NCAA Tournament odds for the unlikely group of Sweet 16 teams remaining


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SALT LAKE CITY — The term “March Madness” may be the most fitting it has ever been.

Of the 16 teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament, only two No. 1 seeds remain. This has only happened four times in the history of seeding since its inauguration in 1979. It's also the first time in history that only seven teams seeded four or higher remain.

With all of the craziness in the tournament, let’s take a look at each team in the Sweet 16 and their chances going forward.

No. 9 Kansas State

Kansas State probably felt pretty great after it saw No. 1 Virgina fall to UMBC. The feeling probably got a little bit worse after Kansas State struggled mightily to score in the second round against the No. 16 seed. Thanks to its stifling defense and the late-game heroics of sophomore Xavier Sneed, Kansas State managed to sneak away with a victory en route to a Sweet 16 matchup against Kentucky.

Vegasinsider.com gives Kansas State 60/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Kansas State a 29 percent chance to beat Kentucky, a 19 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, an 8 percent chance to make it to the championship and a 2 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Kansas State a 43.3 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 12.79 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 3.02 percent chance to make the final, and a .34 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Kansas State 7-1 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 5 Kentucky

Head coach John Calipari was not initially thrilled about Kentucky’s seeding and schedule in the NCAA Tournament. At this point, though, he should be extremely grateful for it. So far his team has played a No. 12 seed and a No. 13 seed. He gets the privilege of playing a No. 9 seed in the Sweet 16 that barely defeated a No. 16 seed. If Kentucky can get past Kansas State, it will face either a No. 7 seed or No. 11 seed in the Elite 8. In a “down year,” Kentucky has an excellent shot of advancing to the Final Four.

Vegasinsider.com gives Kentucky 7/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Kentucky a 71 percent chance to beat Kansas State, a 57 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 30 percent chance to make it to the championship, and an 11 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Kentucky a 56.70 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 34.70 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 19.37 percent chance to make the final, and a 9.24 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Kentucky 6-5 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 11 Loyola Chicago

Loyola Chicago is rolling with upset after upset. Loyola narrowly defeated No. 6 Miami by two points in the opening round and then followed it up by defeating the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers 63-62 in the second round. The program will face the lowest seed it has faced thus far in the tournament on Thursday in No. 7 Nevada. Although Nevada is seeded lower, the Wolf Pack is surging and dangerous. Only one of the two Cinderella teams will be able to move on to the Elite 8.

Vegasinsider.com gives Loyola 100/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Loyola a 49 percent chance to defeat Nevada, a 12 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 3 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a 0.6 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Loyola a 34.98 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, an 18.32 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 7.31 percent chance to make the final, and a 2.05 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Loyola 5-1 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 7 Nevada

Nevada has to be one of the most entertaining teams left in the NCAA Tournament. It has a high-powered offense that has been extremely volatile during the tournament. Nevada stormed back from a 22-point second-half deficit against No. 2 seeded Cincinnati on Sunday. It also trailed Texas by 14 in the first round. When Nevada is clicking, its offense is potent. But the offense will be tested by the top 5 defense of Loyola Chicago.

Vegasinsider.com gives Nevada 50/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Nevada a 51 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 12 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 4 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a .9 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Nevada a 65.02 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 34.19 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 14.98 percent chance to make the final, and a 5.40 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Nevada 3-1 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 9 Florida State

Florida State looked like it had no chance against juggernaut Xavier, trailing by 12 points with a only a few minutes remaining. But the No. 9 seed flipped the script, going on an 18-4 run to end the game and stun the No. 1 seed. Florida State will have another tall task ahead of it against a solid Gonzaga team.

Vegasinsider.com gives Florida State 60/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Florida State a 28 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, an 11 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 5 percent chance to make it to the championship and a 1 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Florida State a 30.1 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 12.06 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 4.99 percent chance to make the final, and a 1.16 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Florida State 6-1 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 4 Gonzaga

Gonzaga’s path to the Sweet 16 has not been particularly smooth. Gonzaga narrowly escaped UNC Greensboro and Ohio State. The Bulldogs needs to clean up its play against Florida State if it wants to continue on to the Elite 8.

Vegasinsider.com gives Gonzaga 8/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Gonzaga a 72 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 41 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 22 percent chance to make it to the championship, and an 8 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Gonzaga a 69.90 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 41.11 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 24.83 percent chance to make the final, and an 11.93 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Gonzaga 3-2 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 3 Michigan

Michigan was fortuitous to make it past Houston in the previous round. It has had horrendous 3-point shooting through the tournament so far and teams have been able to key in on Mo Wagner, causing him to average 8.5 points per game. Michigan has relied heavily on its defense in the first two rounds but will need to pick up its offense to keep going in the tournament.

Vegasinsider.com gives Michigan 7/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Michigan a 52 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 26 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 14 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a 5 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Michigan a 57.71 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 31.46 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 19.05 percent chance to make the final, and a 8.90 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Michigan 5-2 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 7 Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s blowout win over North Carolina would have generated a ton of noise most years, but with the plethora of upsets in the tournament this year, the win generated relative little noise. Texas A&M used defense to take the Tar Heels out of the game and North Carolina could not do anything inside or out. The defending champions could not score inside against Tyler Davis, so they elected to shoot 31 threes, only making six of them. Texas A&M will be a tough out for Michigan, with its complete roster.

