March Madness 2026 Betting Predictions & Picks
Looking for free betting tips for the NCAA basketball March Madness? Our experts provide betting tips, predictions, previews and best bets for the biggest games during March Madness college basketball campaign.
Bets.com.au has you covered every step of the way through the NCAA competition. Discover how to watch the matches with March Madness live streams and get our betting picks and tips throughout the season.
Best March Madness Bookmakers
Most leading bookmakers offer odds on March Madness basketball in Australia.
You can see some of our recommended choices below, or check out our best bookmakers in Australia to see what best suits your needs.
March Madness 2026 Betting Odds
Duke and Michigan are currently equal $4.50 favourites to take out March Madness this year, slightly ahead of Arizona.
Odds from Ladbrokes. Correct from 18/3/26.
Check out the betting odds for the leading contenders below.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Duke | $4.50 |
| Michigan | $4.50 |
| Arizona | $5.00 |
| Florida | $8.00 |
| Houston | $11.00 |
| Iowa State | $17.00 |
| Illinois | $19.00 |
| Connecticut | $23.00 |
| Purdue | $26.00 |
| Arkansas | $41.00 |
| Kansas | $51.00 |
| Michigan State | $51.00 |
| St. John's | $51.00 |
| Gonzaga | $51.00 |
| Virginia | $61.00 |
| Vanderbilt | $61.00 |
| Alabama | $81.00 |
| Wisconsin | $81.00 |
March Madness Betting Markets
Punters have ample opportunity to bet on March Madness, with hundreds of different markets available.
You can find an overview of all the betting markets in the table below.
| Market Category | Bet Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Match Result | Head-to-Head (Moneyline) | Pick the outright winner of a game (includes OT) |
| Match Result | 1st Half Winner | Bet on which team leads at halftime |
| Match Result | 2nd Half Winner | Bet on which team wins the second half |
| Line / Handicap | Point Spread | Team must cover a margin (+/- points) |
| Line / Handicap | Alternative Handicap | Choose different spreads for higher/lower odds |
| Totals | Total Points (Over/Under) | Combined match points over/under a set line |
| Totals | Team Totals | Individual team points over/under |
| Totals | Alternative Totals | Adjusted lines for higher odds |
| Winning Margin | Margin Bands | Win by 1–10, 11–20, 21+ etc. |
| Winning Margin | Exact Margin | Predict exact winning margin |
| Player Props | Points | Player to score over/under X points |
| Player Props | Rebounds | Player rebounds total |
| Player Props | Assists | Player assists total |
| Player Props | Combo Props | Points + rebounds + assists |
| Team Props | Team Points | Team to score over/under |
| Team Props | Race To X Points | First team to reach 10/20/50 points |
| Team Props | Highest Scoring Half | Which half has most points |
| Game Props | First Basket | Player/team to score first |
| Game Props | Double Result | Half-time/full-time winner combo |
| Game Props | Highest Scoring Team | Which team scores most |
| Quarter/Half Markets | Quarter Winner | Winner of each quarter |
| Quarter/Half Markets | Quarter Totals | Points per quarter |
| Multi Bets | Same Game Multi (SGM) | Combine multiple selections from one game |
| Tournament Futures | Outright Winner | Pick NCAA champion |
| Tournament Futures | Final Four | Team to reach Final Four |
| Tournament Futures | Conference/Region Winner | Win specific bracket region |
| Tournament Futures | To Reach Round | Sweet 16 / Elite 8 / Final |
| Bracket Markets | Tournament Bracket | Predict full bracket outcomes |
| Specials / Exotics | Seed Specials | Highest/lowest seed to advance |
| Specials / Exotics | Upset Specials | Number of upsets in a round |
| Specials / Exotics | Team Specials | Wins, progression props |
| Live Betting | In-Play H2H | Live odds during game |
| Live Betting | Live Totals/Handicap | Adjusted lines in real time |
March Madness Format & Schedule
March Madness is the knockout tournament that determines the NCAA Division I men’s basketball champion. The structure is simple but ruthless - one loss and you’re out.
