The field of 64 Division I college basketball teams competing in the Men’s NCAA tournament has narrowed after the first week of March Madness play, marking the start of the Sweet 16 round.
There hasn’t been much movement at the top of the March Madness tournament since the initial odds were announced following the tournament’s bracket reveal. All the four No. 1 seeds and the four No. 2 seeds remain in the tournament. The UConn Huskies are still the top contender and the clear favorite to win a back-to-back National Championship title.
Here are the latest power rankings for the 16 remaining teams in the tournament based on the current odds of them winning the trophy on April 8, as per BetMGM.
NCAA Tournament 2024: Sweet 16 odds, betting lines, spreads for every men’s game
March Madness Sweet 16 power rankings: Top Five teams
1. UConn (+200)
The Huskies were the top seed in the tournament, and in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament they have proven why they could win it all. The Huskies dominated No. 16 Stetson in the first round, routing the Hatters 91-52 before defeating No. 9 Northwestern 75-58 in the second round. No. 1-seed UConn will now face No. 5-seed San Diego State in the Sweet 16, a rematch of the 2023 championship title game on Thursday night.
2. Houston (+500)
Houston narrowly avoided an early March Madness exit in the second round but pulled off a 100-95 overtime win over Texas A&M. Nevertheless, the Cougars have been dominant in their first season in the Big 12 and have given excellent defensive performances throughout the season, which provided them with a great chance for a deeper tournament run. Houston has advanced to the Sweet 16 and will play against No. 4-seed Duke on Friday.
3. Purdue (+650)
This Purdue basketball team is having a much different March Madness run compared to their first-round loss in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. This year, the Boilermakers have won their first and second-round games by over 25 points each.
In the first round, Purdue defeated No. 16 Grambling State 78-50. The Boilermakers continued the momentum and dominated No. 8 Utah State 106-67 in the second round. The Boilermakers are now set to face off against the No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
4. Arizona (+800)
Arizona is currently the most favored No. 2 seed team in the tournament and has better odds to win the championship than the No. 1 seed in the West Region. The Wildcats defeated No. 15 Long Beach State 85-65 in the first round and No. 7 Dayton 78-68 in the tournament’s second round. Arizona will play against No. 6-seed Clemson in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.
5. North Carolina (+1000)
The North Carolina Tar Heels have made it to the Sweet 16 after winning the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Michigan State Spartans 85-69. Prior to that, the Tar Heels had an easy 90-62 victory over Wagner in their first game of the tournament. North Carolina plays No. 4-seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.
The rest of March Madness Sweet 16 power rankings
6. Tennessee (+1200)
7. Iowa State (+1400)
8. Marquette (+1600)
9. Creighton (+2500)
10. Duke (+2500)
11. Gonzaga (+2500)
12. Illinois (+2800)
13. Alabama (+4000)
14. San Diego State (+6600)
15. Clemson (+8000)
16. NC State (+10000)
How to watch NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness 2024
All games will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices.
How to watch March Madness: Watch all tournament games with a subscription to fuboTV
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament: Power ranking Sweet 16 teams based on odds
