2024 March Madness odds for the Midwest Region: Purdue, Tennessee, Creighton top bracket

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Selection Sunday has come and gone, and it is nearly time for the 2024 March Madness basketball tournament to begin.

Along with claiming the top seed in the Midwest region, the Purdue Boilermakers also have the third-best odds to win the national championship. But there are several contenders in the Midwest Region that could make life difficult for the Boilermakers, and knock them out of the tournament before the Final Four.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the betting odds for the Midwest region and see who has the best chance of making it to the Final Four in Phoenix. In addition, don’t forget to check out how to bet on March Madness if this is your first time.

March Madness has not been kind to the Purdue Boilermakers in the past couple years. In 2021, Purdue was a No. 4 seed and lost in the first round to No. 13 North Texas in overtime. The following year in 2022, Purdue claimed a No. 3 seed and made the Sweet Sixteen but then lost to No. 15 St. Peter’s.

Last season, Purdue became just the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, as the Boilers lost to the Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson. The good news for the Boilermakers is that before them, the only other No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed went on to win the national championship the following year. Virginia lost to No. 16 UMBC in 2018, but then won it all in 2019.

Despite their recent March Madness struggles, oddsmakers are giving the Boilers the third-best odds to win it all with odds of +750, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Not surprisingly, Purdue is also favored to win the Midwest region with odds of +165. But, teams such as Tennessee, Creighton, and Gonzaga will make the Midwest a tough region for the Boilers to win.

Believe it or not, despite this being the program’s 26th trip to the NCAA tournament, the Tennessee Volunteers have never made it to the Final Four. This year’s team is looking to change that.

The Vols are led by Dalton Knecht, who was one of the top players in the country this season. His 21.1 points per game was second in the SEC and 14th nationally. Knecht is one of the most well-rounded players in the tournament, as he can take control of a game in a wide variety of ways. If the Vols want to reach the Final Four, Knecht needs to have a big tournament.

Behind Purdue, Tennessee has the second-best odds to win the Midwest region at +350 FanDuel Sportsbook. Tennessee has gotten past the first weekend twice under head coach Rick Barnes, making it to the Sweet Sixteen in 2019 as well as last season.

Both Purdue and Tennessee have struggled to make deep March Madness runs in recent years. If you think that trend will continue, Creighton could be a dark horse team to bet on. With odds of +400 DraftKings Sportsbook, the Blue Jays have the third-best odds to win the Midwest region.

Head coach Craig McDermott has led Creighton to six NCAA tournament appearances in the last eight years. He led the program to its deepest run last season, as the Blue Jays made it to the Elite Eight before falling short against San Diego State by a single point.

Creighton has a high-flying offense that scores over 80 points per game and a stingy defense that allows just 69.7 points per game. They have a good mix of playmakers, and good depth with four players averaging at least 10 points per game. All in all, this is a team to keep your eye on.