March Madness 2023: Dates, locations, winners & preview

Basketball fans will be in their element over the next few weeks as the prestigious 2023 March Madness tournament takes centre stage. The annual NCAA extravaganza showcases the best teams in college basketball and gives future NBA players the opportunity to shine. March Madness also generates a ton of interest the betting industry, with all of the leading sportsbooks offering a wide range of different markets. The latest March Madness odds rate Houston as the favourites to win the title and it would be no surprise to see them mount a strong challenge this year. Read on as we take a look at the dates and locations for March Madness 2023, before identifying which teams have been most successful in the tournament. We also assess which teams are the main contenders for this year's title and pick out one which we think represents value in the outright betting market.

March Madness 2023 Dates

The bracket for March Madness will be determined on March 12. The full schedule is as follows:

Selection Sunday: March 12
First Four: March 14-15
First round: March 16-17
Second round: March 18-19
Sweet 16: March 23-24
Elite 8: March 25-26
Final Four: April 1
NCAA championship game: April 3

March Madness 2023 Locations

March Madness games are played from March 14 to April 3 in the following locations:

March 14-15: First Four - Dayton, OH - UD Arena
March 16 & 18: First/Second Rounds - Birmingham, AL - Legacy Arena
March 16 & 18: First/Second Rounds - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena
March 16 & 18: First/Second Rounds - Orlando, FL - Amway Center
March 16 & 18: First/Second Rounds - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
March 17 & 19: First/Second Rounds - Albany, NY - MVP Arena
March 17 & 19: First/Second Rounds - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
March 17 & 19: First/Second Rounds - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
March 17 & 19: First/Second Rounds- Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
March 23 & 25: West Regional - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
March 23 & 25: East Regional - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
March 24 & 26: Midwest Regional - Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center
March 24 & 26: South Regional Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center
April 1 & 3: Final Four - Houston, TX - NRG Stadium

March Madness â€“ Most Successful Teams

Kansas won their fourth March Madness title in 2022, recovering from a 16-point deficit to secure a thrilling 72-69 victory over North Carolina. UCLA has won the most NCAA basketball championships with 11. Just 15 teams have lifted the title on more than one occasion. The list of multiple winners is as follows:

UCLA - 11
Kentucky - 8
North Carolina - 6
Duke - 5
Indiana -5
Kansas - 4
Connecticut - 4
Villanova - 3
Cincinnati - 2
Florida - 2
Louisville - 2
Michigan State - 2
NC State - 2
Oklahoma State- 2
San Francisco - 2

March Madness 2023 Preview

With the Final Four showdown scheduled to be staged in Texas, it is no surprise to see the bookmakers install Houston as the favourites to win March Madness. While they have been in fine form during the regular season, only one team from the American Athletic Conference has previously won March Madness. Many punters will be keen to back UCLA given their previous record in the tournament, but an injury to future NBA star Jaylen Clark is a blow to their hopes. Reigning champions Kansas will be a popular pick, although no team has gone back-to-back at March Madness since Florida achieved the feat in 2006 and 2007. Alabama have attracted plenty of interest in the outright market, but there is a suspicion that their talented team peaked a little too soon. They defeated Houston earlier in the season and could be contenders, although the value has now gone from a betting perspective. Texas recently showcased their title credentials with a victory over Kansas and could be a decent outside bet to progress to the Final Four. At the current odds, Arizona look well worth an interest after running UCLA close in the PAC-12 Conference this season. Arizona has failed to progress past the Sweet 16 since the 2014/15 season, but their current roster looks capable of challenging for a national title. The Wildcats have defeated plenty of the fancied teams during the campaign and that bodes well for their chances of winning March Madness. Their ability to rack up points should stand them in good stead during the tournament, while their defensive unit is reasonably solid. Several of Arizona's roster have played together for the last two or three years and that familiarity could help them when the tournament reaches the business end.