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College Basketball

2023 Elite Eight Picks, Predictions, Odds

13 minute read

The 2023 Elite Eight is scheduled to begin on Saturday March 25 and conclude on Sunday March 26 with four games for bettors to wager on in the 2023 NCAA Men's Tournament.

2023 NCAA Tournament Picks
Odds | Matchups | Futures
Sweet 16 | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Championship 

2023 Elite Eight Picks

March Madness Expert Picks
Free | Premium
Parlays | Consensus

VegasInsider College Basketball Expert Bruce Marshall provides his predictions on which eight schools will be squaring off in one of the four Regional Finals for a chance to earn a trip to the 2023 Final Four.

Arkansas is listed as a 40/1 betting choice to win the NCAA title.

East
4 Tennessee vs. 3 Kansas State

South
1 Alabama vs. 6 Creighton

Midwest
3 Xavier vs. 5 Miami, Fl.

West
2 UCLA vs. 8 Arkansas

2023 Elite 8 Betting Analysis

East Region

That this particular Tennessee squad could come to the doorstep of the Final Four would rate as a bit of a surprise to anyone who had watched the Vols stumble down the stretch, losing 7 of their last 12 outright into the Dance and 9 of 13 vs. the spread into the second-round win over Duke.  The Knoxville bunch already didn’t have to worry about Purdue or Memphis, cleared out of its way by FDU and FAU, respectively, in the first round. 

UT’s m.o. was on display vs. Duke, trying to use brute force and physicality on the stop end to jam the gearbox on even the most potent of offenses.  But the Vols haven’t had much of a look of a final Four Team the past month into the Duke game, and the offense does not operate as smoothly minus injured PG Zakai Zeigler. 

A season’s worth of Big 12 battles has well-prepared Kansas State for the Dance, and the Cats should have no fear of the SEC after taking care of Coach Cal’s Kentucky last week, Florida (with Colin Castleton) in the SEC-Big Challenge, and to count all of the wins, LSU back in November.  The ultimate X-factor in this tournament might be Cats mighty-mire G Markquis Nowell, whose performances are starting to remind of Butch lee for Marquette in ‘77, or Shabazz Napier from UConn’s surprise winners of 2014.  New head coach Jerome Tang is not unfamiliar with this round of play in the Dance, either, having been on Scott Drew’s Baylor staff when the Bears won it all two years ago. 

South Region

Alabama is now just a couple of steps from being a basketball school and a first-ever trip tot he Final Four can be tasted after some great teams from the past half-century, back to CM Newton’s exciting sides from the 70s (including the ‘76 team which nearly knocked off Bob knight’s unbeaten Indiana in the Sweet 16) and some subsequent serious contenders for Wimp Sanderson. 

But Creighton is going to cause some matchup issues, too, especially 7-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner, a capable rum protector, and there is enough athleticism on the Bluejays roster that they are not about to get run off of the court by the Tide.  Like with so many sides in the Dance, how accurately either fires from deep will be key, but fundamentals don’t suggest Creighton to be outmanned here.  Since that rough spell in December with six straight losses (and Kalkbrenner out for several of those games), the Bluejays have looked as good as anyone in the country...Bama included! 

Midwest Region

Miami, Fl. head coach Jim Larranaga has waved his magic wand in March before and is looking at a second straight Elite 8 trip for his Canes, who many observers believe might be a tick above last year when running into the brick wall of champs-to-be Kansas at the stage.  We would have a hard time envisioning Xavier doing the same, especially if Larranaga’s 6-7 Norchad Omier is apparently beyond the recent ankle injury from the ACC Tourney and giving Miami the presence on the blocks and on the boards that it didn’t have a year ago. 

Though a bit undersized, Omier fared well all season in a big league like the SEC and shouldn’t be too flustered by 6-10 Jack Nunge.  Sean Miller’s Musketeers have the balance and postseason pedigree (NIT title last year) to make it happen in the Elite 8, and ex-UTEP G Souley Boum is a weapon the Musketeers didn’t have last year.  But when it became apparent that K-State transfer PG Nijel Pack (who didn’t play the point for the Wildcats) was going to fill Charlie Moore’s shoes, we thought Larranaga had a shot to better last season’s run. 

