The 2024 March Madness men’s tournament is less than a day away from starting. The First Four are just the appetizer to the main course though. Will the reigning champion UConn Huskies be able to defend their title as this year’s tournament’s No. 1 overall seed? Based on their championship odds, you’d be a sucker to bet against them.

That said, if you’re looking for a little more bang for your buck, there is a multitude of other teams with strong championship odds. From the favorites to the sleepers to the teams with as good a chance as you and me, here is every March Madness team power ranked by 2024 NCAA championship odds.

2024 NCAA Championship odds:

Odds via BetMGM.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

The favorites:

UConn (+400)
Houston (+600)
Purdue (+650)
Arizona (+1100)
North Carolina (+1300)
Tennessee (+1500)
Auburn (+1700)
Iowa State (+1800)

Of each of these top-tier teams, the most intriguing one is probably UNC. Despite North Carolina being a No. 1 seed in the tournament, they currently have worse championship odds than the No. 2 seed in their region, Arizona. The Tar Heels are just two years removed from participating in the NCAA Tournament finals, and two of their key players from that run — RJ Davis and Armando Bacot — are still on the team in 2024.

Furthermore, KenPom ranks the UNC defense as the sixth-most efficient in college basketball. UNC has had a top-11 team in terms of defensive efficiency five other times since 2005. Of those five trips, three resulted in trips to the Elite Eight and two resulted in championships.

The sleepers:

Kentucky (+2500)
Marquette (+2500)
Creighton (+2500)
Duke (+3000)
Illinois (+3000)
Baylor (+3500)
Kansas (+4000)
Alabama (+4000)
Gonzaga (+6000)
Florida (+6000)

The Creighton Bluejays are arguably the toughest No. 3 seed in this year’s tournament. Just last year, they were a play away from a Final Four berth, and they returned three of their best starters. The issue with Creighton is depth. However, with Creighton playing in the Midwest region, well-regarded as the weakest in the NCAA Tournament this year, Creighton could have ample opportunity to rest their starters early on and gear up for a run at a national title.

The longshots:

St. Mary’s (+6600)
BYU (+6600)
Wisconsin (+8000)
Michigan St. (+10000)
San Diego St. (+10000)
Florida Atlantic (+10000)
Texas Tech (+10000)
Mississippi St. (+10000)
South Carolina (+10000)
Texas (+12500)
New Mexico (+12500)
Utah St. (+12500)
TCU (+15000)
Washington St. (+15000)
Clemson (+15000)
Texas A&M (+20000)
Colorado (+20000)
NC State (+20000)
Dayton (+20000)

Someone might take a look at this list and think San Diego State is the obvious pick given that they were in the national championship last year. However, New Mexico might be the best bet in this group. Despite being listed as a No. 11 seed in the West, there are some people who have New Mexico ranked in the top 50% of teams in the tournament.

Obviously, recency bias may be playing a factor. The Lobos were considered a bubble team until they won four games in four days to claim the Mountain West conference title. Still, they proved in that tournament that they were capable of winning multiple big games in a row and had the depth to do it day after day. The Mountain West was a surprisingly deep conference this year too, with six teams from the conference earning NCAA Tournament bids — New Mexico, Utah State, San Diego State, Nevada, Boise State, and Colorado State. New Mexico was the best of this bunch and are one of the hotter teams in the country heading into March Madness.

The very, very long shots:

Virginia (+25000)
Oregon (+25000)
Northwestern (+25000)
Drake (+25000)
Boise St. (+30000)
Colorado St. (+30000)
Grand Canyon (+30000)
McNeese St. (+35000)
Yale (+50000)
Duquesne (+50000)
UAB (+50000)
Samford (+100000)
Morehead St. (+100000)
Oakland (+100000)
Charleston (+100000)
Vermont (+100000)
Akron (+100000)
Western Kentucky (+100000)
Long Beach State (+100000)
Longwood (+200000)
Stetson (+200000)
Wagner (+200000)
South Dakota St. (+200000)
Colgate (+200000)
Montana St. (+200000)
Howard (+200000)
Saint Peter’s (+200000)
Grambling St. (+200000)

Let’s talk about McNeese State. The Cowboys were just one of four teams to win 30 games this season, and they did so with an incredible three-point offense, ranking top-ten in the nation. This may not be a university many people are familiar with, but McNeese has a high-powered, high-tempo offense that could give some of the higher seeds trouble early on in the tournament. Of course, their title hopes are practically slim to none still, but betting on a Sweet 16 run from these Cowboys may not be too far out of the question.

How to watch March Madness:

All games will be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices.

Stream through Paramount+
Stream through HULU with Live TV
NCAA March Madness Live app
Stream through DirecTV Stream

NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness 2024 Schedule

First Four

First and Second Round

Sweet 16 and Elite Eight

Final Four

NCAA championship game

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

Back in January, the legendary outlet laid off more than 100 employees. That happened because The Arena Group, which had a deal with Authentic Brands to publish SI content online and in print, missed a $4 million payment.

At the time, the publication said it would switch to a more ‘streamlined business model,’ and the layoffs nearly forced the magazine to stop the presses for good. Then, The NewsGuild of New York and the Sports Illustrated Union filed a lawsuit accusing Arena of union-busting.

Now, Authentic has a new 10-year licensing deal with Minute Media, which also owns sports websites The Players’ Tribune and Fansided. Minute Media chief executive Asaf Peled told The New York Times the company plans to hire back some of the staff let go two months ago.

That’s a relief to generations of sports fans. ‘If you are older, you knew exactly what day Sports Illustrated showed up in the mailbox … if your team made the cover, it was the greatest thing ever, ‘ posted ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, when the bad news hit SI in January.

Tom Brady also had thoughts:

To celebrate Sports Illustrated’s new agreement, here are some iconic covers:

Some iconic Sports Illustrated covers

Sports Illustrated: The swimsuit issue

SI covers for all seasons

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz.

Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is medically retiring from the NFL, he announced Monday.

Vander Esch, 28, was released by the Cowboys last Friday with a failed physical designation. The 2018 first-round pick out of Boise State dealt with a series of health ailments throughout his six-year pro career.

‘I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to the unwavering standard of excellence that professional football demands,’ Vander Esch said in a statement. ‘I say this with a heavy heart: I am medically retiring from the NFL. I love the game of football so much, but my body won’t cooperate any longer. I cherished every moment of my NFL career, and it has been such a blessing to play the game for as long as I have played.’

Vander Esch was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie, earning the nickname ‘Wolf Hunter’ while celebrating with his howls and compiling 140 tackles, which ranked third in the NFL that season. But the linebacker, who was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis and wore a neck roll for protection on the field, missed seven games the following season with a neck injury that would require surgery.

In 2023, he missed all but five games after he was pushed from behind by San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, with Vander Esch’s helmet hitting the side of teammate Micah Parsons. A stinger in 2022 forced him to miss four games.

All things Cowboys: Latest Dallas Cowboys news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘Seldom do you come across a player like Leighton, who grew up playing eight-man football only to first play the 11-man game at the major collegiate level and excel,’ Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. ‘His passion and love for the game was contagious, and from the moment he arrived, he has been a difference maker. His grit, toughness, motivation, determination and football IQ will be sorely missed. Leighton also embodied the strong character and personal qualities that make him much more than an accomplished player.’

The Cowboys signed linebacker Eric Kendricks last week in free agency as an expected replacement.