When does March Madness begin?

It’s almost that time of year again, March Madness is about to tip-off in just a matter of days.

WASHINGTON — March Madness is almost here.

The beloved annual tradition that is the NCAA Tournament opens with Selection Sunday this weekend, opening the door for hundreds of thousands of fans to fill out brackets and take a shot at winning the office pool.

When does March Madness start? 

The men’s tournament tips off with the First Four on March 17-18 in Dayton, Ohio, with the first round starting March 19 at sites across the country. 

After the First Four, the first- and second-round games will be played March 19-22 in Buffalo, New York; Greenville, South Carolina; Oklahoma City; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia; San Diego; St. Louis; and Tampa, Florida.

Sweet 16 games will be played March 26-29 in Houston (South), Washington (East), Chicago (Midwest) and San Jose, California (West).

The Final Four is Saturday, April 4, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the title game the night of Monday, April 6, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.

Who are favorites to win March Madness?

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the favorites to win the national championship are Duke (plus-320), Michigan (plus-325), Arizona (plus-475) and defending champ Florida (plus-675).

How to watch March Madness games

Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS will broadcast the Final Four and national title game this year. The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.

When does the women’s NCAA tournament begin? 

Women’s college basketball is ready for March Madness as well. 

The women’s NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed on Selection Sunday. The field has 31 automatic bids and 37 at-large picks. The First Four runs March 18 and 19. The first round starts March 20 at sites across the country. ESPN carries every game, and ABC airs the title game. Defending champion UConn is the betting favorite.

Who are the favorites to win women’s NCAA tournament? 

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the favorites to win the national championship are UConn (minus-300), UCLA (plus-200), Texas (plus-800) and South Carolina (plus-900). LSU (plus-1600) is the next on the list and then the best odds available are 50-1 longshots.

How to watch the women’s March Madness tournament

Every game of the women’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — on ESPN’s networks and streaming services. The championship game will be aired on ABC for a fourth straight season.

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