As we get closer to March Madness, we're making our best college basketball conference tournament predictions and picks using the best college basketball odds.
We're less than a week away from Selection Sunday, which is when we'll see the single-biggest shift in this year's March Madness odds. But there are plenty of conference tournaments to bet on along the way.
Most mid-major conferences have already started postseason play, but the six major conferences all begin their respective tournaments this week, starting with the ACC and Big 12 on Tuesday. The remaining four leagues – Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC – all feature first-round action on Wednesday.
In addition to our full breakdowns for all six tournaments, we've gathered our top college basketball picks for each major conference tournament using odds from our best March Madness betting sites (confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Conference tournament predictions 2024
- North Carolina to win the ACC Tournament (+200 via BetMGM) ????
- BYU to win the Big 12 Tournament (+1600 via Caesars) ??
- Creighton to win the Big East Tournament (+450 via bet365) ????
- Purdue to win the Big Ten Tournament (+100 via Caesars) ???
- Washington State to win the Pac-12 Tournament (+700 via DraftKings) ???
- Tennessee to win the SEC Tournament (+175 via FanDuel) ???
ACC Tournament prediction, odds
After an uneven start in non-conference play, North Carolina lost just three games in ACC play and trailed for a combined 16 seconds in a pair of wins over rival Duke. So why do the Tar Heels own the shortest ACC Tournament odds at just two of our best sportsbooks entering Tuesday's opening round?
UNC doesn't have the NBA talent of other top teams in the country, but this defense might be the best in a decade for the Tar Heels, who have scored at least 1.15 points per possession in seven of their last nin e games. This feels like too generous of a price to ignore for the regular-season champs.
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Big 12 Tournament prediction, odds
With their Big 12 Tournament odds as short as -165, I'm very tempted to bet Houston at those even-money odds at BetMGM. Do the Cougars have much to play for, though? And are we sure they're that much better than Iowa State, whic h is catching +430 odds at FanDuel and was one of just three teams to beat Houston all season?
Instead, I'm fading both teams and grabbing these compelling long-shot odds at Caesars on BYU, which attempts over half its shots from long range while scoring at an elite rate on 2-pointers, too. Houston and Iowa State struggle mightily to deter the outside shot, which could line up perfectly with a Cinderella run for the Cougars.
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Big East Tournament prediction, odds
UConn has only slightly longer Final Four odds compared to its ultra-short Big East Tournament odds, which comes a year after the Huskies won the NCAA Tournament but didn't even reach the Big East final.
This is an incredibly tough tournament to win, which has me looking a bit further down the board at Creighton – a team that handed UConn its worst loss in years and enters this week on a 7-1 run with a top-10 offense and top-25 defense. With elite size, shooting, and experience, it's a wonder how the Bluejays aren't dealing at a much shorter price.
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Big Ten Tournament prediction, odds
Much like Houston, Purdue is dealing at even money by the latest Big Ten Tournament odds after losing just three games all year in a tough conference. And, just like the Cougars, the Boilermakers have likely already wrapped up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
These circumstances feel similar to last year, when Purdue didn't have much to prove but won the Big Ten Tournament anyway. Zach Edey – the runaway favorite by the Wooden Award odds – has been too much for his league-mates to handle all season long, and I don't mind paying coin-flip odds on the Big Ten's best team winning three games on a neutral court.
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Pac-12 Tournament prediction, odds
Arizona has won this tournament each of the last two years, and the Pac-12 Tournament odds clearly expect a three-peat. Yet I have my doubts about laying such a short price on a team that lost four times to unranked opponents in conference play, including its regular-season finale.
Without a clear No. 2 team in the Pac-12, I'll take my chances on Washington State, which nearly won its first regular-season title since 1941 and has the size and coaching to make some noise in a tournament setting. The Cougars swept the Wildcats in the regular season and won't bow down in a potential rematch.
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SEC Tournament prediction, odds
There feels like so many compelling value bets on the board in the SEC, from Kentucky as a red-hot dark horse at +400 via BetMGM to South Carolina catching ridiculous +6000 odds via DraftKings after an impressive regular season.
I still can't shake the feeling that Tennessee is the best team in this conference and a worthy favorite by the latest SEC Tournament odds, especially with senior star Dalton Knecht playing like one of the best guards in the country. Expect the Volunteers to be ready for a rematch with Kentucky if it comes to that.
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College basketball conference tournament FAQs
While some mid-major tournaments are already underway, the first major conference tournaments tip off Tuesday with the first round in the ACC and Big 12 tourneys. Those will be followed by the Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC tournaments starting on Wednesday.
Duke (ACC), Texas (Big 12), Marquette (Big East), Purdue (Big Ten), Arizona (Pac-12), and Alabama (SEC) won their respective conference tournaments in 2023.
Every team that wins its conference tournament – including the six major conference tournaments – will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In total, 32 teams will be automatic qualifiers for March Madness by winning their respective conference tournament.
Following this week's conference tournaments, the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 17, and the first games will take p lace on Tuesday, March 19. The official first round begins on Thursday, March 21.
March Madness betting odds pages
| March Madness Odds | Wooden Award Odds | ACC Odds | Big 12 Odds | Big Ten Odds |
| Final Four Odds | March Madness MVP Odds | Big East Odds | Pac-12 Odds | SEC Odds |
Here are our best March Madness betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUS1000 | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
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* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
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- Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)