West Region

Meanwhile UCLA and Arkansas have done this before in the Dance way back in 1978, when Eddie Sutton’s terrific trip of Sidney Moncrief, Ron Brewer, and Marvin Delph would outlast Gary Cunningham’s Bruins in Albuquerque at the Sweet 16 before a nail-biter vs. Bobby Dye’s upstart CS Fullerton put the Hogs in their first-ever Final Four.

If the Porkers get this far it will have been a remarkable late-season ascent under Eric Musselman, who has finally seemed to sort the pieces in their right places after ballyhooed frosh Nick Smith Jr. was activated in mid-February, disrupted the established combinations and rotations.  The calm and confidence of vet G Davonte Davis helped Mus pull the second-round upset vs. Kansas out of the fire, but the bruins get the seasoning edge with Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell back for their last hurrahs after leading a surge into the Final Four two years ago in the Indy bubble. 

Mus has bumped his head at the Elite 8 the past two seasons, and to get back again is quite an accomplishment with an effective new team (save for Davis).  But as long as Mick Cronin doesn’t take any more injuries, the Bruins have enough manpower, and the same resilience and grit that carried them to the Final Four two years ago still appears to alive and well in Westwood as the Bruins compete at their “second home” T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (this would be UCLA’s seventh game at the “copper tank” this season!)

UCLA and Mick Cronin will be closing to home in the Sweet 16 and possible Elite 8. (Getty)

NCAA Updated Odds

The NCAA Men's Tournament has been cut from 68 teams to 16 and the oddsmakers have updated the odds on the remaining schools.

TeamOdds
Alabama+300
Houston+420
UConn+850
UCLA+950
Gonzaga+1000
Creighton+1000
Texas+1000
Tennessee+1100
Michigan State+2900
Xavier+3000
Kansas State+3500
San Diego State+3900
Arkansas+4200
Florida Atlantic+4800
Miami, Fl.+6000
Princeton+20000

Odds per FanDuel - Subject to Change

MARCH MADNESS BETTING RESOURCES

NCAA Tournament Region Odds

Opening Odds to Win 2023 NCAA Tournament

Listed below are the opening odds for the Top 10 contenders in the 68-team after the brackets were populated with the automatic and at-large bids on Selection Sunday.

Top 10 Contenders

Odds per FanDuel - Subject to Change

Odds to Win 2023 NCAA Tournament

The best thing about the NCAA Tournament is that over 300 schools have a chance to earn a bid to the event and bettors can wager on all of them to cut down the nets in 2023.

Top 10 Contenders

Odds per FanDuel - Subject to Change

ELITE EIGHT SCHEDULE

Saturday, March 25

Sunday, March 26

  • TBD vs. TBD
  • TBD vs. TBD

MARCH MADNESS BETTING ODDS

The "Field of 68" Opening Odds will be available after the tournament is announced and bettors can follow all four of the Regions, which are listed below:

Today's Expert Picks

For more VegasInsider resources, check out our NCAAB Odds and College Basketball Futures Odds pages!

WHAT IS THE ELITE EIGHT TOURNAMENT?

The NCAA Tournament is one of the most exciting events in the world of basketball. It’s a time of avid wagering. March Madness betting and Elite Eight Betting are among the most popular forms of sports betting in the country.

The Elite Eight gathers the finest teams from each NCAA bracket and places them in a single tournament. Only Final Four betting is comparable to the action operators see during Elite Eight betting season.

Today, we’ll review the basics of the Elite Eight tournament, March Madness betting, and the more intricate details of Elite Eight betting.

The Elite Eight is the official nickname for the NCAA basketball national quarterfinals. It owes its name to the fact that 8 teams participate in this stage of the yearly tournament.

For Division I and III, they are the top two teams from each of the four regional championships. For Division II, the Elite Eight consists of the eight winners from each of the eight regions.

The Elite Eight was originally the name for the final eight teams of the Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship. The IHSA trademarked the term Elite Eight in the 90s, and the trademark is shared today with the NCAA tournament.

