Texas A&M (+375) and Indiana (+245) provided strong payouts following their upsets of the top seeds in the SEC and Big Ten conference tournaments, respectively.
The Madness is here and in a wide-open collegiate landscape we just witnessed two massive upsets in major conference tournament action!
Eighth-seeded Texas A&M upset top-seeded Auburn, 67-62, as a nine-point underdog in the SEC quarterfinals Friday. Bettors who backed the Aggies on the moneyline returned to the SI Sportsbook betting windows to cash tickets at +375 odds!
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The Tigers were massive -455 favorites on the moneyline, and entered the tournament with the second-best odds at +260. They likely squandered any hopes of securing a No. 1 seed in next week’s NCAA tournament.
Woeful shooting - specifically three-point shooting - doomed Auburn in the loss. The Tigers shot an abysmal 9 of 36 (25%) from deep. Jabari Smith, rumored to be in the discussion for the No. 1 pick in this year’s upcoming NBA draft, and second-leading scorer K.D. Johnson combined to shoot just 3 of 16 (19%) from beyond the arc.
Texas A&M entered the tournament with +7000 odds to win the conference and will play No. 4 Arkansas in the semifinals Saturday.
Over in the Big Ten, ninth-seeded Indiana continued its improbable postseason run by also pulling a notable betting upset.
The Hoosiers knocked off top-seeded Illinois, 65-53, as six-point underdogs. The Hoosiers sent bettors who believed in a second straight upset rushing back to the betting windows at SI Sportsbook looking to cash tickets at odds of +245.
Illinois, the second betting choice to win the Big Ten tournament +300 odds, shot only 35% from the field despite a big effort from star big man Kofi Cockburn, who scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a losing effort.
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Indiana leading scorer Trayce Jackson Davis, who scored 24 points in the upset of No. 8 Michigan on Thursday, once again led the way for the Hoosiers with 21 points and seven rebounds. Indiana entered the Big Ten tournament with +2500 odds, and will face No. 5 Iowa—which downed No. 4 Rutgers on Friday—in the semifinals Saturday.
The Hoosiers also may have punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament.
The Madness is only beginning! Buckle up for an exciting several weeks of action from the hardwood that is only getting started!
SI COLLEGE BASKETBALL BETTING REVIEW
2021: SI Betting is hoping to pick right up where we left last season when our NCAA tournament betting plays yielded major financial success, thanks to Alabama (+220), Illinois (+375) and Georgia Tech (+2500) all delivering conference tournament championship victories in the SEC, Big Ten and ACC, respectively.
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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.
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