Men’s March Madness Sleepers for 2024: Eye These Six Teams to Dazzle as Big Dance Dark Horses

For all of the parity that now exists in men’s college basketball, the team that cuts down the nets in April is often a team that has been considered a contender all season. Plenty of those teams live long in the memories of college basketball fans, but the teams that often really make March Madness memorable are the Cinderella stories and the sleepers that make deep runs.

March Madness frequently features some major upsets, but last year’s tournament was not at all pleasant for highly seeded teams.

The most single result saw Purdue, the #1 seed in the East Regional, fall in the first round to #16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, just the second #16 seed in men’s March Madness history to boot a top seed in the first round.

But no #1 seeds reached the Elite Eight, and the highest-seeded team to reach the Final Four was UConn, the #4 seed in the West Regional.

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That the Huskies would cut down the nets is in line with the fact that the eventual champs are often a top team. They flourished early on, hit a rough patch in Big East play, then turned things around and went on a dominant run through the NCAA Tournament. All six of their wins in the Big Dance were by at least 30 points.

But few would have expected to see first-time Final Four participants Florida Atlantic, Miami (FL), and San Diego State with them in Houston.

Will we see any surprise teams in Glendale, Arizona, the site of the 2024 men’s Final Four?

The quest to end the season at State Farm Stadium begins tonight with two First Four matchups in Dayton, Ohio, and this year’s men’s March Madness bracket is littered with potential sleepers.

What is a sleeper? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a mid-major or a potential double-digit seed. If a team is not an established name, a top contender, or a likely high seed, a team can be considered a sleeper.

And from a betting odds perspective, all teams listed here have March Madness winner odds of +7500 or longer.

Potential March Madness Sleepers for the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament

All March Madness futures odds listed here are courtesy of BetOnline.

New Mexico (+8000)

For a second straight season, New Mexico (26-9, 10-8 Mountain West) started hot then faltered. After starting 19-3 last season then going 3-9 the rest of the way, the Lobos started this season 18-3 then dropped six of their last ten regular season games.

But unlike last season, this one will end in the NCAA Tournament. UNM entered the Mountain West tournament squarely on the bubble, then won four games in four days over Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, and San Diego State claim the automatic bid and their first March Madness trip since 2014.

As the #11 seed in the West, UNM will take on #6 Clemson in the first round on Friday, with a potential matchup against #3 Baylor to follow in the second round.

Will they stick around for more than one game?

If they play to their level, they can reach the second weekend. At BetOnline, they are +250 to do so.

In Jaelen House (16.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.3 SPG), Jamal Mashburn Jr. (14.4 PPG), and Donavan Dent (14.3 PPG, 5.6 APG, 2.5 RPG), the Lobos have a trio of guards that can score, and JT Toppin (12.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.9 BPG) and Nelly Junior Joseph (8.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.4 BPG), they have a strong inside presence as well.

This is a team that can score a lot of points, but defense led the way in Las Vegas, as they allowed 56, 66, 61, and 61 points in their four wins. Clemson, who was up and down in ACC play after an outstanding non-conference run, will have to play well to eliminate New Mexico.

Nebraska (+12500)

Like New Mexico, Nebraska is a March Madness team for the first time since 2014.

After finishing in a tie for third in the Big Ten standings and reaching the conference tournament semifinals, the Huskers (23-10, 12-8 Big Ten) were rewarded with the #8 seed in the South regional. They will face #9 Texas A&M in the first round, with a potential second-round matchup with top seed Houston ahead.

That is a tough draw, but a team that owns wins over Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, and Wisconsin will be a tough out. There are only a dozen teams who rank in the top 40 at KenPom in both adjusted offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency, and Nebraska (36^th and 30^th, respectively) is one of that small group.

The Huskers have four players averaging at least 11.7 PPG, and they also have four players averaging at least 5.3 RPG.

Their offensive attack involves taking and making a lot of threes. They rank first in the Big Ten in attempts per game (26.4) and makes per game (9.5, at a clip of 35.8%).

If they are on from outside, watch out. Just ask Purdue, who saw the Huskers make 14 of 23 threes in an 88-72 win in Lincoln on January 9. Leading scorer Keisei Tominaga (14.9 PPG), also known as the “Japanese Steph Curry,” is averaging 22.3 PPG in his last four games and has two 30-point games this season.

Mississippi State (+12000)

Mississippi State (21-13, 8-10 SEC) has had quite an adventurous season. In the end, the Bulldogs are the #8 seed in the West, where they will face #9 Michigan State on Thursday in a battle to determine who gets to be called “the real MSU.”

The MSU from Starkville, or “Starkvegas,” boosted its resume with an SEC Tournament thrashing of Tennessee. It was their second win over the Volunteers, along with a win in Starkville, where they also beat Auburn and had painful near misses against Alabama and Kentucky. The Maroon and White also own wins over Washington State and Northwestern and are 8-1 in neutral-site games this season.

Last season, the Bulldogs made the First Four despite offensive issues on the perimeter and at the free-throw line. Those issues remain to some degree and along with a drop defensively on a number of occasions, those are the chief reasons why their March Madness fate was not certain entering the SEC Tournament.

But if it clicks for Mississippi State (60^th at KenPom in adjusted offensive efficiency and 20^th in adjusted defensive efficiency), they could put a real scare into North Carolina.

Thanks to high-volume freshman Josh Hubbard (17.1 PPG), who enters the NCAA Tournament with seven 20+ point games in his last eight games, slowing down big man Tolu Smith (15.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG) is no longer the key to beating the Bulldogs. If they can score 70+ points (18-6 SU and 14-10 ATS this season when doing so), they will be in the mix against most teams they meet.

