second-shortest national title odds after UConn.

Houston has three excellent guards, including arguably the best two-way perimeter player in the nation in Jamal Shead. But injuries are taking their toll on the Cougars.

Marquette has the pieces to reach its first Final Four since 2003, but first, it has to handle a tricky matchup with the 11-seed NC State Wolfpack. Houston has too many injuries for me to pick it to win two more games, and NC State feels like a wildcard (though the payout on the Pack makes a small wager tempting).

If it’s Marquette-Duke in the Elite 8, let’s go with the experienced Golden Eagles advancing past a Duke team asking a ton of freshman Jared McCain and sophomores Kyle Filipowki and Tyrese Proctor.

South Region Champion Prediction: Marquette

South Region Best Futures Bet: Marquette:

Midwest Region (Detroit)

Midwest Region Futures Odds

• Purdue:
• Tennessee:
• Gonzaga:
• Creighton:

National Championship Odds

• Purdue:
• Tennessee:
• Gonzaga:
• Creighton:

Midwest Region Futures Analysis

From top to bottom, oddsmakers see the Midwest as the most balanced region. Purdue, Tennessee, Gonzaga, and Creighton all have the talent to reach the Final Four and are looking to erase the memory of recent disappointments in this tournament.

At its best, Purdue could probably beat both Gonzaga and the winner of Tennessee-Creighton by double-digits. Still, this team’s struggles against overmatched NCAA Tournament opponents in recent years are hard to forget. The Boilermakers also rely heavily on 3-point shooting — could 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey carry this team to the Final Four if it’s cold from outside?

Tennessee and Creighton both have a chance to come out of this region, but only one of them will get a shot at Purdue (or Gonzaga). The safe play is to take Purdue to reach the Final Four, while the Bluejays’ 3-point shooting (and the fact they beat Connecticut this year) makes them a strong value play at 5-to-1 odds.

Midwest Region Champion Prediction: Purdue

Midwest Region Best Futures Bet: Creighton