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Buckle up, hoops fans: The East Region of the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament is going to be a doozy. Program royalty, legendary coaches, and one of – if not the – top prospect in college basketball make this year's March Madness East Region easily the most entertaining of the event (at least on paper).
Here's a breakdown of the East Region:
Odds to win the East Region
| Team |  |
Covers' Take |
|---|---|---|
 (1) Duke Blue Devils |
-135 | Boozer leads elite, top-ranked defense |
 (2) UConn Huskies |
+600 | Top-10 passing; seeking third win in four years |
 (3) Michigan State Spartans |
+750 | Fears facilitates Izzo's efficient offense |
 (4) Kansas Jayhawks |
+1300 | Peterson keys elite half-court attack |
 (5) St. John's Red Storm |
+1100 | Pitino has Red Storm surging |
 (6) Louisville Cardinals |
+1300 | Top-20 scoring; Kelsey's turnaround complete |
 (7) UCLA Bruins |
+2200 | Dent anchors top-tier perimeter defense |
 (8) Ohio State Buckeyes |
+2800 | Thornton carrying explosive Buckeye backcourt |
 (9) TCU Horned Frogs |
+12500 | Hardings' playmaking fuels balanced roster |
 (10) UCF Knights |
+30000 | Battle-tested squad with upset experience |
 (11) South Florida Bulls |
+15000 | Bulls smash program-best scoring records |
 (12) Northern Iowa Panthers |
+35000 | Nation's #1 scoring defense (61.3 PPG) |
 (13) Cal Baptist Lancers |
+50000 | Undefeated in conference tournament play |
 (14) North Dakota State Bison |
+50000 | Veteran group with tournament poise |
 (15) Furman Paladins |
+50000 | Perimeter-heavy team hunts deep shots |
 (16) Siena Saints |
+50000 | Scrappy underdog wins MAAC title |
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East Region Favorite: Duke Blue Devils
A perpetual destroyer of collegiate basketball fans' dreams, Duke is the pre-tournament title favorite — and a quick glance at the stat sheet is all the reasoning you'll need. The Blue Devils allow just 63 points per game, hold opponents to fewer than 10 made FTs per outing, and have the highest average winning margin in the nation (+19.4).
- The Path: Duke gets plucky Siena first in a game where the Blue Devils are favored by more than four converted touchdowns. Next up: Either Ohio State or TCU, which would be a heck of a matchup on a football field but will likely end in sadness for whoever survives until the weekend.
- The Concern: It's tough to find a soft spot in this tank's armor, but teams that can shoot from distance and/or get to the free-throw line (and convert) could make things interesting. The Blue Devils don't do either all that well, so games decided in those areas might create a sweat.
East Region Cinderella: South Florida Bulls
I go deeper on this team below, but we could have something really special here. The South Florida Bulls make more free throws per game than any team in the country (20.1), a trend that contributes plenty to their No. 8-ranked scoring offense. Defensively, they're … seeded here for a reason. But ignore them at your peril.
- The Matchup: No. 6 Louisville (-5.5) vs. No. 11 South Florida
- The X-Factor: Bulls F Izaiyah Nelson dominated the American Athletic Conference this season, taking home Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year honors. Nelson (15.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.6 spg, 1.4 bpg) is a force on both ends of the court, and could make the difference in a matchup many believe will be tighter than the spread suggests.
COVERS INTEL: Nelson erupted for 25 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in USF's lone game vs. a ranked opponent this season, a 104-93 loss to then-No. 16 Alabama on Dec. 17.East Region Schedule
Thursday, March 19
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU, 12:15 p.m. ET
No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida, 1:30 p.m. ET
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena, 2:50 p.m. ET
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State, 4:05 p.m. ET
Friday, March 20
No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa, 7:10 p.m. ET
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF, 7:25 p.m. ET
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Cal Baptist, 9:45 p.m. ET
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman, 10 p.m. ET
3 East Region futures to bet now
South Florida to Make the Sweet Sixteen (+1000 at bet365): Let's get spicy! The Bulls have a difficult row to hoe here – needing wins over Louisville and likely Michigan State to cash this bet. But we've had a double-digit seed make it to Week 2 in 17 straight tournaments. And if I'm taking a shot on one, I'm taking a USF side that ranks sixth in the country in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and top three in average free throws attempted (to go along with being No. 1 in makes).
UConn to Make the Elite Eight (+160 at bet365): Dan (or Mr. Hurley if you prefer) … if you're reading this, know that I, too, am confused at why your team is +160 to get to the fourth round. Getting the brakes beat off you by St. John's in the Big East final probably didn't help, but you and I know that March Madness is a different beast. Silas Demary Jr. dodged major injury, you still have an elite defense, and your path to the Elite Eight isn't daunting at all.
Duke to Win the East Region (-135 at bet365): This is the opposite of spicy — but it's also the safest Final Four bet you'll find. Led by he-man Cameron Boozer, the Blue Devils are a nightmare to play against: Suffocating at the defensive end, dangerous from inside the arc (so chasing them off the 3-point line won't help), and tenacious on the boards at both ends. Duke is one of the few teams in the tournament that can win without having its A game, which is a major problem for the other teams in this region.
East Region history and betting trends
- The past two East Regional champions (Duke, 2025; UConn, 2024) were -130 and -110, respectively, to win the region heading into the tournament.
- Before that, three straight teams at +2200 or lower prevailed in the East — including UCLA, which won as a +5000 underdog in 2021.
- The region has four of the seven most prolific NCAA tournament programs of all-time, including UCLA (11 national titles) and UConn (six).
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