March Madness 2023 Bracket: Final Four Prediction, Betting Odds For NCAA Tournament Regions

Making a correct Final Four prediction is the key to winning a March Madness 2023 bracket pool. Getting the entire field right isn't realistic, but picking two or three of the teams to win their NCAA Tournament region can be done.

It may seem fun to pick early-round upsets, but your March Madness bracket should feature Final Four teams that have high seeds and good odds to make a deep run. NCAA Tournament history suggests that at least half of the Final Four will be made up of No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.

Close to 40% of No. 1 seeds have made the Final Four. Around 21% of No. 2 seeds have won their March Madness region. Six of the last eight Final Four teams have been top-two seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

With that in mind, here are Final Four predictions for the March Madness 2023 bracket, along with each team's odds of winning their region, via FanDuel Sportsbook.

South Region: No. 2 Arizona (+360)

If Arizona beats No. 1 Alabama in the Elite Eight, it would be just one more marquee win for the Wildcats. On their way to winning the Pac-12 Championship, Arizona defeated No. 2 UCLA twice, No. 4 Indiana, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 5 San Diego State and No. 6 Creighton. Arizona did it with the No. 11 offense and a pair of big men who are averaging a combined 34.0 points, 17.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.

Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed in March Madness, but they also have to deal with distractions that no other team will face. Brandon Miller's accused ties to an alleged murder committed by his former teammate are going to be talked about throughout the NCAA Tournament. One off-night for Miller will make Alabama vulnerable to an upset, exemplified by his 7-23 shooting performance in the Crimson Tide's most recent defeat.

Midwest Region: No. 1 Houston (+120)

Houston has the perfect recipe for a Final Four team. The Cougars have the best defense in college basketball and rank fifth in offensive efficiency. Kelvin Sampson is one of the sport's best coaches. Four of their top five scorers were on Houston's 2021 Final Four team and last year's team that reached the Elite Eight.

Marcus Sasser's injury could potentially derail Houston's March Madness run. The team has been quiet about the groin strain that kept its top scorer out of the AAC Championship Game. Sasser can be back in time to face opponents that could potentially upset Houston. Aside from No. 2 Texas, there doesn't seem to be a major threat to Houston on its side of the bracket.

East Region: No. 2 Marquette (+370)

No. 1 Purdue is the most vulnerable top seed in March Madness. The Boilermakers suffered multiple home upsets in the regular season, and they were eliminated by No. 15 Saint Peter's in the Sweet 16 of last year's NCAA Tournament. Wooden Award favorite Zach Edey was held to 11 points in that elimination game. Marquette has the best chance of any team in its side of the March Madness bracket to keep Edey and Purdue out of the Final Four.

Purdue beat Marquette 75-70 at home earlier this season. An Elite Eight matchup between the teams would be played on a neutral court, and the team will be better prepared having already faced Edey just a few months ago. Marquette is 13th in offensive efficiency. None of the other top seeds in the East (No. 3 Kansas State, No. 4 Tennessee. No. 5 Duke) have a top-40 offense. The Golden Eagles make more 3-pointers than any of those teams. Marquette is third in the nation in turnover differential.

West Region: No. 1 Kansas (+330)

The defending national champions are somehow being overlooked in the West. Most college basketball experts seem to be picking No. 3 Gonzaga or No 4 UConn to make the Final Four. Kansas, however, might be the safest Final Four pick in the entire NCAA Tournament. Kansas has been a No. 1 seed nine times under head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks have made it to at least the Elite Eight in seven of those seasons and the national championship game three times.

It hasn't mattered that Kansas lost most of its scoring from last year's team. The Jayhawks finished first atop the standings of college basketball's best conference. Kansas has only been defeated this season by teams that are seeded No. 6 or better in the NCAA Tournament. There's little chance that the Jayhawks will suffer an upset on the first weekend. As long as Kevin McCullar is back from injury for the Sweet 16, Kansas should be the heavy favorite to win its region.