TITLE TAG: March Madness 2023: Unprecedented Lack of Upsets META DESCRIPTION: March Madness 2023 sees historic trends with no major upsets and all No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. URL SLUG: march-madness-2023-no-upsets H1: March Madness 2023: A Surprising Lack of Upsets and All No. 1 Seeds in the Final Four
This year’s March Madness has been surprisingly calm, deviating from the usual chaos associated with the tournament. Typically known for its upsets and Cinderella stories, this year’s bracket has largely followed the expected outcomes. For only the second time since 2007 and the sixth time in history, no 13, 14, 15, or 16 seed managed to pull off an upset. Additionally, the Final Four will feature all No. 1 seeds for just the second time ever.
The absence of upsets has led to a favorable outcome for bettors, according to Johnny Avello, an oddsmaker at DraftKings. “There were a lot of moneyline parlays. So the bettors have had a very good run,” Avello noted. In recent years, a popular strategy has been to bet on every potential upset in the first round. While this approach has yielded high returns in the past with teams like UMBC, Fairleigh Dickinson, and St. Peter’s, it did not prove successful this year. The highest seed to win a game was a No. 12 seed, with Colorado State defeating No. 5 Memphis.
On Thursday, favorites won 12 out of 16 games straight up and went 9-7 against the spread. The following day, they were 13-3 straight up and 10-6 against the spread. “We did not see the trend that usually happens,” Avello remarked.
Duke has emerged as a strong contender, currently even money to win the championship. Bettors have heavily favored the Blue Devils throughout the tournament. “They’ve been the team that’s been bet all year long,” Avello stated, adding that Duke would be at least a 4.5-point favorite against any potential opponent in the final, currently set at -5.5 against Houston.
Duke is set to face Houston after the Florida-Auburn matchup on Saturday, with the first game tipping off at 6:09 p.m. ET in San Antonio.
INTERNAL LINK SUGGESTION: Explore more about March Madness betting strategies. IMAGE CAPTION SUGGESTION: March Madness 2023: A historic tournament with all No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. FAQ: Q: Why are there fewer upsets in March Madness 2023? A: This year has seen a historic lack of upsets, with all No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four, marking a significant deviation from traditional tournament chaos.