NCAAB Futures ahead of Sweet 16; Alabama still looks the best bet

March Madness hasn’t failed to disappoint so far in 2023, and with the Sweet 16 taking place later this week, are we in for some more upsets? Here we take a look with our updated NCAAB futures.

  • No.16 seeds, Fairleigh Dickinson’s 65-58 first round win over the No.1 seeded Purdue Boilermakers is the biggest shock of the competition so far
  • Fellow No.1 seeds, the Kansas Jayhawks exited the tournament in Round 2. The defending champions went down 72-71 to eighth seeds, Arkansas
  • Two No.2 seeds have also exited the competition. Arizona lost 59-55 to Princeton (15) in Round 1, and Marquette lost 69-60 to Michigan State (7) in Round 2.

Updated betting to win 2023 NCAA Basketball Tournament

It’s as you were, at the top of the betting to win the 2023 NCAA Basketball Tournament with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Houston Cougars still leading the way. The only changes we have seen is that both teams are now at shorter odds. The Crimson Tide is favored at +360, with Houston at +400. Both were trading at around +500 to +600 this time last week.

Following on from the leading two is Texas at +650, and UCLA at +750. The loss of two No.1 seeds, Purdue and Kansas, has resulted in the odds on the remaining favorites shortening. But four of the original six favorites still remain, and they are all pretty much in the same pecking order as they were this time last week, with the exception of Alabama and Houston, who have flipped.

Full betting on the 16 remaining teams can be found below. Here we have put together the odds from the best college basketball betting sites for 2023. You can read more about them at our top US sportsbooks reviews page.

NCAAB Winner Betting 2023 ahead of Sweet 16BetOnline ReviewMyBookie ReviewBovada
Alabama+360+360+360
Houston+400+400+400
Texas+650+650+650
UCLA+750+750+750
Connecticut+900+900+900
Gonzaga+1100+1100+1100
Creighton+1100+1100+1100
Tennessee+1200+1200+1200
Kansas State+2800+2800+2800
Michigan State+3300+3300+3300
Arkansas+3300+3300+3300
Xavier+3300+3300+3300
San Diego State+4000+4000+4000
Florida+4500+4500+4500
Miami Florida+5000+5000+5000

What’s next?

Next up is the Sweet 16 starting on Thursday. The opening match sees number 3 seed Kansas State taking on number 7 seed MI State, at Madison Square Garden. In total there are four games on Thursday, with the remaining four taking place on Friday.

The eight Sweet 16 fixtures in full are:-

  • Kansas State (3) vs MI State (7)
  • UConn (4) vs Arkansas (8)
  • Tennessee (4) vs FL Atlantic (9)
  • UCLA (2) vs Gonzaga (3)
  • Alabama (1) vs San Diego State (5)
  • Houston (1) vs Miami FL
  • Creighton (6) vs Princeton (15)
  • Texas (2) vs Xavier (3)

The Elite Eight then takes place on Saturday and Sunday.

Potential for more March Madness shocks?

So what is the potential for more March Madness shocks when the Sweet 16 starts? Two of the highest seeded teams left in the competition are number 6 seeds Creighton and number 15 seeds Princeton. They both meet in Kentucky on Friday, when one will be eliminated.

Creighton beat NC State (11) as expected in Round 1. They then pulled off a shock in Round 2 by defeating number 3 seeds Baylor (85-76). As for Princeton, they have reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in 56 years. They scored the first major upset of March Madness by taking out number 2 seeds Arizona in the first round. They then continued with their Cinderella story by defeating Missouri 78-63 in Round 2.

Can Princeton keep the fairytale story going this Friday when they meet Creighton? Well, they didn’t just beat Missouri, they thrashed them by 15 points. So why not. The best March Madness betting sites don’t appear to share the optimism though. BetOnline are giving Princeton a 10 point start on the handicap. And on the moneyline, the number 15 seeds are +425. Creighton is at -525.

Elsewhere, and number 1 seeds and betting favorites Alabama are taking on number 5 seeds San Diego State. And also facing number 5 seeds are the Houston Cougars, who are facing Miami FL, who comfortably saw off Indiana (4) in Round 2.

Number 8 seed Arkansas will face No.4 seeds UConn. And FL Atlantic (9) will face number four seeds, the Tennessee Volunteers, in what should be a tricky match for conquerors of the heavily fancied Duke in the second round.

Updated March Madness Picks

It’s already been a March Madness full of shock results. Will there be more? Or will we finally start to see the remaining top seeds show their superior class?

Two of our picks have unfortunately departed the competition, and that leaves us still with two of our original four teams to follow. One of our teams to watch, Alabama (+360), are still looking the part.

They have now been made outright favorites to win the competition for the first time in their history. But that said, long time former favorites, the Houston Cougars are still hanging around. And they’ve had little difficulty progressing to this stage of the competition.

As for our other team to watch, the Texas Longhorns, they are now into +650, from their pre March Madness odds of +1100. The Longhorns (2) face a tough match against the highly rated Xavier (3) on Friday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas. The Longhorns are getting 4 points on the handicap, and on the moneyline, they are -180. Xavier are +160.

As things stand, we see no reasons to change tactics and are happy to still be on the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns.

Alabama Crimson TideTo win 2023 NCAAB Tournament
★★★★★
+360
Bet now
Texas LonghornsTo win 2023 NCAAB Tournament
★★★★★
+650
Bet now
Dean Etheridge

Hailing from Coventry, England, Dean brings his British wit to every piece he pens. A true lover of a good wager, Dean's passion for both sports and writing has merged into the world of sports betting. Dean is the mastermind behind his very own soccer and cricket betting platforms. As the owner and editor of a renowned football betting website, Dean has established himself as a force within the industry. His expertise as a freelance content writer is centered in the realms of football, cricket and Formula 1. From breaking down odds to unraveling strategies, Dean's writing radiates an unmatched love for sports. When he’s not immersed in sports betting, Dean enjoyes exploring new culinary delights, conquering the latest car racing video games, or getting lost in the pages of a novel.