Skip to main content
Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

This story is free to read.

Greeson: Whether the Vols advance or not, Tennessee will win in March Madness

AP photo by Paul Sancya / Tennessee guard Josiah-Jordan James and the Vols had a short stay in Indianapolis, losing Friday's NCAA tournament first-round matchup with Oregon State.
AP photo by Paul Sancya / Tennessee guard Josiah-Jordan James and the Vols had a short stay in Indianapolis, losing Friday's NCAA tournament first-round matchup with Oregon State. AP photo by Paul Sancya / Tennessee guard Josiah-Jordan James and the Vols had a short stay in Indianapolis, losing Friday's NCAA tournament first-round matchup with Oregon State.

By Jay Greeson 4 min read

Got a hunch which sporting event is the most bet on every year?

If you think Super Bowl, well, you’re close, but you are wrong.

The most-bet-on event starts in earnest today, with the long-awaited return of March Madness. (Yes, there were four play-in games Thursday night, but the true draw – the bracket that has launched $1 billion-plus in bets through the years – starts today.)

In our pre-COVID sports watching days, the American Gaming Association estimated $6.8 billion wagered on the Super Bowl and a stunning $8.5 billion on the NCAA basketball tournament.

How big is that? Well, the 2019 Kentucky Derby had $250-plus million wagers, and the largest fight ever – Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather – had a little more than $100 million wagered.