Looking for picks for all of the top college basketball matchups? Bookmark our college basketball picks page, which will provide aggregated NCAA men’s basketball picks throughout March Madness.

Washington State (+12000)

The Cougars (24-9, 14-6 Pac-12) are in the NCAA Tournament since 2008, the season before Klay Thompson’s three-season stint in Pullman began.

In early January, they were 10-5 overall and 1-3 in the Pac-12 and weren’t on the March Madness radar. But they wound up finishing second in the standings behind Arizona and are the #7 seed in the East Region.

A first-round matchup with Tucker DeVries and Drake will be a challenge, and they could go up against #2 Iowa State in the second round. But they rank 27^th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency and own a sweep of Arizona, as well as wins over Boise State, Colorado, and Oregon.

And this is after the Cougars lost their top four scorers from last year. Idaho transfer Isaac Jones has been a standout, but the big story is guard Myles Rice. Rice came to Pullman in 2021, redshirted in his first season, then had to medically redshirt last season due to Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

After beating cancer, Rice received his medical clearance and has excelled in his collegiate debut this season.

Along with their defensive aptitude, the Cougars have four players averaging 10.0 PPG or better. With what they have shown on both ends of the floor this season, this is definitely a team to watch.

Grand Canyon (+25000)

In Bryce Drew’s first three seasons, the Antelopes claimed the WAC’s auto bid twice but fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

This year’s team, which beat San Diego State in December, will be a popular upset pick in their #12 vs #5 matchup with Saint Mary’s.

The key for Grand Canyon (29-4, 17-3 WAC) will be guard Tyon Grant-Foster (19.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG), who has flourished this season. He missed all but one game out of the previous two seasons due to two collapses, including one at halftime of his first and only game with DePaul in November 2021.

Drew, who also dealt with heart issues and had three surgeries in his youth, took a chance on Grant-Foster, also formerly of Kansas. That chance has been repaid a few times over.

The Lopes are far from a one-man team, but March Madness runs for mid-majors often happen because of the presence of a star like Grant-Foster, who has 15 20-point games this season.

McNeese State (+50000)

One year was all it took for Will Wade to find a new job after being fired by LSU. And one year was all it took for Wade to lead the Cowboys (30-3, 17-1 Southland) to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.

How long it will be before Wade returns to a more prominent program? He did sign a five-year extension in February, but it may not be too long.

Like Grand Canyon, McNeese will be a popular upset pick for their #12 versus #5 Midwest matchup with Gonzaga. If they advance, they will also be a popular pick in the second round, where they will face either banged-up #4 seed Kansas or #13 seed Samford.

It’s for good reason, as the Cowboys have won 11 straight and 25 of 26, boast four double-figure scorers, and are one of the best three-point shooting teams in college basketball (38.8%, 8^th in Division I).

Transfers make up the core of this team, led by TCU transfer Shahada Wells (17.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 SPG, 40.2% 3PT). As with Grand Canyon, the Cowboys are not a one-man team, but the presence of a star could take them far.

More March Madness Betting Information

Where Can You Bet on March Madness This Year?

Each year, millions upon of millions of March Madness bets are placed at the top online sports betting sites.

Most March Madness betting takes place around and at tournament time, which is from mid-March to early April. But throughout the year, you can bet on who you think will win the college basketball national championship.

Along with men’s college basketball odds, most good sportsbooks now carry women’s college basketball national championship odds, which are drawing a lot of attention this season with the likes of South Carolina, Iowa, and LSU vying to cut down the nets in Cleveland, Ohio on April 7.

Numerous sportsbooks are good for March Madness betting, but in addition to BetOnline, here are some of the books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:

• BetDSI (Review)
• BetUS (Review)
• Bovada (Review)
• MyBookie (Review)

If you are unfamiliar with any of the above sites, check out our sportsbook reviews to learn more about them. Speaking of offers, keep an eye on the latest sportsbook offers from these books and others as the countdown to the opening tip of March Madness continues. That way, you will not miss out on any special sports betting promos and bonuses to pad your bankroll for March Madness betting.

Other March Madness Content at Betting News

If you’d like to check out our other March Madness content, our March Madness guide is where you can find it all in one tidy place. But here’s a rundown of some of what we have put together to help you with your NCAA Tournament betting this year.

We’re also covering the 2024 NIT, so check out that content as well.

• Men’s March Madness Futures Odds
• Women’s March Madness Futures Odds
• 2024 Men’s Final Four Odds
• Six Men’s March Madness Sleepers for 2024
• March Madness Betting Trends & Stats to Know for 2024
• Where to Find the Best March Madness Betting Picks
• Best March Madness Betting Sites for This Year
• This Year’s Best March Madness Bracket Challenges
• Betting News Bracket Mania (Our FREE March Madness Bracket Challenge!)

Interested in Learning More About Betting on March Madness & NCAA Basketball?

If you are interested in learning more about betting on men’s or women’s NCAA basketball, check out our college basketball betting guide. It covers the basics of wagering on March Madness, the Mountain West, the MAAC, McNeese State, and beyond.

• College Basketball Betting Guide: How to Bet on NCAA Basketball in 2024

Also, follow Betting News on X/Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok to get more March Madness and NCAA basketball insight from myself and the rest of our team. We’re cooking up a lot of great NCAA Tournament content for both the men’s and women’s tournaments, so hit those links so you don’t miss out on any of it.

• Betting News on “X”/Twitter
• Betting News on Twitch
• Betting News on TikTok

Will you be picking any of these sleepers in the $200,000 Bracket Madness contest at BetOnline? Get your entries in and also take advantage of their 100% cryptocurrency sign-up bonus.