The Top Five Teams to Win the NCAA Championship

March is here! And you know what that means for NCAA basketball! It is that time of the month when the exciting games of college basketball take center stage as the young bright talents of the nation are on display! But who are the top picks to win the competition?

It seems that there are plenty of battles that will take place when the 2024 NCAA basketball tournament arrives, and there is no denying that it is going to be one of the most fun March Madness in years. We have seen upsets, massive victories, tight showdowns, and a lot of plot twists on the big stage.

What is the March Madness?

Every sports betting fan knows a lot about placing wagers on the NBA and other sports leagues. However, nothing beats the excitement and the unpredictability of the NCAA, especially in the March Madness. At this time of the year, the NCAA is bringing all 68 teams for a chance to outlast one another in three weekends of games for a chance to be named champions at the highest level.

In a single-elimination format, the tournament narrows down all 68 teams into 16 teams by the first weekend, dubbed as the “Sweet Sixteen”. The second weekend then cuts it down to the “Elite Eight” before the final weekend will uncover the “Final Four”. The two victors in the semis will then move on to play in the national championship game. What makes this exciting is that there are no guaranteed seeds nor advantages for all teams, thus the playing field is leveled and multiple games are played at neutral sites all over the nation.

Many fans have asked what is the lowest seed to win the NCAA tournament thus far, and it is Villanova, which was in the 1985 edition of the March Madness. The Wildcats won over Georgetown in a tight game to pull off one of the historic upsets in the March Madness. A total of 17 teams below the no. 7 seeds have made it to the Final Four since then, and five ended up winning the national championship, but no other eighth seed has managed to pull off the same feat since then.

Who Are the Top Five Teams to Look Out For in March Madness 2024?

As the March Madness comes in hot for all fans to enjoy this season, it cannot be denied that there will be a lot of ups and downs and major upsets that fans will have to look out for. This is why there are a lot of expectations between the top teams in the NCAA, and even the underdogs that will likely make a splash in the competition.

Who are the top five teams that fans should look out for in the March Madness?

Connecticut Huskies

Connecticut Huskies image

As one of the best March Madness teams, it is a no-brainer that the UConn Huskies are the favorites to win in the NCAA Tournament. It can be remembered that they pulled off a wire-to-wire 76-59 victory over San Diego State, and they have maintained some of their best players from the previous run to ensure that they have a chance to come up with another campaign for the championship.

Only six teams have managed to win the March Madness on back-to-back years. Oklahoma State pulled off the feat in 1945 and 1946 as the first team to do so. The Huskies are looking to come up with a feat of their own this time around, and that's not an impossible feat to achieve.

The most recent team to go for consecutive March Madness wins was the Florida Gators, which was led by Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan in 2006 before defending their title in 2007. The roster was also led by Joakim Noah, Al Horford, and Corey Brewer. With the Huskies keeping almost the same strength as last year, it does seem fair to expect that they can win big once more.

Purdue Boilermakers

While Purdue managed to go for a 29-6 record last season, an upset that time prevented them from getting into the deeper stages of the tournament. Now with a promising campaign that saw them defeat six Top 25 teams so far, it does seem that the team has what it takes to come up with impressive wins down the stretch, especially when they are set to battle against contenders in the March Madness. Considering that the team has built an impressive roster that can battle even the toughest contenders in the NCAA right now, it is a no-brainer to expect bigger things for the Boilermakers today, and they are one of the favorites to look out for in the season as the final stretch begins.

Purdue Boilermakers image

Having one of the best seniors – a 7-foot-4 phenom in Zach Purdey who averages 23.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game – is something to consider for their chances as they are slated to go up against the whole NCAA if they are going to come up with a campaign that will define their legacy in the competition, and this is something that they can capitalize now more than ever.

Houston Cougars

Houston Cougars image

After that tough elimination from the Sweet Sixteen, it does seem that the Houston Cougars have a lot of work to do if they are going to avenge that loss. However, there are still many teams to beat in the NCAA, and one can even say that it is going to be one of the promising seasons for the Cougars if they can actually pull off a defining series of wins in the March Madness.

What makes them a team to look out for is their star guard LJ Cryer, who has been quite the floor general in his own right. That has also made him one of the most promising young players in the tournament.

Beyond that, Houston also boasts the best defensive rating in the whole nation, which will be put to the test as they try to carve their path into the deeper stages of the competition before finally achieving a bigger feat than the Sweet Sixteen last year.

Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats have been one of the promising teams to look out for this season. The ability to win their games on the road has been a boon for their season, but then there are plenty of changes that have gone in their favor, winning overtime games against the top teams in the NCAA. So far, the odds of them winning the March Madness are going to be in doubt for some time if they can’t get good quality wins.

That says a lot about the troubles that they are set to face in the March Madness. We all know that it is full of challenging games and impressive teams, and Arizona will need the pure genius of Tommy Lloyd to ensure that their third straight tourney will end up in a much more promising finish.

Arizona Wildcats image

After all, the Phoenix area has seen some drought when it comes to national sports championships, and it does seem that they can break that dry spell.

Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee Volunteers image

While the football side of Tennessee has always been praised for their six national championships, it does seem that the Volunteers are yet to scratch the surface of those achievements. While they do have 10 regular-season SEC and four SEC championship banners, there is still more to achieve for the team – let alone a championship finish in March Madness. As the 2024 NCAA Tournament comes into play, Rick Barnes’ squad is going to be challenged to make a bigger splash this time.

The Volunteers finished as no. 3 seed in 2018 and 2021, while reaching the Sweet 16 in the previous edition. However, it does seem that they will have to make bigger strides if they are going to end up with a strong finish in the NCAA this year.

In 25 attempts, the team has mostly ended up in the Round of 32 before being eliminated, and they have never finished the season as the first seed, which is why they will have to beat the odds to win in March Madness.

What to Expect in March Madness 2024?

March Madness is going to be one of the hyped competitions to look out for this March, and as reputation precedes the tournament, you can be sure to expect that there is even a chance that none of these top five teams will be defeated long before they reach the Final Four stage. This is why is it easy to say that there will always be an upset in any of these games no matter what, and it will come in the most unexpected moment as well.

This is why you should consider checking the odds from our trusted betting partners if you want to get the best chance at winning handsome prizes with your wagers. Make sure to stay tuned in the sports world with GambleSpot as we provide regular blogs and predictions that you would not want to miss!