Over the course of the 2023 college basketball season, more than 350 teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Championships of 2023 have begun.
With Thursday, March 16, 2023 marking the start of the first round of March Madness games, time is running out for you to submit your bracket to the workplace pool organizer who no doubt has already sent you a dozen reminder emails.
To help you navigate the NCAA Tournament, we’ve included our March Madness bracket picks, regional previews, upset picks, tournament odds and more.
Which Team Will take the Trophy of the 2023 NCAA Championship?
BetMGM’s sportsbook initially had Houston as the favorite who will win March Madness in 2023 at +550, but after top player Marcus Sasser was injured, the tournament became wide open.
Overall top pick Second is defending champion Kansas (+800), then comes Alabama (+800) and finally, Purdue (+1100) rounds out the list of teams with a plus one hundred seed.
The teams in the second tier which includes UCLA, Arizona, Texas and UConn are riskier wagers to win it all, but they still have the elite players necessary to obliterate the favorites’ dominance.
Although only five teams with a seed of three or lower have won the NCAA Tournament since 1990, anything can happen in a season as unpredictable as this one. In 1985, No. 8 seed Villanova shocked the sports world by winning the NCAA Tournament.
Read on to find more about some of the recent developments in the sports world:
- Celtics lose in Overtime as Grant Williams’ Pre-FT Chirping Backfires
- Immanuel Quickley Led His Team to a Victory Over the Celtics in Double Overtime
March Madness Odds 2023
- Houston: +550
- Kansas: +800
- Alabama: +800
- Purdue: +1100
- UCLA: +1200
- Arizona: +1200
- Texas: +1600
- UConn: +1600
- Gonzaga: +1800
- Baylor: +1800
March Madness Bracket Predictions 2023
We solicited the opinions of multiple authors and see who will make their position to the Final Four in 2023.
- According to Mike DeCourcy: Alabama, Duke, Texas, UConn
- According to Bill Bender: Alabama, Duke, Texas, Kansas
- According to Ryan Fagan: Alabama, Marquette, Texas, Kansas
- According to Elliott Pohnl: Alabama, Duke, Texas, Kansas
- According to Vinnie Iyer: Alabama, Marquette, Texas, UConn
South
- 8 Maryland or 9 West Virginia?
- 7 Missouri or 10 Utah State?
- 6 Creighton or 11 NC State?
- 5 San Diego State or 12 Charleston?
- 4 Virginia or 13 Furman?
Midwest
- 8 Iowa or 9 Auburn?
- 7 Texas A&M or 10 Penn State?
- 5 Miami or 12 Drake?
- 4 Indiana or 13 Kent State?
West
- 8 Arkansas or 9 Illinois?
- 7 Northwestern or 10 Boise State?
- 5 Saint Mary’s or 12 VCU?
- 4 UConn or 13 Iona?
East
- 8 Memphis or 9 FAU?
- 7 Michigan State or 10 USC?
- 6 Kentucky or 11 Providence?
- 5 Duke or 12 Oral Roberts?
- 4 Tennessee or 13 Louisiana-Lafayette?
The posts below will give you an update on the recent occurrences in the sports world:
- Trevor Bauer will Play Baseball in Japan As He Signs a Contract
- Who Will Become the Next Coach After the Retirement of Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim?
March Madness Upset Predictions:
Predicting upsets in the NCAA Tournament is a difficult task. There wouldn’t be a tournament in March if the teams were seeded. Nonetheless, every year at least a couple of low-seeded teams shock the bracket and make a deep Cinderella run.
We need just to find them. Bill Bender of the Sporting News identified the teams he believes have a shot at an upset in 2023.
Oral Roberts (Round 1 opponent: Duke -6.5)
There are a lot of reasons to choose Oral Roberts as an upset candidate despite their No. 12 seed. The Golden Eagles average 84.2 points per game, enough for third in the nation, while turning the ball over 9.4 times per game, good for ninth best.
Hero of their past Sweet 16 run, Max Abmas scores 22 points per game and has made 117 threes, while 7-foot-5 big Connor Vanover presents a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. Even though this is Paul Mills’ strongest squad, they face a challenging first-round opponent in Duke.
The Blue Devils allow just 30.6% shooting from beyond the arc to opposition opponents. We’re not big fans of Oral Roberts’ opening-round opponent.
Charleston (Round 1 opponent: San Diego State -5.5)
No. 12 Charleston, under second-year head coach Pat Kelsey, advanced to the NCAA tournament thanks to the play of senior guard Dalton Bolton and 6-foot-10 Croatian sophomore Ante Brzovic. Averaging 80.8 points per game and placing fourth in the country in total rebounds, Charleston was a formidable opponent (40.5).
That’s the kind of tone that can put anyone on the edge, especially in the second half. The Cougars have made it to the second round once in five tournament appearances and they have lost each of their four previous tournament games by ten points or fewer.
If Charleston can pull off the upset against San Diego State which won’t be easy, they’ll be a legit threat to Virginia in the second round.
That’s all we know so far about the 2023 NCAA Tournament. We’d appreciate it if you’d let us know what you think of this post in the comments area. Follow our Twitter account to stay up-to-date on all the newest developments in the world of sports and athletes.