The first round of NCAA March Madness is here, and there are countless ways that bettors can dive into the action.
One interesting Madness market involves the tournament’s No. 1 seeds: UConn, Houston, Purdue and North Carolina.
Bettors can wager on how many 1-seeds will make it to the Final Four.
Let’s take a look at the odds via FanDuel.
Number of No. 1 Seeds to make Final Four: *
One: +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total)
Two: +210 (bet $10 to win $31 total)
None: +330 (bet $10 to win $43 total)
Three: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
Four: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
* odds as of 3/21/2024
The UConn Huskies are the No. 1 seed in the East region. They play No. 16 Stetson on Friday at 2:45 p.m. ET. Over on the South side, the Houston Cougars have claimed the top seed and play No. 16 Longwood on Friday at 9:20 p.m. ET.
On the West side of the bracket, North Carolina will face No. 16 Wagner on Thursday at 2:15 p.m. ET. The Purdue Boilermakers own the top seed in the Midwest. They’ll play No. 16 Grambling on Friday at 7:25 p.m. ET.
For those eyeing four No. 1 seeds at +5500 to make it to the Final Four, here’s some insight from FOX Sports wagering expert Chris “The Bear” Fallica:
Avoid picking more than two No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. I know you think it’s hard for these No. 1 seeds to lose, but it happens annually. Since seeding began in 1979, only in 2008 have all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four. Last year, none did.
Since all four No. 1-seed teams made the Final Four in 2008, a total of 18 1-seeds have reached the Final Four in the last 14 years.
Since 2010, only 16 No. 1 seeds have reached the Final Four. In that span, 12 No. 1 seeds have lost prior to the Sweet 16.
Purdue has been eliminated by teams seeded 16th, 15th and 13th in the past three tournaments.
The top-3 seed most likely to be out in the first weekend is North Carolina.
March Madness: West Region Gambling Guide
Now that you have insight from “The Bear,” which No. 1 seeds are you backing to make it to the Final Four?
Follow along with FOX Sports for the latest news on March Madness!
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