Who will reach the Final Four at the US traditional tournament?
Hardly any sports tournament attracts the same attention in the USA as March Madness 2021. The basketball classic pits the best college basketball teams against each other in direct knockout round duels.
Meanwhile, the tournament is also an absolute highlight for many sports fans throughout Europe. Predicting the March Madness bracket correctly once in a lifetime is the dream of many basketball fans.
The good news is that you can also watch the NCAA Tournament on TV in Europe – and even bet on it!
NCAA Division | Basketball Championship 2021 Favorites
| Gonzaga | 3.00 |
| Baylor | 6.00 |
| Michigan | 7.00 |
| Illinois | 8.00 |
| Oklahoma State | 17.0 |
| Iowa | 17.0 |
| Ohio State | 17.0 |
| Houston | 17.0 |
| Alabama | 17.0 |
When and where will March Madness 2021 take place?
Special times call for special measures, especially in the Corona year 2021. Instead of playing in front of full halls with thousands of euphoric spectators, March Madness will take place behind mostly closed doors. 25% of the visitors are to be admitted in most cases – subject to change.
The only venue in 2021 will be the state of Indiana. There, the NCAA tournament will take place at various venues, with the most important bracket games taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium. This is normally home to the NFL team the Indianapolis Colts.
The tournament itself begins on March 18 at 10 p.m. with the “First Four” and is scheduled to run through to the finals on April 5, 2021.
What does the March Madness Bracket 2021 look like?
The bracket is divided into four parts. After the First Four, which is a kind of qualifier for the final tournament, the individual Regionals will be played according to geographical criteria.
These are the West Regional, East Regional, South Regional and Midwest Regional. There are 16 teams in each regional bracket at the start, seeded according to their respective strength.
So seed #1 plays against #16, #2 against #15 and so on. In the knockout system, it’s First Round, Second Round and Regional Semifinals (Sweet 16) all the way to the Regional Final (Elite 8).
South and Midwest start their games on March 19, East and West on March 20, as the First Four teams have yet to qualify.
NCAA Championship Schedule:
| DATE | ROUND |
|---|---|
| March 18, 2021 | First Four (4 games) |
| 19.-20. March 2021 | First Round (32 games) |
| 21.-22. March 2021 | Second Round (16 games) |
| 27.-28. March 2021 | Regional semifinals (8 games) |
| 29.-30. March 2021 | Regional Finals (4 games) |
| April 3, 2021 | National Semifinals (2 games) |
| April 5, 2021 | Championship (final) |
Who are the NCAA Division Basketball Championship favorites?
A look at the basketball betting odds and the seedings in the individual regional groups already reveals which teams are particularly to be expected in 2021.
West Regional
Gonzaga enters the game as the top favorite – with a 26-0 record from the West Coast Conference. Not a single team from the NCAA came even close to that statistic. Understandably, then, Gonzaga is the #1 seed in the entire tournament.
Iowa is likely to emerge as the biggest competitor in the West Regional bracket. The Big Ten is seeded #7 overall with a record of 21-8, and the earliest they can go head-to-head is in the Regional Final.
Gonzaga begins with a match against the winner of Norfolk State vs. Appalachian State, while Iowa faces debutant Grand Canyon.
East Regional
In the East, Michigan is far ahead in March Madness odds with the bookmakers. The 20-4 record out of the Big Ten was enough to earn them the #4 overall seed and #1 seed in the East Regional. The team begins its title mission against the winner of Mount St. Mary’s vs. Texas Southern – a doable task.
The main competition is likely to come from Alabama. The #5 overall seed is not far from Michigan and played a strong 24-6 season in the Southeastern Conference as well. Alabama will play Iona in the opener.
Again, a head-to-head meeting Michigan vs. Alabama is not possible until the Regional Final.
South Regional
Baylor comes out on top in the South Regional. Their outstanding record of 22-2 in the Big 12 Conference led to their ranking as the #2 seed. That should make them quite superior in the South Regional. The first game is against the second and final debutant of the 2021-edition, Hartford.
Whether Ohio State and Arkansas really provide much competition for Baylor remains to be seen. As the #6 and #9 seeds, respectively, they do have enough potential. But their records of 21-9 and 22-6, respectively, are not as outstanding as those of other teams.
While Ohio State faces Oral Roberts, Arkansas has to deal with Colgate. A head-to-head duel between the two could come as early as the Regional Semifinals.
Midwest Regional
In the Midwest Regional, Illinois is ahead of the pack. The team also hails from the strong Big Ten Conference, where it finished 23-6. However, despite this higher number of losses, the team is seeded #3 ahead of Michigan. The team is a bit behind the U of M in the betting odds, though, and rightfully so.
For its opener, Illinois will face Drexel in first round action.
As the main rival in its Midwest bracket, Illinois gets to tangle with Houston from the American Athletic Conference. There, the team posted a season record of 24-8, dusting off the #8 overall seed. Against Cleveland State, only a win will count for the start.
Another potential winner of the Midwest Regional bracket is West Virginia (#10). Again, we can expect a potentially exciting Regional Semifinal.
Where can you watch March Madness 2021?
While March Madness is one of the most important events of the year in the USA and TV stations are fighting over the broadcast, the tournament is still in its infancy in Europe.
At least – DAZN has secured the TV rights for Germany for example. The streaming service will broadcast a total of 30 matches live and on-demand.
However, it is not yet clear which games these will be. DAZN will announce the broadcast schedule or add it to its calendar as soon as it is finalized.
Who is the last March Madness winner?
Virginia will be the defending champion at March Madness 2021. Two years ago, the team beat Texas Tech 85-77 in overtime, forcing the tournament to be cancelled the following year, allowing Virginia to call itself NCAA champion for two years.
Virginia was seeded #2 in 2019, while Texas Tech entered the tournament as the #10 seed. That already shows that the NCAA’s rankings are not that far from reality.
The last really big upset came in 2014, when UConn – a #26 seed – was able to play its way through the top-ranked field and win the NCAA Championship.
The last 10 March Madness winners
| YEAR | WINNER | SEED |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Virginia | # 2 |
| 2018 | Villanova | # 2 |
| 2017 | North Carolina | # 3 |
| 2016 | Villanova | # 7 |
| 2015 | Duke | # 3 |
| 2014 | UConn | # 26 |
| 2013 | Louisville (canceled) | #1 |
| 2012 | Kentucky | #1 |
| 2011 | Connecticut | # 3 |
| 2010 | Duke | #1 |