Sweet 16 Predictions, Picks and Best Bets

Sweet 16 March Madness Betting Sites

Sweet 16 Preview

The 2024 March Madness Sweet 16 games don’t start until Thursday, March 28^th, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make some NCAA Men’s Sweet 16 predictions ahead of time.

According to the top College Basketball betting sites, the UConn Huskies are the odds-on favorites to make the March Madness Sweet 16, Final Four and to win the NCAAM Basketball Tournament.

Let’s take a look at the latest 2024 March Madness odds and make our NCAA Sweet 16 predictions.

Best Bets to Reach Sweet 16

The following teams are our top picks to make the March Madness Sweet 16. Keep in mind, the best bets don’t just mean favorites to make the Sweet 16. These Sweet 16 best bets also include best value and longshot teams as well. All odds courtesy of DraftKings.

Locks to Make the Sweet 16

The UConn Huskies are betting favorites to make the Sweet 16 at -650 odds. Not only are they the top seed overall in the tournament, but the Huskies have been arguably the best team all year long. An easy win over Stetson in the opening round of the East Region will be a warmup before they crush the winner of FAU and Northwestern in the Round of 32 and cruise into the Sweet 16.

The Purdue Boilermakers are the top seed in the Midwest Region and have -475 odds to advance to the Sweet 16. An opening round matchup against a First Four team and then the winner of Utah State vs. TCU has the Big Ten feeling good about their chances with Purdue. I expect Zach Edey to lead Purdue to blowout wins in the first two rounds.

The Best Sweet 16 Betting Value

There are a few solid value plays on the board for this Sweet 16 futures bet, but I really like the Kentucky Wildcats at -135 odds. Kentucky is the #3 seed in the South Region and will crush Oakland in the opening round before playing the winner of Texas Tech and NC State.

Both teams are talented, but they’re still a level below Kentucky. The Wildcats have a strong chance of contending for the South Region title. When it comes to implementing your College Basketball betting systems, make sure you include a value bet.

Top Sweet 16 Longshot

There are several plus-money teams in this NCAA men’s basketball futures bet that are worthy of a flier. However, for this Sweet 16 preview, we’re going to define a longshot as being a team with odds of at least +500.

With that in mind, let’s go with the Oregon Ducks at +550 to be one of our Sweet 16 picks.  The Ducks are the 11^th seed in the Midwest Region and will face South Carolina in the opening round. If they can get by the Gamecocks, which they should, then Oregon has a tough matchup against the #3 seeded Creighton Bluejays in the Round of 32.

Oregon has all the momentum after winning the Pac-12 Championship last week. They defeated UCLA, Arizona and Colorado along the way. Additionally, they have N’Faly Dante who should be fine from his injury scare. If you haven’t watched the big man play, you are in for a treat. It’s quite possible that he leads the Ducks on a deep run in the tournament.

I also expect Oregon’s shooting from beyond the arc to improve after going 13-of-60 in the Pac-12 tournament. Look for Oregon’s offense to go through Dante as he leads the way and this Ducks team crashes the Sweet 16 party.

Best Bets to Reach Final Four

Now that we’ve made our Sweet 16 bracket predictions, let’s take a look at our best bets to reach the Final Four. We’ll break down these Final Four best bets like we did with our Sweet 16 best bets above.

Top Final Four Pick

At +105 odds, the UConn Huskies are my top choice to make the 2024 March Madness Final Four. They basically have de-facto home games with the East Region playing in Boston.

This region will not be a cakewalk for the Huskies as they have some tough teams like Illinois and Iowa State. However, those two teams would have to play each other before meeting UConn in the Elite Eight. Lock in the Huskies for the Final Four.

Best Final Four Betting Value

At +165, the Purdue Boilermakers offer the best betting value to make the Final Four as of this publication. I don’t see any team standing in the way of Edey and the Boilermakers winning the Midwest Region. An Elite Eight showdown against the Tennessee Volunteers is the biggest hurdle for the Boilermakers en route to an appearance in the Final Four.

Top Final Four Longshot

As mentioned above, in the Sweet 16 picks, we’ll stick with +500 odds or higher as the criteria for being a longshot. With that in mind, look no further than the Kentucky Wildcats at +700 odds to make the Final Four by winning the South Region.

Of the four #1 seeds, I believe Houston is the most vulnerable. The Cougars will face the winner of Wisconsin and Duke in the Sweet 16 before eventually taking on the winner of Kentucky and Marquette in the Elite Eight, if the top seeds move on as expected.

The depth and talent of Kentucky should not only help get them past Marquette in the Sweet 16, but also Houston in the Elite Eight. With little pressure, this Wildcats team could be the sleeper to win the entire tournament.

Best Bet to Win the NCAA Tournament 2024

It’s not easy for teams to win back-to-back titles. However, it’s hard to ignore just how talented the UConn Huskies are. Not to mention, they’ve played great in big moments all season long.

Currently, the Huskies are +360 to win the NCAA Men’s Tournament. They’re the odds-on favorites and their line will only decrease with each victory. Lock in the Huskies now, while you are still getting 3.6x your initial wager. A $100 bet will earn you $360 in winnings and a $460 total payout.

More NCAAB Articles

March Madness 2024 Betting Guide - https://www.howtobet.com/march-madness-2024-betting-guide/

College Basketball Betting Guide - https://www.howtobet.com/ncaa-basketball-betting/

Women's March Madness 2024 Betting Odds - https://www.howtobet.com/womens-march-madness-odds-2024/