February nearly being over can only mean one thing: the NCAA'Division I men's basketball tournament – commonly known as March Madness – is right around the corner. This year's tournament begins on March 14 with the finals taking place at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX on Apr. 3.
While there's still a while before the winner is crowned, FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NCAAB odds shed some light on which programs have the best shot at making the Final Four. As it stands, the No. 2 Houston Cougars have the best odds of doing so, currently sitting at +130.
The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide aren't too far behind, sitting second at +170 odds. The No. 3 Purdue Boiler Makers and No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks are tied for third at +200 while the No. 9 Baylor Bears and No. 4 UCLA Bruins share the fifth-best odds (+270).
Here's the full list of participants and odds for the March Madness Final Four on FanDuel Sportsbook.
March Madness Final Four 2023 Odds
Team |
Odds |
---|---|
No. 2 Houston |
+130 |
No. 1 Alabama |
+170 |
No. 3 Purdue |
+200 |
No. 5 Kansas |
+200 |
No. 9 Baylor |
+270 |
No. 4 UCLA |
+270 |
No. 8 Arizona |
+310 |
No. 6 Texas |
+550 |
No. 7 Virginia |
+550 |
No. 14 Indiana |
+550 |
No. 10 Tennessee |
+550 |
No. 18 Creighton |
+550 |
No. 22 TCU |
+650 |
No. 20 UConn |
+650 |
No. 17 Saint Mary's |
+850 |
No. 13 Gonzaga |
+850 |
No. 16 Xavier |
+850 |
No. 11 Marquette |
+850 |
No. 19 Iowa State |
+1100 |
No. 15 Miami |
+1100 |
No. 12 Kansas State |
+1100 |
Illinois |
+1600 |
Duke |
+1600 |
Arkansas |
+1600 |
No. 21 San Diego State |
+1800 |
No. 24 Providence |
+2500 |
Iowa |
+2500 |
Rutgers |
+2500 |
Kentucky |
+2500 |
March Madness Final Four Prediction & Best Bet
While there are several worthy candidates for making it to the Final Four, I really like what Purdue (+200) has done this season. While the Boilermakers' offense is decent (73.5 PPG, No. 106), defense is where they really shine. They're only allowing 61.6 PPG (No. 13) on 41.2% shooting (No. 43).
Purdue has also found a ton of success due to its dominance in the paint, averaging 38.9 rebounds per game (No. 14). It helps that the 7-foot-4 Zach Edey is on the team, ranking second in the nation with 12.7 RPG. Edey also averages 22.1 points with a 61.9% field-goal percentage, putting him in strong contention for National Player of the Year.
On top of the above, Purdue has already proven that it can play against tough competiti on. The Boilermakers own a 3-1 record against ranked opponents this season, which includes wins over the likes of Gonzaga and Duke.
After making it to the Sweet Sixteen last year, look for Purdue to go deeper this time around.