How will the West be won this year? We’re about to find out now that it’s March.

• Odds To Win Region Ncaa Tournament

There will be no NCAA tournament games played on the West Coast in 2021 as the entire tourney will be played in the state of Indiana. But the West will be well-represented in this year’s Big Dance.

Over at Bovada, their most recent odds to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament have the Kentucky Wildcats tied with Gonzaga and Iowa for the second-best odds to win it all at +1100. Virginia is just ahead. In mid-February, college basketball odds certainly changed as Baylor passed Gonzaga to top the charts as the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament. As of February 18th, Baylor’s odds rose to +250 to win, while Gonzaga was a close second at +275. Michigan was a tad behind in third at +650, which make the top three a race to the top.

Gonzaga has been atop odds boards to win the 2021 NCAA Div. 1 men’s basketball National Championship for months. Here, we’ll look at the odds for the Bulldogs, break down the seeding in the West Region bracket, and examine the history of this March Madness region.

2021 NCAA Tournament: West Region Bracket odds

West Region bracket odds will be posted on Selection Sunday. National Championship futures are already posted at top US sportsbooks. Hover over the odds you like below and click on the corresponding tab to place a bet on a team to win this year’s title.

View more National Championship odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and PointsBet.

West Region: What happened last time?

Texas Tech was the winner of the West Region in 2019 as it toppled 1 seed Gonzaga in the Elite 8, 75-69. The Red Raiders then beat Michigan State in the National semi-finals before losing to Virginia in the National Championship game, 85-77 in overtime.

The West was chalk in 2019 as far as the Regional Final goes as 2 seed Michigan and 4 seed Florida State joined Gonzaga and Texas Tech.

First round upsets in the West two years ago included No. 12 Murray State upending No. 5 Marquette, No. 10 Florida dumping No. 7 Nevada, and No. 9 Baylor beating No. 8 Syracuse.

The 2019 West Regional semi-finals and final was held in Anaheim, California.

West Region History: First Round upsets

The West Region has had some of the more memorable first round upsets in March Madness history. In 2001, No. 15 Hampton toppled No. 2 Iowa State. Another 15 over 2 seed upset in the West occurred in 2012 when Norfolk State stunned Missouri.

The West has also had 14 seeds take down 3 seeds as Harvard did the deed in 2013 with a win over New Mexico, and in 2015 Georgia State shocked Baylor.

Here are more upsets that took place in the West over the past 21 years:

• 2019: No. 12 Murray State over No. 5 Marquette, No. 10 Florida over No. 7 Nevada, No. 9 Baylor over No. 8 Syracuse
• 2018: No. 9 over No. 8 Missouri
• 2017: No. 11 Xavier over No. 6 Maryland
• 2016: No. 12 Yale over No. 5 Baylor, No. 11 Northern Iowa over No. 6 Texas, No. 10 VCU over No. 7 Oregon State
• 2015: No. 14 Georgia State over No. 3 Baylor, No. 10 Ohio State over No. 7 Virginia Commonwealth
• 2014: No. 12 North Dakota State over No. 5 Oklahoma
• 2013: No. 14 Harvard over No. 3 New Mexico, No. 13 La Salle over No. 4 Kansas State, No. 12 Mississippi over No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 10 Iowa State over No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 9 Wichita State over No. 8 Pittsburgh
• 2012: No. 15 Norfolk State over No. 2 Missouri, No. 9 Saint Louis over No. 8 Memphis
• 2011: None
• 2010: No. 13 Murray State over No. 4 Vanderbilt
• 2009: No. 10 Maryland over No. 7 California, No. 9 Texas A&M over No. 8 BYU
• 2008: No. 13 San Diego over No. 4 UConn, No. 12 Western Kentucky over No. 5 Drake, No. 9 Texas A&M over No. 8 BYU
• 2007: No. 11 VCU over No. 6 Duke
• 2006: No. 13 Bradley over No. 4 Kansas, No. 10 Alabama over No. 7 Marquette, No. 9 Bucknell over No. 8 Arkansas
• 2005: None
• 2004: None
• 2003: No. 11 Central Michigan over No. 6 Creighton, No. 10 Arizona State over No. 7 Memphis, No. 9 Gonzaga over No. 8 Cincinnati
• 2002: No. 12 Missouri over No. 5 Miami, No. 11 Wyoming over No. 6 Gonzaga
• 2001: No. 15 Hampton over No. 2 Iowa State, No. 13 Kent State over No. 4 Indiana, No. 11 Georgia State over No. 3 Maryland, No. 10 Georgetown over No. 7 Arkansas, No. 9 St. Joe’s over No. 8 Georgia Tech
• 2000: No. 10 Gonzaga over No. 7 Louisville

NCAA Champions from the West Region

The West Region has had the longest drought when it comes to having a team win it all. Kemba Walker’s 2011 UConn Huskies were the last team from the West Region to cut down the nets in early April. UConn accomplished the feat that season as a 3 seed.

