The Sweet 16 is set for the men's NCAA tournament and the oddsmakers released the opening odds and point totals for the next round of March Madness.
The 2022 men’s NCAA tournament has certainly lived up to its nickname of “March Madness”. While many around the country have ripped up their brackets, sports bettors have their attention focused on the odds for the Sweet 16.
Oddsmakers at SI Sportsbook have their work cut out for them after three double-digits seeds moved on to the second weekend of the tournament. No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga, in search of the school’s first NCAA national championship, joins Kansas and Arizona as the other No. 1 seeds in the Sweet 16. Baylor, last year's champion and the fourth No. 1 seed in this year's tournament was bounced from the bracket by North Carolina in the round of 32.
As history painfully continues to teach those of us who fill out brackets, having the perceived easiest path does not always lead to success for the top seeds. In fact, only two No. 2 seeds - Villanova and Duke, two No. 3 seeds - Texas Tech and Purdue as well as two No. 4 seeds- UCLA and Providence remain in the field. Among the top 16 seeded teams in the tournament only nine remain.
This year’s Cinderella story easily belongs No. 15 St. Peter’s after upsetting both No. 2 Kentucky and No. 7 Murray State. Up next for the Peacocks is a date with Jaden Ivey and No. 3 Purdue.
We will have full betting breakdowns of all the respected action for the Sweet 16 match-ups later this week on SI Betting.
Let’s take a quick look at the opening lines.
Thursday, March 24
WEST
No. 1 Gonzaga (-8.5) vs. No. 4 Arkansas (154.5)
No. 3 Texas Tech (-1) vs. No. 2 Duke (136.5)
SOUTH
No. 2 Villanova (-5) vs. No. 11 Michigan (135)
No. 1 Arizona (-2) vs. No. No. 5 Houston (145.5)
Friday, March 18
MIDWEST
No. 1 Kansas (-7.5) vs. No. 4 Providence (141.5)
No. 10 Miami (-1.5) vs. No. 11 Iowa State (133)
EAST
No. 4 UCLA (-2.5) vs. No. 8 UNC (142.5)
No. 3 Purdue (-12.5) vs. No. 15 St. Peter’s (135.5)
FUTURES ODDS TO WIN 2022 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Gonzaga +220
Arizona +450
Kansas +450
Houston +900
Texas Tech +1000
Villanova +1100
Duke +1200
Purdue +1200
UCLA +1400
UNC +2000
Michigan +5000
Providence +5000
Arkansas +6000
Miami +6500
Iowa State +7500
St. Peter’s +10000
Check Out the Latest Odds at SI Sportsbook
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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.