On an average year, 75% of #1-seeded teams make it to the Elite Eight. Very few low-seeded teams have ever made it that far in the NCAA tournament. Elite Eight brackets typically represent the best of the best that NCAA basketball has to offer.

Elite Eight brackets are also considered the halfway point for the NCAA tournament. To reach the national quarterfinals, teams must win three games, and have three games ahead to win the entire NCAA bracket.

PICKING THE ELITE EIGHT

Teams that make it into Elite Eight betting pools are generally among the highest-ranked in the tournament. Elite Eight scores and brackets are the subject of intense speculation all over the nation. “Bracketologists,” or NCAA bracket experts, make their predictions annually.

Picking the Elite Eight and the Final Four is an extremely popular outright betting pool. Offices and friend groups across the nation participate in the yearly ritual.

Famous bracketologists have included Barack Obama, who would share his Elite Eight betting picks and Final Four betting picks many of the years he was in office. In 2015, though, Mitt Romney’s Elite Eight scores and bracket predictions bested Obama. He got 6 out of 8 teams, and the winner!

There is much fanfare around Elite Eight picks every year. Major sports networks run constant coverage with relevant information to predict Elite Eight scores and brackets. March Madness betting takes the nation by storm every spring.

After the onslaught of the first half of the tournament, the Elite Eight gives way to the Final Four betting pools. Thousands of players compete to get the teams and scores right, for payouts and prizes ranging from modest to formidable.

ELITE EIGHT SCHEDULE & DATES

While Elite Eight betting starts long before the actual Elite Eight are selected, this stage of the tournament is very short-lived. The Elite Eight exists for a mere 24 hours before becoming the Final Four.

The Elite Eight is the final round before the Final Four and will pit eight schools that have started the tournament with perfect 3-0 records, in some cases 4-0.

  • Dates: March 25 and March 26
  • Venues: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky, T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri

ELITE EIGHT BRACKET

Elite Eight brackets are eight-way single elimination brackets filled out by bettors with their picks for the Elite Eight. Elite Eight brackets are typically printed blank and handed out among Elite Eight betting pools.

In a blank Elite Eight bracket, you have eight empty lines to determine your 8 picks. You also have to get the matches right (meaning, who is playing who). You then select the winners from those matches to make up your Final Four, then the Championship match, and the actual Champions.

Building the NCAA brackets has become a national pastime every March. Major sports networks offer expert insight, analysis and advice on the picks. Celebrities and professional athletes weigh in on the brackets with their own picks and thoughts.

Elite Eight brackets are one of the most common types of Elite Eight betting available. Many groups of coworkers, classmates and friends pool together for the Elite Eight betting season. The nation is brought together by a craze of March Madness betting.

HOW TO BET ON THE ELITE EIGHT?

There are many ways to join in on all that Elite Eight betting action. For starters, Elite Eight bracket betting pools are extremely popular at many workplaces and schools around the nation. An Elite Eight betting bracket is essentially an outright bet on 8 teams in specific positions.

However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Elite Eight betting. Every match of the Elite Eight is hotly contested between strong, dominant teams. These matches attract enormous amounts of interest from bettors all over the country.

Most of that betting interest translated into a lot of illegal gambling. That was until 2018, when the PASPA ruling struck down the federal ban on sports betting. Since then, several states have regulated sports betting, and there are now many legal options in several states.

In states like New Jersey or Pennsylvania, where online and mobile sportsbooks are legal, Elite Eight betting is straightforward. You can place moneyline bets on winning teams, bet against the spread, or make special prop bets.

If you’re feeling particularly confident, you can even place complicated parlay bets on the Elite Eight. Pick multiple winning teams, players to score and many more combinations.

In the National Championship Game, Virginia went on to conquer the title with an 8 point lead over Texas Tech.

WHICH SPORTSBOOK SHOULD I USE TO BET ON THE ELITE EIGHT?

First off, it's important to be in a state that has legalized sports betting. In recent weeks, more and more states have gone live, including Louisiana and New York. Of course, you can also bet on March Madness online in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and West Virginia, just to name a few.

So, which sportsbook should you bet with? While there’s always an element of personal preference, certain online sportsbooks offer better welcome bonuses than others.

Amongst them all, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel stand out above the rest. Check them out today!

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