Men’s Tournament: A Tight Race at the Top

With millions of brackets being finalized across the country, the men’s tournament appears to be a close contest among the elite seeds. Currently, approximately 29% of participants are betting on Duke to secure the national championship, following their impressive 32-2 season. Arizona is following closely behind, appearing in about 22% of brackets, with their support growing significantly over the past day.


The top 10 most selected winners for the men’s tournament are:

  • Duke (28.4%)
  • Arizona (21.9%)
  • Michigan (14.3%)
  • Florida (6.9%)
  • Houston (5.7%)
  • UConn (3.5%)
  • Purdue (3.1%)
  • Iowa State (2.0%)
  • Gonzaga (1.8%)
  • Michigan State (1.4%)

Duke’s momentum is largely attributed to standout freshman Cameron Boozer, who has been instrumental in their late-season winning streak. Meanwhile, Arizona enters the tournament with a strong 32-3 record, anchored by impressive performances from their own talented freshman duo, Koa Peat and Brayden Burries.


Women’s Tournament: The UConn Dominance

On the women’s side, the narrative is much more one-sided. After an undefeated 34-0 regular season, UConn has emerged as the clear favorite, with over half of all brackets (50.2%) predicting the Huskies will win it all.


The current top 10 favorites for the women's title are:

  • UConn (50.4%)
  • UCLA (14%)
  • South Carolina (10.2%)
  • Texas (6.4%)
  • LSU (3.3%)
  • Michigan (2.3%)
  • Iowa (1.6%)
  • Duke (1.2%)
  • Vanderbilt (1.0%)
  • Ohio State (0.7%)

The Huskies' dominance is historic; they finished the season with an average margin of victory of 38.4 points and lead the nation in scoring defense. As noted by analysts, their performance throughout the season makes them the overwhelming choice for fans.


Looking for Upsets

Beyond the favorites, many users are looking for potential Cinderella stories. Data shows specific trends regarding which teams fans expect to underperform. For example, in the men’s bracket, many users are picking against No. 6 Louisville and No. 6 North Carolina, anticipating upsets by lower-seeded opponents. Similarly, in the women’s field, a significant portion of fans are skeptical of teams like No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 6 Washington, favoring their respective first-round opponents.


As the tournaments begin, the consensus among fans is clear: they are putting their faith in the top seeds to carry them to success in their bracket challenges.