Key Structure
- 68 teams total
- 32 automatic qualifiers (conference champions)
- 36 at-large selections (chosen by committee)
- Single-elimination format
- Bracket split into 4 regions
- Each region seeded 1 to 16
Tournament Flow
First Four
- 8 lowest-ranked teams play 4 games
- Winners enter main bracket
First Round (Round of 64)
- Full bracket begins
- Classic upset territory (e.g. 12 vs 5 seeds)
Second Round (Round of 32)
- Field halves again
- Sweet 16
- Regional contenders emerge
Elite Eight
- Winners advance to Final Four
Final Four
- Last four teams (one per region)
National Championship
- One game decides the champion
2026 March Madness Schedule (AEDT-friendly view)
Opening Week
- First Four: March 18–19
- First Round (64): March 20–21
- Second Round (32): March 22–23
Second Week
- Sweet 16: March 27–28
- Elite Eight: March 29–30
Final Stage
- Final Four: April 5
- National Championship: April 7
March Madness Previous Winners
You can see a list of previous champions and runners-up since 2000 in the table below.
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-up | Coach | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida | Todd Golden | 65–63 | Houston | Kelvin Sampson | Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2024 | UConn | Dan Hurley | 75–60 | Purdue | Matt Painter | State Farm Stadium | Glendale, Arizona |
| 2023 | UConn | Dan Hurley | 76–59 | San Diego State | Brian Dutcher | NRG Stadium | Houston, Texas |
| 2022 | Kansas | Bill Self | 72–69 | North Carolina | Hubert Davis | Caesars Superdome | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 2021 | Baylor | Scott Drew | 86–70 | Gonzaga | Mark Few | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 2020 | – | – | Tournament not held | – | – | – | – |
| 2019 | Virginia | Tony Bennett | 85–77 OT | Texas Tech | Chris Beard | U.S. Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 2018 | Villanova | Jay Wright | 79–62 | Michigan | John Beilein | Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2017 | North Carolina | Roy Williams | 71–65 | Gonzaga | Mark Few | University of Phoenix Stadium | Glendale, Arizona |
| 2016 | Villanova | Jay Wright | 77–74 | North Carolina | Roy Williams | NRG Stadium | Houston, Texas |
| 2015 | Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | 68–63 | Wisconsin | Bo Ryan | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 2014 | UConn | Kevin Ollie | 60–54 | Kentucky | John Calipari | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas |
| 2013 | Louisville | Rick Pitino | 82–76 | Michigan | John Beilein | Georgia Dome | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2012 | Kentucky | John Calipari | 67–59 | Kansas | Bill Self | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 2011 | Connecticut | Jim Calhoun | 53–41 | Butler | Brad Stevens | Reliant Stadium | Houston, Texas |
| 2010 | Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | 61–59 | Butler | Brad Stevens | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 2009 | North Carolina | Roy Williams | 89–72 | Michigan State | Tom Izzo | Ford Field | Detroit, Michigan |
| 2008 | Kansas | Bill Self | 75–68 OT | Memphis | John Calipari | Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2007 | Florida | Billy Donovan | 84–75 | Ohio State | Thad Matta | Georgia Dome | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2006 | Florida | Billy Donovan | 73–57 | UCLA | Ben Howland | RCA Dome | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 2005 | North Carolina | Roy Williams | 75–70 | Illinois | Bruce Weber | Edward Jones Dome | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2004 | Connecticut | Jim Calhoun | 82–73 | Georgia Tech | Paul Hewitt | Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2003 | Syracuse | Jim Boeheim | 81–78 | Kansas | Roy Williams | Louisiana Superdome | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 2002 | Maryland | Gary Williams | 64–52 | Indiana | Mike Davis | Georgia Dome | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2001 | Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | 82–72 | Arizona | Lute Olson | Metrodome | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 2000 | Michigan State | Tom Izzo | 89–76 | Florida | Billy Donovan | RCA Dome | Indianapolis, Indiana |
March Madness Overview
March Madness is the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship tournament, featuring 68 teams competing in a single-elimination format across three weeks. The field is split into four regions, with teams seeded from 1 to 16 based on performance and selection committee rankings. The tournament begins with the “First Four” before expanding into the traditional 64-team bracket, where each round progressively halves the field - from the Round of 64 through to the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four - culminating in a one-game national championship decider. The knockout structure creates immediate pressure, where one poor performance ends a season, making consistency, depth and adaptability critical.
What sets March Madness apart is its volatility. Lower-seeded teams regularly produce upsets, particularly in the early rounds, creating bracket chaos and reshaping betting markets in real time. Momentum, matchup styles and short turnarounds between games often matter more than season-long dominance, while neutral venues reduce traditional home-court advantages. As the tournament progresses, the variance typically narrows, with higher seeds and more balanced teams prevailing in the later stages. The result is a unique blend of unpredictability early and quality consolidation late, which drives both its global appeal and its significance in betting markets.