The Huskies, despite being an East Coast school, have had great success whenever they’ve been placed in the West. UConn also captured the title in 2004 and 1999 after coming out of the West.

The 1995 UCLA Bruins and 1990 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels are the only other two programs to win the championship out of the West Region in the past 31 years. The West has produced the least amount of champions (five) out of any NCAA tournament region during that time.

Here is a list of NCAA tournament champions over the past three decades.

How the West Region is selected

Thirty-two NCAA teams receive automatic bids into the NCAA tournament. The rest of the field is chosen by the NCAA Div. 1 men’s basketball “Selection Committee,” headed by Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart. The committee chooses at-large teams via their season record, strength of schedule, scoring margin, location of wins and losses, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and quality of wins and losses.

Top teams will be placed in tournament regions that are geographically close to where they are from. Teams that barely squeak into the tourney might have to do some traveling.

Now that the NBA Draft deadline has passed, we have a more clear picture of what the 2020-21 college hoops season will look like.

Over at Bovada, their most recent odds to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament have the Kentucky Wildcats tied with Gonzaga and Iowa for the second-best odds to win it all at +1100. Virginia is just ahead at +900 for the top spot.

Personally, I can’t see Kentucky having odds this good without Olivier Sarr being eligible, so maybe the oddsmakers are guessing he will be, or maybe they have some sort of inside scoop.

If Sarr doesn’t play, then I’d imagine Kentucky is down around Duke at +1500, maybe even lower. Gonzaga and Virginia would definitely be ahead with the firepower they have coming back, and Baylor has a strong case to be higher as well.

As for who the Cats face next season, Kansas is currently the highest at +2000, and they’re the only team in the top 15 best odds, followed by Tennessee (+2500), Florida (+4000) and Louisville (+4000).

However, I think there’s a decent chance Kentucky faces either Texas Tech (+1800) or West Virginia (+2200) in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, so that should be another tough non-conference test.

Bovada odds to win 2021 NCAA Tournament

• Villanova +900
• Gonzaga +1100
• Iowa +1100
• Kentucky +1100
• Baylor +1200
• Virginia +1200
• Michigan +1400
• Duke +1500
• Creighton +1800
• Michigan St. +1800
• Texas Tech +1800
• Kansas +2000
• North Carolina +2000
• Wisconsin +2000
• Florida St. +2200
• West Virginia +2200
• Houston +2500
• Tennessee +2500
• Connecticut +2800
• Indiana +3000
• Oregon +3000
• San Diego State. +3000
• Illinois +3500
• Ohio St. +3500
• Florida +4000
• Louisville +4000

Elsewhere, the folks at BetOnline have also released new odds to win it all, and they’re not ‘quite’ as high on Kentucky as Bovada is. BetOnline has the Wildcats tied with Kansas for the sixth-best odds at 12-1. Virginia (10-1), Gonzaga (9-1), Baylor (8-1), Iowa (15-2) and Villanova (7-1) rounded out the top five.

Other SEC teams included are Tennessee (22-1), Florida (30-1), Auburn (40-1) and LSU (40-1).

BetOnline odds to win 2021 NCAA Tournament

Odds To Win Region Ncaa Tournament

• Villanova 7/1
• Iowa 15/2
• Baylor 8/1
• Gonzaga 9/1
• Virginia 10/1
• Kansas 12/1
• Kentucky 12/1
• Duke 14/1
• Illinois 16/1
• Michigan State 16/1
• West Virginia 16/1
• Wisconsin 16/1
• Creighton 18/1
• Florida State 18/1
• North Carolina 18/1
• San Diego State 20/1
• Tennessee 22/1
• Michigan 25/1
• Oregon 28/1
• Texas Tech 28/1
• Florida 30/1
• Ohio State 30/1
• UCLA 30/1
• Louisville 33/1
• Seton Hall 33/1
• Houston 35/1
• Arizona State 40/1
• Auburn 40/1
• Indiana 40/1
• LSU 40/1