The 2026 Sweet 16 field is set following a dramatic opening weekend that saw the defending champion Florida Gators fall in the second round. Correlate that the remaining sixteen teams will converge on San Jose, Houston, Washington, D.C., and Chicago this Thursday and Friday for a chance to reach the Elite Eight.
South Regional, Houston, TX
The matchup between Nebraska and Iowa brings a fierce Big Ten atmosphere to Houston. Nebraska is coming off a narrow win over Vanderbilt. Iowa arrives after the biggest upset in College Basketball odds during the tournament against Florida. The late game features a physical battle between Houston’s elite defense and an Illinois team that has been one of the most efficient offensive units in the field.
West Regional, San Jose, CA
Arizona has looked like a dominant offshore betting force through two rounds. Hence, it will rely on its high-powered backcourt against an Arkansas team that specializes in forcing turnovers. On the other side of the bracket, Purdue looks to avoid an upset against a Texas team that has already knocked off 6 BYU and 3 Gonzaga to reach this stage.
East Regional, Washington, DC
Duke has been steady throughout the first March Madness Betting Odds
Weekend. Now it faces a St. John’s team led by Rick Pitino, who has a storied history of March success. The late game between UConn and Michigan State is a clash of coaching titans, featuring Dan Hurley and Tom Izzo, both known for playing their best basketball late in the season.
Midwest Regional, Chicago, IL
Michigan enters as one of the favorites to reach the Final Four after a dominant second-round performance. They face an Alabama team that plays at one of the fastest tempos in the country. Next, the final spot in the Elite Eight will be decided between Iowa State and Tennessee, two programs that pride themselves on toughness and defensive rebounding.
2026 March Madness Odds and Schedule Preview
Sweet 16 Complete Betting & Broadcast Board
Thursday March 26
West Regional San Jose, CA
- 11 Texas vs 2 Purdue 7:10 PM CBS Spread Purdue -7.5 Total 148.5
- 4 Arkansas vs 1 Arizona 9:45 PM CBS Spread Arizona -8.5 Total 166.5
South Regional Houston, TX
- 9 Iowa vs 4 Nebraska 7:30 PM TBS truTV Spread Nebraska -1.5 Total 133.5
- 3 Illinois vs 2 Houston 10:05 PM TBS truTV Spread Houston -3.5 Total 139.5
Friday March 27
East Regional Washington, DC
- 5 St. John’s vs 1 Duke 7:10 PM CBS Spread Duke -6.5 Total 146.5
- 2 UConn vs 3 Michigan State 9:45 PM CBS Spread UConn -1.5 Total 135.5
Midwest Regional Chicago, IL
- 4 Alabama vs 1 Michigan 7:35 PM TBS truTV Spread Michigan -10.5 Total 175.5
- 6 Tennessee vs 2 Iowa State 10:10 PM TBS truTV Spread Iowa State -4.5 Total 138.5
March Madness Odds Betting Tips
Favorites controlled the board through the first weekend, going 39-9 straight up and 27-19-2 against the spread.
Since 1985, nearly every national champion has ranked in the top 25 for adjusted offensive efficiency and the top 35 for adjusted defensive efficiency.
Heading into the Sweet 16, the teams that best fit this championship profile are Duke, Michigan, Arizona, and Iowa State.
Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies continue to be the gold standard for bettors in March. Hurley holds an 85 percent cover rate in the NCAA Tournament since 1985, which is the highest of any coach with at least 15 games. UConn enters its matchup against Michigan State as a narrow point favorite.
Rick Barnes at Tennessee has historically struggled in the second weekend, with his teams losing in the first two rounds in 19 of his 30 tournament appearances. This could be a factor as the 6-seed Volunteers face the 2-seed Iowa State.
While the opening round saw plenty of high-scoring games, the Under made a significant comeback on Sunday, going 6-2 in the final eight games of the second round.