Fans attending this year's NCAA men's basketball West Region games will appreciate that two of the top teams in the region are geographically friendly.
The top-seeded Arizona Wildcats and No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs should both see plenty of fan support in what is one of the most intriguing quadrants in this year's tournament.
Purdue, Arkansas and Wisconsin all feature region-winning roster potential, while BYU hosts the nation's leading scorer and might also make some noise.
Here's a breakdown of the March Madness West Region:
Odds to win the West Region
| Team |  |
Covers' Take |
|---|---|---|
 (1) Arizona Wildcats |
-135 | Top-5 efficiency on both ends |
 (2) Purdue Boilermakers |
+400 | Smith’s 9.0 APG fuels offense |
 (3) Gonzaga Bulldogs |
+675 | Nation-best 51% field goal shooting |
 (4) Arkansas Razorbacks |
+1000 | Acuff Jr. enters as SEC POY |
 (5) Wisconsin Badgers |
+1600 | Top-10 nationally in made threes |
 (6) Brigham Young Cougars |
+4500 | Dybantsa leads nation in scoring |
 (7) Miami Hurricanes |
+4000 | High-scoring backcourt handles the tempo |
 (8) Villanova Wildcats |
+10000 | Defensive stoppers keying late-season surge |
 (9) Utah State Aggies |
+8000 | Efficient scorers with Mountain West pedigree |
 (10) Missouri Tigers |
+12500 | High-pressure defense forces constant turnovers |
 (11) Texas Longhorns* |
+10000 | Big 12 battle-tested; dangerous underdog |
 (11) NC State Wolfpack* |
+10000 | Wade’s Wolfpack hitting 39% from deep |
 (12) High Point Panthers |
+40000 | Nation’s top scoring margin (+19.7) |
 (13) Hawaii Rainbows |
+40000 | Island shooters heating up late |
 (14) Kennesaw State Owls |
+40000 | High-octane attack (83.4 PPG) leads CUSA |
 (15) Queens Royals |
+40000 | Prolific offense averaging 85 PPG |
 (16) Long Island Sharks |
+40000 | Sharks hunt historic Round 1 upset |
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West Region Favorite: Arizona Wildcats
The Wildcats come into the tournament as the No. 2 team in the latest college basketball rankings, and for good reason. Arizona cruised to a 32-2 SU record (20-14 ATS, 17-17 O/U) and recorded the fourth-highest average margin of victory in the nation (+17.4).
- The Path: After what should be an easy time against the LIU Sharks, Arizona will face either Villanova or Utah State, neither of whom should threaten the top seeds.
- The Concern: The Wildcats have few flaws – but their aversion to 3-point shooting (358th in attempts) could be a big one as they get deeper in the tourney.
West Region Cinderella: High Point Panthers
The Panthers are on a high (sorry), coming into the tournament having won 14 consecutive games. And while they'll be in tough against the battle-tested Badgers, High Point is well-positioned to keep everyone's favorite 12-vs-5 first-round trend alive in 2026.
- The Matchup: No. 5 Wisconsin (-10) vs. No. 12 High Point
- The X-Factor: High Point ranks inside the top 50 nationally in effective field goal percentage at nearly 55%, while Wisconsin is 179th in the country in eFG% allowed (51.2%). The Panthers are also a top-10 team in terms of free throw makes and attempts; if this one becomes a foul line parade, the upset is very much in play.
COVERS INTEL: High Point's +7.1 average turnover margin is second in the country, behind only McNeese (+7.3).West Region Schedule
Thursday, March 19
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point, 1:50 p.m.
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii, 4:25 p.m.
No. 6 Brigham Young vs. No. 11 Texas/North Carolina State, 7:25 p.m.
No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State, 10 p.m.
Friday, March 20
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Long Island, 1:35 p.m.
No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State, 4:10 p.m.
No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Queens, 7:35 p.m.
No. 7 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 10 Missouri, 10:10 p.m.
3 West Region futures to bet now
Arkansas to Make the Sweet Sixteen (-135 at bet365): As much as I would like to see High Point make a run, I don't see the Panthers getting past Arkansas even if they do upset Wisconsin. The Razorbacks are a phenomenal offensive team (No. 2 in points per game) but also don't turn the ball over, losing possession on just 10.7% of the time (lowest in the nation). March Madness rewards this sort of behavior, which is why I'm all over this bet.
Purdue to Make the Elite Eight (+105 at bet365): My man Jon Metler is leaning all the way into the Boilermakers, taking them to win the national championship (despite his better judgment, apparently.) I'm not that crazy bold, but I do question why they're plus money to reach Round 4. This team is super careful with the ball, distributes it as well as anyone in the nation, and can shoot the lights out. Just ask Dan Hurley.
Arizona to Win the West Region (-135 at bet365): Purdue's good – but Arizona is just so much better. Ninth in shooting percentage. Fifth in field-goal success rate against. First in defensive rebounds. Tenth in free throw attempts per game. Any way you slice it, the Wildcats are one of the most dangerously versatile teams in this tournament. And sure, that makes this outright Final Four play a bit dull, but sometimes (most times, actually), the safest play is also the correct one.
West Region history and betting trends
- The pre-tournament betting favorite has won the West Region just once in the previous four years.
- No team with longer than +1000 odds has prevailed in the West since Wichita State, which won as a +6600 longshot in 2013.
- Villanova is the only West Region team that has won more than one national championship.
