NCAA Tournament Odds: Betting lines released for all East Region Games
The field is set for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, including an East Region that features the bracket’s top overall seed and conference champions galore. It also includes all three team’s from last year’s Final Four that managed to make the field this season as well.
Now, with those games set to tip off later this week, Vegas is already on it as far as opening lines for the Round of 64.
FanDuel released their odds for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament following the announcement of the field on Selection Sunday. For this region, it includes four spreads that are at double digits, two that have favorites of a couple possessions, and two more that are nearly a pick ’em at less than two points.
Here’s how Vegas is assessing the opening round out East for March Madness this year.
(1) Connecticut (-26.5) vs. (16) Stetson
UConn is our No. 1 overall seed after winning the Big East Tournament to move to 31-3 overall. That puts the defending champions in position to repeat with a potential appearance in Phoenix by coming out of the East Region, a region that they’re (+120) to win according to FanDuel.
First up for the Huskies will be in Brooklyn against Stetson, the 16th-seeded Hatters who went 22-12 and won the automatic bid out of the ASUN. Still, with the mark of No. 1s versus No. 16s still at 150-2 all-time, Connecticut is a heavy favorite to move on to the Round of 32 as the first region’s only 20-plus point spread in the round.
(2) Iowa State (-16.5) vs. (15) South Dakota State
After winning the Big 12 Tournament, Iowa State jumped up to a No. 2 seed at 27-7 on the season. The Cyclones were already respected but a 28-point beatdown of Houston, a No. 1 seed in the Big 12 and the NCAA Tournament, got everyone’s attention this weekend.
Now, in Omaha, they will face the 22-12, No. 15-seeded Jackrabbits out of the Summit League. They’re the second-largest favorite of the region, though, as just over a 16-point favorite over South Dakota State.
(3) Illinois (-13.5) vs. (14) Morehead State
Illinois improved to 26-8 on Sunday with their win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. They finished as the second-best team out of the conference this season but take the dance floor on a positive note after winning their league’s tournament in Minneapolis.
They will now go to Omaha as well as a double-digit favorite over Morehead State. The Fighting Illini will take on the Eagles, the 26-8 champion out of the Ohio Valley Conference, as their No. 14 seed.
(4) Auburn (-11.5) vs. (13) Yale
Auburn was the only top-four seed to survive the SEC Tournament’s quarterfinals this weekend. They then turned that into another conference championship that moved them to 27-7 and into another No. 4 seed but, this time, in the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers will go cross country and play against Yale (22-9) after the Bulldogs won the Ivy League on a game-winning buzzer beater on Sunday. Vegas doesn’t expect any more madness from them, though, with them favoring Auburn by a dozen in Spokane.
(5) San Diego State (-7.5) vs. (12) UAB
San Diego State made their first national championship appearance last season before losing by 17 to UConn in Houston. It’s a year later and they sit at 24-10 as the Mountain West’s runner-up and one of the nation’s top scorers in Jaedon LeDee.
This run for the Aztecs will start as a 7.5-point favorite over UAB (23-11), the American’s champion. The Blazers, led by Andy Kennedy, are making their second appearance of his four-year tenure so far as they’ll face off with last season’s national runner-up.
(6) BYU (-7.5) vs. (11) Duquesne
BYU went 23-10 in their first year in the Big 12 and finished amongst the top of the conference. They’ll now be making their second NCAA Tournament appearance of Mark Pope’s four years in Provo as a No. 6 seed again.
The Cougars will be a 7.5-point favorite over Duquesne, the No. 11 seed that’s 24-11 out of the Atlantic 10. After finishing sixth overall in the conference, the Dukes went to Brooklyn and earned their first appearance in March Madness since 1977.
(7) Washington State (-1.5) vs. (10) Drake
Washington State is a tight favorite in their first-round matchup after finishing in second in the Pac-12 this season. They are 24-9 overall after losing in their conference semifinal but still sit as a No. 7 seed for their first appearance since 2008.
Wazzu will open their tournament play against Drake (28-6) out of the Missouri Valley. The Bulldogs held off Indiana State for the automatic bid and will now be in near toss-up against the Cougars as a No. 10 seed.
(8) Florida Atlantic (-1.5) vs. (9) Northwestern
Florida Atlantic is the third team in this region who made it to last year’s Final Four. Now, at 25-8 this year, the Owls did enough to earn a return trip to the dance, their third in program history, as an at-large out of the American.
Northwestern (21-11) will be waiting for them in Brooklyn as their No. 9 seed out of the Big Ten. They left their conference tournament early with a quarterfinal loss but will be right there with FAU as an underdog of only a point and a half.