The second half of the Round of 32 games have been decided for the 2021 March Madness Tournament. Like Friday’s games, there were a few upsets that nobody saw coming whatsoever. No. 14 Abil Christian and No. 13 Ohio are two schools that upset higher seeds in the Round of 64, showing off the unpredictability that March Madness is known for.
Now, a new round means new matchups and new odds. Which West and East Region teams have the best shot at making it to the Sweet 16? Read on to find out.
March Madness Round of 32 Odds: West Region
Odds via BetOnline as of Sunday, March 21
Gonzaga (#1) vs. Oklahoma (#8)
- Point Spread: Gonzaga -14.5 (-110) vs. Oklahoma +14.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Gonzaga -1400, Oklahoma +825
- Over/Under: Over 154.5 (-110), Under 154.5 (-110)
To no one’s surprise, No. 1 Gonzaga remains undefeated this season after stream rolling over Norfolk State with a 98-55 win. They’ll be taking on No. 8 Oklahoma, who squeaked out a 72-68 victory against Missouri. Again, it’s just hard to pick against a team like Gonzaga. They were favored to win their opening matchup by 33.5 and they more than covered the spread. However, Oklahoma won’t be an easy pushover. They have defeated teams like Texas and Alabama this season, so they should at least provide a challenge for Gonzaga in the Round of 32.
Creighton (#5) vs. Ohio (#13)
- Point Spread: Creighton -5.5 (-115) vs. Ohio +5.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Creighton -255, Ohio +215
- Over/Under: Over 149.5 (-110), Under 149.5 (-110)
No. 13 Ohio scored a 62-58 upset over No. 4 Virginia on Saturday. While the seeding matchup may look like Ohio doesn’t stand much of a chance, that’s not entirely true. No. 5 Creighton only beat No. 12 UC Santa Barbara by one point on Saturday. Unfortunately, it seems like a trend for Creighton to underperform at March Madness. In the 2017 and 2018 tournaments, Creighton was upset by lower seeds in the first round.
Kansas (#3) vs. USC (#6)
- Point Spread: Kansas +1.0 (-105) vs. USC -1.0 (-115)
- Moneyline: Kansas +103, USC -123
- Over/Under: Over 134 (-110), Under 134 (-110)
In a surprise, the lower-seeded University of Southern California is entering their Round of 32 matchup against Kansas as the -123 moneyline favorite. One thing that may work to USC’s advantage is the fact that they have a defense that held Drake to just 56 in the first round. Meanwhile, Kansas was in a 93-84 shootout with No. 14 Eastern Washington.
Saturday’s matchup was also the first game that Kansas played since pulling out of the Big 12 tournament for COVID-19 concerns less than two weeks ago. They still looked rusty against Eastern Washington. They’ll need to pull things together and look more at-ease against a USC team that rebounds pretty much better than anyone else in NCAA Division I Basketball.
Iowa (#2) vs. Oregon (#7)
- Point Spread: Iowa -4.5 (-110) vs. Oregon +4.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Iowa -190, Oregon +165
- Over/Under: Over 146.5 (-110), Under 146.5 (-110)
When March Madness opened, Iowa was at +425 to make the Final Four — second-best odds in the West Region. Entering the tournament, Iowa was the fourth-highest scoring team in the league, averaging 83.8 ppg. They put that talent on display on Saturday, putting up 86 on Grand Canyon. They’ll be taking on an Oregon team that automatically advanced to the Round of 32 after multiple VCU players tested positive for COVID-19.
It’s hard to say what the matchup will look like since we haven’t seen Oregon play in March Madness yet. The last time they played was in a loss to Oregon State on March 12.
Oregon will rely on the three-pointer to win. Out of their last six losses, five came when they shot below 33 percent from three-point range. However, it could be easier said than done as Iowa held Grand Canyon to a 26.9 three-point percentage.
March Madness Round of 32 Odds: East Region
Odds via BetOnline as of Sunday, March 21
Michigan (#1) vs. LSU (#8)
- Point Spread: Michigan -5.0 (-110) vs. LSU +5.0 (-110)
- Moneyline: Michigan -205, LSU +175
- Over/Under: Over 149.5 (-110), Under 149.5 (-110)
Judging by the over/under, this Round of 32 game has the potential to be a shootout. Michigan’s first-round victory was thanks to a team effort as four players put up 10+ points to defeat Texas Southern 82-66. Now, they’ll take on an LSU team that beat St. Bonaventure by 15 to open March Madness. Michigan will still be without Isaiah Livers, who would be of great help when it comes to limiting LSU’s chances should this turn into a high-scoring affair. Either way, LSU should provide a challenge for Michigan, one of oddsmakers’ favorites to win the entire tournament.
Florida State (#4) vs. Colorado (#5)
- Point Spread: Florida State -1.0 (-113) vs. Colorado +1.0 (-107)
- Moneyline: Florida State -118, Colorado -102
- Over/Under: Over 139.5 (-110), Under 139.5 (-110)
While Florida State edged out UNC Greensboro in a low-scoring opening matchup, Colorado put up 96 against Georgetown. They’re also a top-20 offensive team according to the KenPom rating system. That’s going to be an issue for Florida State. They’re 16-0 when opposing teams score 75 or fewer points, but 1-6 when it’s more than that. Unfortunately for them, Colorado has scored 75 or more points 13 times this season.
UCLA (#11) vs. Abilene Christian (#14)
- Point Spread: UCLA -5.0 (-105) vs. Abilene Christian +5.0 (-115)
- Moneyline: UCLA -210, Abilene Christian +180
- Over/Under: Over 133.5 (-110), Under 133.5 (-110)
The most anticipated matchup of the Round of 32 is between… the No. 11 and No. 14 seeds. UCLA has the record for most March Madness Tournament wins with 11 and they look to add onto that after upsetting No. 6 BYU in the Round of 64.
They’ll meet an Abilene Christian team that stood at +345 to beat No. 3 Texas heading into Saturday’s game. Abilene Christian forced Texas to turn the ball over 23 times and any time you can force that many turnovers, you stand a good chance of winning. They’ll have to repeat that success against a UCLA team that’s made it to the Sweet 16 three times since 2013.
Alabama (#2) vs. Maryland (#10)
- Point Spread: Alabama -6.0 (-110) vs. Maryland +6.0 (-110)
- Moneyline: Alabama -265, Maryland +225
- Over/Under: Over 138 (-110), Under 138 (-110)
Maryland’s first-round matchup against UConn was projected to be a low-scoring game and that’s exactly what it was as the two teams combined for 117 points. Maryland’s averaging 68.8 ppg, which is 238th in the nation. They’ll have to be prepared for a three-point explosion from Alabama, who’s scored and attempted the most 3s in the NCAA.
Iona put up a pretty good fight against Alabama, trailing only by one at halftime. Nevertheless, the Crimson Tide quickly put the game away and have now won 10 times in their last 11 games. Alabama’s poor shooting percentage in the first round was an anomaly and they’ll look to prove that early on in their Round of 32 matchup against Maryland.
