West Region Bracket Odds, Predictions And History

How will the West Region be won this year? There's no shortage of teams with a chance to win it all via March Madness odds from this quadrant of the bracket. The West is headlined by Arizona, Purdue, Gonzaga and Arkansas, who are the top four seeds, respectively.

This year's West regional final is taking place in San Jose, California at SAP Center. 

Check out odds for the other regions here:

• NCAA Tournament East Region Odds
• NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Odds
• NCAA Tournament South Region Odds

West Region History

The West Region has featured some of the more memorable first-round upsets in March Madness history. For example, last year's NCAA Tournament included No. 12 Grand Canyon University shocking No. 5 Saint Mary's for their first NCAA Tournament win in program 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 seen 14 seeds take down 3 seeds as seen when Harvard beat New Mexico in 2013 while Georgia State shocked Baylor in 2015.

Here are all of the first-round upsets that took place in the West over the past 25 years:

• 2025: No. 10 Arkansas over No. 7 Kansas, No. 11 Drake over No. 6 Missouri, No. 12 Colorado State over No. 5 Memphis
• 2024: No. 12 Grand Canyon over No. 5 Saint Mary's, No. 9 Michigan State over No. 8 Mississippi State
• 2023: None
• 2022: No. 11 Notre Dame over No. 6 Alabama, No. 12 New Mexico State over No. 5 UConn, No. 9 Memphis over No. 8 Boise State
• 2021: No. 13 Ohio over No. 4 Virginia
• 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

West Region: What has happened recently?

Last season, No. 4 Alabama, representing the SEC, defeated 6-seed Clemson 89-82 in the West Region final. It was the first time in program history that the Crimson Tide made the Final Four.

Even though they're a member of the Big East Conference, UConn drew the No. 4 seed in the West Region during the 2022-23 season and went on to win every tournament game by double digits. The results included defeating No. 5 San Diego State 76-59 in the national championship game. It was the first time since 2014 that the Huskies cut down the net.

Duke does not usually find itself in the West Bracket, but in 2022, the Blue Devils performed exceptionally well as a 2 seed. It was Coach K's last hurrah, and Duke made it all the way to the Final Four before it was bounced by rival North Carolina.

There were two decent upsets in the first round of the West Region last year as 12-seed New Mexico State upset 5-seeded UConn. Notre Dame, an 11-seed, upset No. 6 seed Alabama. And Memphis, the 9-seed, took down 8-seed Boise State.

There was just one first-round upset in the West Region the previous year, as 13 seed Ohio took down 4 seed Virginia, 62-58. Gonzaga won the West Regional two years ago by beating USC, 85-66. The Zags went all the way to the National Title Game before losing to Baylor.

West Regional

Prior to the No. 4 Huskies celebrating their 2023 championship, the West Region had the longest drought regarding a team winning it all. Before that, 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.

Despite being an East Coast school, the Huskies 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 two programs to win the championship out of the West Region in the past 34 years. The West has produced the least amount of champions (five) out of any NCAAB odds 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 UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. 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.