NCAA tournament betting: Arizona continues to be the most popular bet to win it all

Gonzaga is the most popular pick to win the 2022 NCAA tournament in Yahoo’s Tourney Pick ’Em. Arizona is the most popular bet to win it all at BetMGM.

The Wildcats are surprisingly getting more bets to win the men’s NCAA tournament than the Zags. Arizona at +600 to win it all is the pick of 10.2% of bettors at BetMGM while Gonzaga is getting 8.4% of bets. Gonzaga is the favorite to win the tournament at +300. Its shorter odds are likely a reason why bettors are spending their money elsewhere.

In our Tourney Pick ’Em, Gonzaga is the choice of over 35% of bettors. Arizona is the No. 2 pick of users at 16%. No other team in the tournament is backed by more than 10% of our users.

One bettor at BetMGM is incredibly bullish on Arizona to win it all. Someone placed a $30,000 wager this week on the Wildcats to win it all. If Arizona does cut down the nets that bettor is going to make $180,000.

[Join the Yahoo Fantasy Tourney Pick'Em $25K Best Bracket Contest]

That large bet boosted Arizona’s share of the handle — total money wagered — on the winner of the NCAA tournament to 14.2%. Gonzaga is getting the second-most money at 11.7% of the handle, while Kentucky is getting just over 9% of the cash.

Here’s a look at the most-bet teams at BetMGM and most-picked teams at Yahoo in the hours before the First Four tips off in Dayton.

Most-bet teams at BetMGM

• Arizona (+600): 10.2% of bets

• Gonzaga (+300): 8.4%

• Duke (+1400): 8.1%

• Kentucky (+800): 7.7%

• Auburn (+1400): 6.2%

• Purdue (+1800): 6%

• Tennessee (+1800): 5.1%

• Kansas (+900): 4.5%

• Baylor (+1200): 4.2%

• Villanova (+1800): 2.8%

Most-picked teams on Yahoo

• Gonzaga: 35.2% of users

• Arizona: 16%

• Kansas: 8.3%

• Duke: 7.2%

• Kentucky: 5.8%

• Baylor: 4.1%

• Villanova: 3.7%

• Auburn: 3.3%

• Tennessee: 3.1%

• Purdue: 1.9%

Randomly pick your final four teams in this 3D augmented reality slot machine: