The Midwest Region bracket is set. Number 1 seed Houston sits at the head of the bracket and the odds as a pretty strong favorite are barely longer than even money. Other top contenders include Texas as a clear second favorite, then Xavier and Miami.
This year’s Midwest Regional semi-finals and final will take place at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Below, find the entire Midwest bracket along with odds to win the Region and game lines for each contest.
Midwest Region odds
Find odds to win the Midwest Region below.
MIDWEST REGION BRACKET
Check out our interactive NCAA bracket below. You can find Midwest Region odds in the top right portion of the bracket.
Midwest Region betting
No. 4 Miami Vs. No. 1 Houston
Houston was a -7 favorite over Miami as of Monday afternoon. The over/under was 138. Catch Houston vs. Miami on TV on Friday, March 24 at 7:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
No. 5 Xavier Vs. No. 2 Texas
Texas was a -4 favorite over Xavier as Monday afternoon. The over/under was 147.5. Catch Xavier vs. Texas on TV on Friday, March 24 at 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS.
Midwest Region: What has happened in recent years?
No. 1 Kansas lived up to its top billing in the Midwest Region last year as the Jayhawks took down No. 10 Miami, 76-50, in the Regional Final.
While the Kansas win was expected, the earlier Midwest Region rounds included several upsets. Iowa State, an 11 seed, advanced to the Sweet 16 with wins over No. 6 LSU, 59-54, and Wisconsin, a 3 seed, 54-49. And its hard to ignore the Miami Hurricanes who advanced to the Elite Eight by upsetting No. 7 USC, 68-66, No. 2 Auburn, 79-61. This set-up a rare 10 vs. 11 regional semifinal between Miami and Iowa State, with the Canes winning, 70-56.
Houston, a 2 seed, wound up winning the Midwest Region in 2021 as it toppled Oregon State, 67-61, in the Regional Final. The biggest upset in the Midwest in 2021 came in the second round when Loyola-Chicago cast its upset magic upon the 1 seed in the region, Illinois.
Auburn, the 5 seed, emerged as the Midwest Region champ in 2019, beating Kentucky 77-71 in OT in the Regional Final. What the Tigers accomplished three years ago was mighty impressive considering they had to topple traditional college basketball powers like Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky along the way. The Jayhawks, Tar Heels and Wildcats all had better seeds than Auburn.
Midwest Region history: First round upsets
Call this the “feast or famine region” when it comes to upsets. In 2015, for instance, the region did not have a single first round upset. The next year in 2016, a 15 knocked off a 2 seed, a 12 beat a 5, an 11 toppled a 6, a 10 beat a 7 and a 9 upended an 8.
Middle Tennessee was the 15 seed in the Midwest in that crazy tournament six years ago. They toppled No. 2 seed Michigan State.
In the past 22 years, there have also been two 14 seeds that have shocked the world. Mercer took down No. 3 seeded Duke in 2014 and No. 14 Ohio upset No. 3 Georgetown in 2010. The Midwest region has been kind to Ohio as two years after the Bobcats beat the Hoyas, they knocked off Michigan as a 13 seed.
