The Duke Blue Devils and Florida Gators have dominated college basketball as of late, but are they locks in Sweet 16 odds?
March Madness is always unpredictable. However, with the way Duke and Florida have been playing, they could coast past the first two rounds.
The Blue Devils have the best true freshman in the country – Cooper Flagg. He leads Duke in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game.
Here is a look at some top teams in college basketball and what their chances of making the Sweet 16 are.
Plus, we have some best bets with good value that could be March Madness sleeper teams.
Make sure to visit the best sportsbooks to wager on college basketball. Also, visit our college basketball odds page so you can get the best prices for your bets. Make your college basketball picks alongside us all season long.
| Team (Region) | Odds |
|---|---|
 Duke (East) |
-900 |
 Florida (West) |
-800 |
 Alabama (East) |
-260 |
 Arizona (East) |
-180 |
 Michigan State (South) |
-180 |
 Maryland (West) |
-180 |
 Iowa State (South) |
-140 |
 Kentucky (Midwest) |
+100 |
 Illinois (Midwest) |
+130 |
 North Carolina (South) |
+240 |
 Oregon (East) |
+250 |
 Marquette (South) |
+260 |
 Saint Mary’s (East) |
+270 |
 Ole Miss (South) |
+280 |
 Colorado State (West) |
+400 |
 New Mexico (South) |
+500 |
Odds to make Sweet 16 provided by DraftKings – accurate as of March 21
Note: Teams that already won first round March Madness games are not on the odds board.
Duke Blue Devils | -750 at FanDuel
Duke is the favorite in March Madness odds, so the Blue Devils are heavily favored in odds to make the Sweet 16.
The Blue Devils have the best true freshman in the country – Cooper Flagg. He leads Duke in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game.
Flagg is receiving a lot of hype heading into March Madness.
Duke has only lost three games all season long. All of its losses have been against opponents that are in the March Madness bracket.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer is looking to make his second Sweet 16 appearance in three years as the coach.
The Blue Devils will need to beat Mount St. Mary’s and Mississippi State or Baylor in the first weekend to reach the Sweet 16.
Florida Gators | -750 at BetMGM
The Florida Gators dominated the SEC Tournament and they are a 1-seed in March Madness, which gives them favorable Sweet 16 odds.
Head coach Todd Golden has not won a March Madness game in his tenure at Florida, but this is by far his best team.
Florida has signature wins this season over March Madness odds contenders Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee.
If the Gators can continue to play well, they have a great chance to make their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2017.
They will need wins over Norfolk State and either UConn or Oklahoma to make it to the second weekend.
Auburn Tigers | Off the boardAuburn has been the most consistent team in college basketball this season. The Tigers have been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for several weeks this season and they are contenders in March Madness odds.
Auburn is led by star forward Johni Broome, who is a March Madness player to watch. Broome is one of five players on Auburn that averages at least 10 points per game.
The Tigers have great depth and are looking to get back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
To get there, they will have to beat Creighton in the second round.
Houston Cougars | Off the board
The Houston Cougars are high up in Sweet 16 odds as Kelvin Sampson’s team looks to reach the second weekend.
Houston has been one of the most consistent teams in the country over the past few years. The Cougars have made five consecutive Sweet 16 appearances.
Houston boasts an elite defensive team this season. The Cougars average over seven steals and over four blocks per game.
If the Cougars want to advance to their sixth straight Sweet 16, their defense should be enough to carry them past the first few rounds.
Houston needs to beat Gonzaga to make the Sweet 16.
Saint Mary’s Gaels | +300 at BetMGM
The Saint Mary’s Gaels might not be a well-known school, but they could be a good Sweet 16 best bet.
The Gaels play a unique style of basketball – slow and methodical. They will wear down opposing teams.
They are a 7-seed in the bracket, which means the Gaels would likely need to pull an upset to make the Sweet 16.
Saint Mary’s will play Vanderbilt in the first round with a possible matchup against 2-seed Alabama looming.
They haven’t made a Sweet 16 appearance since 2010. Still, keep an eye on the Gaels in the Sweet 16 odds because they play some of the best defense in the country.
| Team | Appearances |
|---|---|
| Kentucky |
44 |
 UCLA |
36 |
| North Carolina |
36 |
| Duke |
33 |
 Kansas |
31 |
 Louisville |
24 |
 Syracuse |
24 |
 Indiana |
22 |
 Michigan State |
21 |
 Arizona |
20 |
 Villanova |
19 |
 UConn |
19 |
 Kansas State |
18 |
 Notre Dame |
17 |
 Michigan |
17 |
While there are always first-round upsets, it can be hard to follow up one stellar performance with another. To get to the Sweet 16, a team needs to win two games. If you’re considering wagering on a double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16, it’s best to map out projected second-round matchups and how the team you’re eyeing would match up with its potential Round 2 opponents.
Additionally, you will typically have to pay a pretty heavy price to back the top seeds. The value usually lies elsewhere.
Following an initial round of “First Four” games, the NCAA tournament is divided into four regions with 16 teams in each region.
The teams that advance beyond the first and second rounds in their respective region advance to the third round of the tournament, which is known as the Sweet 16 because there are 16 teams remaining at that point in the tournament.
The Sweet 16 is essentially the semifinal round for each respective region. There are eight Sweet 16 matchups in all, and the winners of those matchups advance to the Elite Eight.
The losers are eliminated from national championship contention.
The Sweet 16 games will take place at four different sites. The East Regional will be played at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The South Regional will be played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Midwest Regional will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The West Regional will be played at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
The Sweet 16 will be played on Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28.
The East Regional Sweet 16 games and West Regional Sweet 16 games will be played on Thursday.
The South Regional Sweet 16 games and Midwest Regional Sweet 16 games will be played on Friday.
In last year’s NCAA tournament, UConn, San Diego State, Illinois and Iowa State advanced to the Sweet 16 from the East Region.
Purdue, Gonzaga, Creighton and Tennessee made it from the Midwest Region.
Houston, Duke, NC State and Marquette emerged from the South Region.
And from the West Region, it was North Carolina, Alabama, Clemson and Arizona who advanced to the Sweet 16.
The entire March Madness tournament will be broadcasted on CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV. However, the specific television assignments for the Sweet 16 have not been announced yet.
The specific television assignments will be announced following the conclusion of the second round.
All of the major sportsbooks will offer odds on teams to advance to the Sweet 16.
The odds can vary from book to book, so be sure to wager using the best odds as there could be a more favorable payout at one book compared to another.
Dive into our in-depth content surrounding the biggest tournament in college hoops and unlock your betting potential for March Madness!