Vegasinsider.com gives Texas A&M 30/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Texas A&M a 48 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 23 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 14 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a 5 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Texas A&M a 42.29 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 15.38 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 6.45 percent chance to make the final, and a 1.86 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Texas A&M 5-1 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 1 Villanova

Villanova is one of the rare No. 1 seeds remaining in the tournament. Unlike the majority of the high seeds in the tournament, Villanova has handily taken care of business. Villanova is a heavy favorite against West Virginia, which will face its first big test of the tournament on Friday.

Vegasinsider.com gives Villanova 18/5 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Villanova a 70 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 54 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 32 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a 22 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Villanova a 70.25 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 39.80 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 23.98 percent chance to make the final, and a 16.10 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Villanova 7-4 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 5 West Virginia

West Virginia has taken care of business so far in the tournament, totally destroying Marshall, whose offense gave Wichita State fits. West Virginia is playing some of its best basketball going into its game against Villanova, and will need to play near flawless basketball to win.

Vegasinsider.com gives West Virginia 12/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives West Virginia a 30 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 19 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 9 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a 6 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives West Virginia a 29.75 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 11.48 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 4.98 percent chance to make the final, and a 2.35 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives West Virginia 4-1 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 3 Texas Tech

Keenan Evans leads the charge for Texas Tech. The 6-foot-3 senior averaged 17.8 points per game this season and has continued his dominance in the tournament. Evans scored 23 points and 22 points in the first two games of the tournament and he’s shot 67 percent from three in the tournament. The Red Raiders will need Evans to stay hot in order to beat Purdue.

Vegasinsider.com gives Texas Tech 15/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Texas Tech a 38 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, an 8 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 4 percent chance to make it to the championship and a 2 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Texas Tech a 38.80 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 16.95 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 8.75 percent chance to make the final, and a 4.75 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Texas Tech 7-2 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 2 Purdue

The big story with Purdue during the NCAA Tournament has been the right elbow fracture of center Isaac Haas. ESPN reported that Purdue’s sports medicine program is working to design a brace for Hass that will be NCAA approved. Even if a brace is created that Haas can wear, he likely won’t play any more this postseason. Without Hass, the odds of Purdue continuing its postseason run decreases.

Vegasinsider.com gives Purdue 10/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Purdue a 62 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, an 18 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, an 8 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a 5 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Purdue a 61.20 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 31.76 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 17.51 percent chance to make the final, and a 11.05 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Purdue 15-4 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 1 Kansas

Like Villanova, this No. 1 seed is still alive and well in the NCAA Tournament. Kansas received a scare in the second round from the gritty play of Seton Hall. Kansas has been playing a four-guard lineup. Kansas’ style of play mirrors some of the small-ball styles of offense of the NBA today. If Kansas is clicking, this lineup is deadly.

Vegasinsider.com gives Kansas 6/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Kansas a 73 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 38 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 17 percent chance to make it to the championship, and an 11 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Kansas a 61.03 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 30.87 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 13.68 percent chance to make the final, and a 6.36 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Kansas 5-2 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 5 Clemson

Clemson’s blowout of Auburn on Sunday was extremely impressive. Clemson arguably has some of the most momentum going into the Sweet 16. Clemson smothered Auburn defensively, holding it to 26 percent from the field and 22 percent from behind the arc.

Vegasinsider.com gives Clemson 60/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Clemson a 27 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 9 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 3 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a 2 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Clemson a 38.97 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 15.02 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 5.34 percent chance to make the final, and a 2.43 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Clemson 7-2 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 11 Syracuse

Syracuse is another Cinderella story. It made it into the tournament by defeating Arizona State in the First Four. Syracuse has won its three games by a total of 11 points. It used late game fouls against Michigan State to prevent it from being able to attempt a three and tie it. Syracuse’s odds of advancing to the Elite 8 are slim, but its odds in previous rounds were slim as well.

Vegasinsider.com gives Syracuse 80/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Syracuse a 15 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 4 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 1 percent chance to make it to the championship, and a .4 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Syracuse a 16.89 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 5.42 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a .81 percent chance to make the final, and a .24 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Syracuse 6-1 odds to make the Final Four.

No. 2 Duke

The storied franchise of Duke is peaking at the perfect time. Duke has one, if the not the most, talented rosters in college basketball. It has a good combination of youth and veterans. Its 3-point shooting and defense are both top notch. If Duke continues its strong play, it has a very good chance of winning it all.

Vegasinsider.com gives Duke 4/1 odds to win the entire tournament.

FiveThirtyEight gives Duke an 85 percent chance to make it to the Elite 8, a 49 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 26 percent chance to make it to the championship, and an 18 percent chance to win the whole thing.

SportingNews gives Duke an 83.11 percent chance to advance to the Elite 8, a 48.69 percent chance to advance to the Final Four, a 24.95 percent chance to make the final, and a 15.87 percent chance to win the entire tournament.

Bleacher Report gives Duke 2-1 odds to make the Final Four.

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