Here is a list of upsets in the Midwest since 2000:
- 2022: No. 12 Richmond over No. 5 Iowa, No. 11 Iowa State over No. 6 LSU, No. 10 Miami over No. 7 USC, No. 9 Creighton over. No. 8 SDSU
- 2021: No. 12 Oregon State over No. 5 Tennessee, No. 11 Syracuse over No. 6 San Diego State, No. 10 Rutgers over No. 7 Clemson
- 2019: No. 11 Ohio State over Iowa State, No. 9 Washington over No. 8 Utah State
- 2018: No. 11 Syracuse over No. 6 TCU
- 2017: No. 11 Rhode Island over No. 6 Creighton, No. 9 Michigan State over No. 8 Miami
- 2016: No. 15 Middle Tennessee over No. 2 Michigan State, No. 12 Little Rock over No. 5 Purdue, No. 11 Gonzaga over No. 6 Seton Hall, No. 10 Syracuse over No. 7 Dayton, No. 9 Butler over No. 8 Texas Tech
- 2015: None
- 2014: No. 14 Mercer over No. 3 Duke, No. 11 Tennessee over No. 6 UMass
- 2013: No. 12 Oregon over No. 5 Oklahoma State
- 2012: No. 13 Ohio over No. 4 Michigan, No. 12 South Florida over No. 5 Temple, No. 11 North Carolina State over No. 6 San Diego State, No. 10 Purdue over Saint Mary’s
- 2011*: N/A
- 2010: No. 14 Ohio over No. 3 Georgetown, No. 10 Georgia Tech over No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Northern Iowa over No. 8 UNLV
- 2009: No. 13 Cleveland State over No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 12 Arizona over No. 5 Utah, No. 11 Dayton over No. 6 West Virginia, No. 10 USC over No. 7 Boston College, No. 9 Siena over No. 8 Ohio State
- 2008: No. 13 Siena over No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 12 Villanova over No. 5 Clemson, No. 11 Kansas State over No. 6 USC, No. 10 Davidson over No. 7 Gonzaga
- 2007: No. 11 Winthrop over No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 9 Purdue over No. 8 Arizona
- 2006: No. 12 Montana over No. 5 Nevada, No. 11 UW-Milwaukee over No. 6 Oklahoma
- 2005: No. 12 UW-Milwaukee over No. 5 Alabama, No. 11 UAB over No. 6 LSU, No. 9 Nevada over No. 8 Texas
- 2004: No. 12 Pacific over No. 5 Providence, No. 10 Nevada over No. 7 Michigan State, No. 9 UAB over No. 8 Washington
- 2003: No. 13 Tulsa over No. 4 Dayton, No. 9 Utah over No. 8 Oregon
- 2002: No. 12 Creighton over No. 5 Florida
- 2001: No. 10 Butler over No. 7 Wake Forest, No. 9 Charlotte over No. 8 Tennessee
- 2000: None
*In 2011, the NCAA Div. 1 men’s basketball tournament did not feature a traditional Midwest Region. It instead had an East, West, Southeast and Southwest Region.
NCAA Champions from the Midwest Region
There have been 10 NCAA champions from the Midwest Region since 1990, tied for the second most. The South Region has produced 10 title teams and the East Region has also had eight teams win it all in that time.
Prior to Kansas winning last year, you’d have to go back to 2013 when Louisville won it all.
The “glory years” for the region came in the 2000s when teams from the Midwest won three titles in a row. The Florida Gators won in 2006 and 2007, and then Kansas cut the nets in 2008.
Here is a list of March Madness champions by region and seed going back to 1990:
| Year | NCAA Champion | Region | Seed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Kansas | Midwest | 1 |
| 2021 | Baylor | South | 1 |
| 2020 | *Tournament canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | Virginia | South | 1 |
| 2018 | Villanova | East | 1 |
| 2017 | North Carolina | South | 1 |
| 2016 | Villanova | South | 2 |
| 2015 | Duke | South | 1 |
| 2014 | UConn | East | 7 |
| 2013 | Louisville | Midwest | 1 |
| 2012 | Kentucky | South | 1 |
| 2011 | UConn | West | 3 |
| 2010 | Duke | South | 1 |
| 2009 | North Carolina | South | 1 |
| 2008 | Kansas | Midwest | 1 |
| 2007 | Florida | Midwest | 1 |
| 2006 | Florida | Midwest | 3 |
| 2005 | North Carolina | East | 1 |
| 2004 | UConn | West | 2 |
| 2003 | Syracuse | East | 3 |
| 2002 | Maryland | East | 1 |
| 2001 | Duke | East | 1 |
| 2000 | Michigan State | Midwest | 1 |
| 1999 | UConn | West | 1 |
| 1998 | Kentucky | South | 2 |
| 1997 | Arizona | South | 4 |
| 1996 | Kentucky | Midwest | 1 |
| 1995 | UCLA | West | 1 |
| 1994 | Arkansas | Midwest | 1 |
| 1993 | North Carolina | East | 1 |
| 1992 | Duke | East | 1 |
| 1991 | Duke | Midwest | 2 |
| 1990 | UNLV | West | 1 |
How the Midwest Region is selected
Seeding is the first priority for the Selection Committee each year. For instance if there are four clear-cut No. 1 seeds but two of them are from East Coast, one is from the South and the other is from the West Coast – an East Coast team might wind up as the top seed in the Midwest Region.
Typically, though – the Midwest is represented at the top of the bracket by a team geographically close to the Midwest. For instance, Illinois was the top seed last year, Kansas was the top seed in 2017 and 2018 and Wichita State was the 1 seed in 2014.