Selection Sunday has come and gone and we now know the full 68-team NCAA Tournament bracket. Before the tourney gets underway on Tuesday (the First Four games), you ought to know what our 2023 March Madness betting predictions are. We've scoured the bracket and selected the teams MOST worth betting on. Read on and you'll get these picks free of cost.
But before we get to that, let's take a hard look at the 2023 NCAA title odds. As it stands, the top betting sites for basketball have pegged the following teams as frontrunners to cut down the nets:
| Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Alabama | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Kansas | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Purdue | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| UCLA | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Texas | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Arizona | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Gonzaga | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| UCONN | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
Best Bets To Win 2023 March Madness Tournament
We're going to offer three different bets on the 2023 March Madness winner. Each of these three picks will be categorized — one pick among the most-favored teams, a mid-value choice, and a darkhorse candidate. There's a lot to cover so let's just jump right into it:
Favorites Pick
If there's one overarching story of the 2022-23 NCAAB season is the unpredictability of it all. Many of the preseason favorites failed to live up to expectations, the rankings were in constant shuffle all year long, and that's all led to a tournament with no runaway favorite to win. Still, Alabama, Houston, Kansas, and Purdue all earned No. 1 seeds, which effectively slots them in the favorites category.
If we had to choose one team from this group, then we're backing the Crimson Tide. Against all odds — a horrific murder involving multiple players on the team — Alabama kept stacking wins and titles, both SEC championships in the regular season and postseason.
There are two reasons why we're bullish on 'Bama. The first is the South region they were drawn into. We'd argue the South is the easiest path to the Final Four. Alabama will have to overcome No. 2 Arizona, No. 3 Baylor, and No. 4 Virginia — none of which we're worried deeply about.
Second, though, Alabama might be the best defensive team in the whole country. In fact, KenPom has them ranked third overall in adjusted defensive efficiency. What's that old saying, "defense wins championships"? Yeah, we still believe in that, hence this wager.
Mid-Value Pick
When you have a bunch of 19 and 20 years olds playing, mental confidence is huge — especially under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament. That's why we wanted to choose a team that's scorching hot as our mid-value pick, and that team is Connecticut.
The Huskies have won 10 of their last 13 games. And even in defeat, UConn has looked title-caliber. All three of their defeats came to fellow tourney teams — Xavier, Creighton, and Marquette — and were by a combined eight points. By all intents and purposes, this team is feeling it right now.
Like our previous pick, the Huskies are defensive stalwarts. There are a lot of metrics to prove that but here's the one we think is most apt: opponents are shooting just 30 percent on three-pointers against Connecticut. That's dangerously low, especially in today's game which is so reliant on deep shots. Defensive and momentum could key the Huskies to another deep tourney run.
Darkhorse Pick
We're just going to go ahead and say it: Duke is our darkhorse pick. It's weird to say that about the storied Blue Devils program, but without Coach K and holding only a No. 5 seed, Duke is being slept on by way too many bettors.
Like UConn, Duke is also on a hot streak — arguably an even hotter one. They've won nine in a row en route to an ACC tournament championship. The talent has always been there for the Blue Devils. They did, after all, have the top-rated freshmen recruiting class in the country to start the season. It just took time for the program to put it all together (and also nurse some early-season injuries). But the late blooming just means you're getting them at incredibly friendly odds (+3500).
How To Bet On 2023 March Madness Tournament
March Madness betting can't be missed. Seriously, besides the Super Bowl, no other sporting event draws as much betting money and attention as the men's tournament. That's why you're going to need a trusty bookmaker to take advantage of all these opportunities to make money. If we were you, we'd start with the list of bookies below — all of which are industry leaders, per our latest sportsbook reviews.
The best part about using one of these sites to bet on the tourney? They're offering massive sportsbook bonuses to new players. By massive, we're talking anywhere from $500 to $2500 in free play (depending on the site). And that doesn't even include the bracket pick 'em contests they're currently running, which pay even bigger prizes (if you can win them that is). To get in on this free money, click one of the links in the table right now. The tourney is days away so the clock is ticking!
