The overall No. 1 seed Duke enters the tournament as the statistical favorite to reach the Final Four with the shortest regional odds at -135 in the East. They are followed closely by Michigan, which sits at -130 to emerge out of the Midwest Region that includes Iowa State.
Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and defending champion Florida are the four No. 1 seeds, and are heavy favorites to win their first round matchups. In the First Four, UMBC is a slight favorite over Howard and NC State are slight favorites over Texas.
Long Island University was the first team to clinch a spot in the annual tournament. The Sharks did so by defeating Wagner in the NEC Tournament Semifinals. This was because their opponent in the championship game, Mercyhurst, is ineligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The Sharks earned their first spot in March Madness since combining their two campuses' athletic programs (Brooklyn and Post).