It’s time to download your March Madness Printable Bracket, and our accompanying March Madness Betting Guide will surely assist you down the March Madness trail.
The No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers are hoping to shake last year’s first-round upset at the hands of Farleigh Dickenson, and the March Madness betting promos are aplenty for those wishing to make a futures wager on the Boilermakers or maybe stake a bet on another team like Tennessee to win it all.
No. 2 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Creighton may have a say in the matter, as could Cinderella hopefuls Samford and Akron.
Who will cut down the nets when the Midwest Region winner is crowned? Join me as I examine the Midwest Region favorites, a region Cinderella, with future predictions and free picks for the 2024 NCAA Midwest Region.
March Madness Midwest Region Winner Prediction
(2) Tennessee defeats (1) Purdue to win Midwest Region
This is a difficult prediction to make as we have a No. 4 seed with major injury concerns and no clear status, so Tennessee’s opponent will either be Purdue or Kansas.
Tennessee is my winner as it boasts the best defense in the Midwest region and the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio. The Vols are a tough out behind their top unit, and while Zach Edey is a load to stop, the Vols can slow down the rest of the Boilermakers snipers just enough to outscore them with the nation’s 49th-best scoring offense.
Track the rest of our NCAA Tournament regional breakdowns:
March Madness Midwest Region Best Bets
Tennessee Region Winner (+350) • DraftKings Sportsbook
This is a good bet for a couple of reasons. The Vols have a good draw and know how to win on the road (8-3).
Tennessee is also 6-4 this season against nationally ranked opponents, and if it can get past Texas, and it should, it’s not a stretch to see it run through the field and win the Midwest Region.
Tennessee to Reach Elite 8 (+135) • DraftKings Sportsbook
A bet on Tennessee to win the Midwest Region would also mean it would need to win its Elite Eight matchup. There isn’t a program other than Texas that can hurt the Vols on this side of the bracket.
Texas is 3-8 against nationally ranked opponents, and if Oregon defeats Texas, the Ducks are just 1-3 against the AP Top 25 and will have its hands full with Tennessee.
March Madness Midwest Region Teams Seeded
- Purdue
- Tennessee
- Creighton
- Kansas
- Gonzaga
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah State
- TCU
- Virginia/Colorado State (First-Four)
- Oregon
- McNeese State
- Samford
- Akron
- Saint Peter’s
- Montana State/Grambling State (First Four)
March Madness Midwest Region Top 4 Seeds
(1) Purdue Boilermakers
Head coach Matt Painter’s programs have lost three straight NCAA tourney games as large favorites against double-digit seeds. Painter’s record of just 17-15 in the NCAA tourney doesn’t instill much confidence in a deep run for the Big Ten regular-season champs.
Reigning player of the year, Zach Edey, leads the nation in scoring. Purdue is deadly from downtown, but its defense doesn’t force turnovers, and the Boilermakers are cooked if Edey gets into foul trouble and the triples don’t fall.
Its potential Sweet 16 matchup with Kansas and past tourney woes don’t make laying the type of vig (-170) worth it for an Elite Eight wager.
(2) Tennessee Volunteers
The SEC regular-season champ Tennessee Volunteers narrowly missed a No. 1 seed. Head coach Rick Barnes’s 27-26 NCAA Tournament record is sketchy, and the Vols are just 2-3 on neutral courts.
Tennessee boasts one of the toughest defenses nationally, and guard Dalton Knecht is a game-changer. Its 1:63 assist-to-turnover ratio is second only to Gonzaga in the Midwest Region.
Provided the Vols get past Saint Peter’s, Tennessee faces a potentially difficult second-round matchup with Texas. If it gets through Texas, it can reach the Elite Eight (+135 at DraftKings), and that’s a bet I would likely make.
(3) Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays finished third in a tough Big East, bringing a high-scoring offense to the Midwest Region. Head coach Greg McDermott is 9-11 in NCAA tourney appearances, and they have a difficult matchup with No. 14 seed Akron.
The Jays are one of the best defensive rebounding programs nationally, but that’s where it ends. Creighton is a mediocre offensive-rebounding team that forces only 7.8 turnovers and allows 12.6 points from its own miscues.
It drains 36.1% of their triples but relies too heavily upon them to make it out of the Midwest.
(4) Kansas Jayhawks
The preseason No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks have serious injury concerns. Top scorers Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. both missed the Big 12 tourney, and their statuses are unknown.
Kansas head coach Bill Self is among the winningest coaches in NCAA tourney history. The Jayhawks came out of this region to win the 2022 natty, but it is not a good bet that the Jayhawks will get out of this region without their star players suiting up.
March Madness Midwest Region Cinderella
(13) Samford
The Samford Bulldogs are exactly what a Cinderella is supposed to be. They score, defend, and have won six of their last seven entering Thursday’s matchup with Kansas.
Kansas is the walking wounded, and if they can somehow get past the Jayhawks, they can score with Gonzaga and/or McNeese State. Samford is one of the top teams nationally in swipes, forcing 16.6 miscues into 19.6 points while allowing only 12.9 points per tilt from their own turnovers.
Samford is 8-5 this season as the away team and 3-0 on a neutral court. The glass slipper might fit the Bulldogs this weekend.
March Madness Midwest Region Round 1 Upset
(13) Samford Bulldogs defeats (4) Kansas Jayhawks
Samford could pull this one off if Kansas is less than 100 percent. The Bulldogs can score with anyone and pester ball handlers into 16.6 turnovers per contest.
That could cause a reckless Jayhawks offense to exceed their 11.1 turnovers per game, and that would only be magnified if Dickinson and/or McCullar cannot suit up.
Also, consider picking these Midwest Region Round 1 bracket upsets:
- No. 12 McNeese State over No. 5 Gonzaga
- No. 11 Oregon over No. 6 South Carolina
March Madness Midwest Region Schedule 2023
Round 1 Midwest Region Schedule
Thursday, March 21 - Friday, March 22
- Pittsburgh, Pa.; Charlotte, N.C.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Indianapolis, Ind.
Round 2 Midwest Region Schedule
Saturday, March 23 - Sunday, March 24
- Pittsburgh, Pa.; Charlotte, N.C.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Indianapolis, Ind.
Sweet 16 Midwest Region Schedule
Sunday, March 29
- Detroit, Mich.
Elite 8 Midwest Region Schedule
Sunday, March 31
- Detroit, Mich.
