March Madness 2024 power rankings: UConn builds lead in odds ahead of Elite Eight
And then there were eight. The 2024 men's NCAA Tournament started out just over a week ago with 68 programs gunning for championship. Now, just eight remain across the four regions after three rounds of play.
In the East region, pre-tournament favorites and No. 1 seed UConn have won their first three March Madness games by an average of 28 points per game. They take on one of the best offenses in the country in No. 3 seed Illinois for a spot in the Final Four next weekend in Glendale, Arizona.
The Huskies remain the runaway favorites but who could catch them? Here's how the Elite Eight power rankings look based on odds from BetMGM:
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Odds as of Friday night.
1. UConn (+100)
2. Purdue (+325)
There's UConn, then there's everyone else in the odds. The Huskies' thorough shellacking of every opponent so far in the East region makes them a great candidate to become the first repeat champions in nearly 20 years. Purdue looked dominant like UConn in the first two rounds before pulling away in the second half of their Sweet 16 game against Gonzaga. They have every right to be at the top.
3. Tennessee (+700)
4. Duke (+700)
The Volunteers rode the third-best defense in the country by the latest KenPom rankings to the Elite Eight, knocking off Texas in the second round and Creighton in the Sweet 16. Similarly, Duke is peaking at a perfect time after blowing out upset-minded James Madison with the fourth-best team left in the tournament by KenPom. They held on to beat Houston, no small feat against one of the nation's top teams.
5. Illinois (+1800)
6. Alabama (+1800)
The first two teams in four-digit odds win in similar ways. Illinois powered through the Sweet 16 behind KenPom's No. 2-ranked offense. Unfortunately, the Illini have to take on the top-ranked offense by KenPom (UConn). Alabama's Grant Nelson had a career night against North Carolina in a thrilling win. The Crimson Tide can score seemingly wherever at will but face a Clemson team that's led all but a couple minutes of their games in this tournament.
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7. NC State (+3500)
8. Clemson (+4000)
Doubt NC State at your own risk; the Wolfpack have won their last eight games in a row in the conference and NCAA tournaments. They're the last double-digit seed left but playing the best ball of their season. Clemson's first ever run to the Elite Eight featured back-to-back wins over higher seeds, first against Baylor then against Arizona. The Tigers trailed for 21 seconds combined in both games and consistently relied on experience to get them there.
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
Stream through DirecTV Stream
Stream March Madness: Catch all March Madness action with a Fubo subscription
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness power rankings: UConn tops Elite Eight tournament odds
