The Round of 32 is officially over and there are only 16 teams left in the 2021 March Madness Tournament. With two one-seeds left on this side of the bracket, as well as a UCLA team that started in the First Four and made it to the Sweet 16, sports bettors are in for a wild ride on Sunday, March 28.
With only a few rounds left until the national champions are crowned, it’s important to get involved in the March Madness betting markets while you still can. Your next chance to do that is with the below Sweet 16 matchups and their respective markets.
March Madness Sweet 16 Odds: West Region
Odds via Bovada as of Tuesday, March 23
Gonzaga (#1) vs. Creighton (#5)
- Point Spread: Gonzaga -13.5 (-115) vs. Creighton +13.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Gonzaga -1100, Creighton +650
- Over/Under: Over 158 -115, Under 158 -105
Any time any team plays against Gonzaga, they’re going to be the underdog. Gonzaga is undefeated this season and has outscored their opponents 185-126 in the first two rounds of March Madness. At this point in the tournament, they look unstoppable.
Meanwhile, Creighton is coming off of a 14-point victory over Ohio. One noteworthy mention is that all of Creighton’s starters had 10 or more points. While Creighton does have offensive potential, they’re not on the same level as Gonzaga. Yes, this tournament has shown that upsets can happen, but a lot would have to fall in place to see the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs get bounced in the Sweet 16.
USC (#6) vs. Oregon (#7)
- Point Spread: USC -1.0 (-110) vs. Oregon +1.0 (-110)
- Moneyline: USC -120, Oregon +100
- Over/Under: Over 139.5 -110, Under 139.5 -110
Both of the teams in this Sweet 16 matchup looked pretty good in the Round of 32. First of all, USC blew out No. 3 Kansas by a score of 85-51. USC shot 57.1 percent from the field and 61.1 percent from three-point range. They also held Kansas to 0.290/0.240/0.750 shooting splits. On the other hand, No. 7 Oregon upset Iowa, a team with decent odds to make the Final Four, 95-80. Chris Duarte led the way with a 23-3-7 stat line.
This isn’t the first meeting of the season between the two teams. On February 22, USC defeated Oregon 72-58. Just like their game against Kansas, USC shot the ball well in that win over Oregon. If they want to advance to the Elite Eight, they’re going to need more of the same. Regardless, this matchup has the potential to exceed the 139.5 Over/Under.
March Madness Sweet 16 Odds: East Region
Odds via Bovada as of Tuesday, March 23
Michigan (#1) vs. Florida State (#4)
- Point Spread: Michigan -3.0 (-110) vs. Florida State +3.0 (-110)
- Moneyline: Michigan -160, Florida State +140
- Over/Under: Over 145 -105, Under 145 -115
If there’s one thing that No. 1 Michigan has done this tournament, it’s put their offense on display. After the first two rounds, the Michigan Wolverines are averaging 84.0 ppg. Their victory over LSU in the Round of 32 came off the backs of 21-point performances by Chaundee Brown and Eli Brooks.
Michigan will play Florida State in the Sweet 16. Florida State advanced by beating No. 5 Colorado 71-53. They have a shot at beating Michigan at +140 money line odds, however, to do that they’ll need to limit turnovers. Florida State has turned the ball over 13 times in both of their games this tournament. If they play like that again, it’ll come back to bite them because Michigan scored 19 points off turnovers against LSU.
If Florida State turns the ball over 13 or more times on Sunday, their March Madness dreams could be in jeopardy.
Alabama (#2) vs. UCLA (#11)
- Point Spread: Alabama -6.0 (-105) vs. UCLA +6.0 (-115)
- Moneyline: Alabama -245, UCLA +205
- Over/Under: Over 143 (-105), Under 143 (-115)
When UCLA played in the First Four this year, not many people thought that they’d make it to the Sweet 16. Now they’ve made it the farthest that a First Four team has made it since Syracuse lost to Duke in the third round back in 2018.
UCLA is coming off a low-scoring 67-47 victory over No. 14 Abilene Christian. While it’s impressive to see them hold a team to under 50 points, there’s a bit of a difference between Abilene Christian and Alabama.
No. 2 Alabama has already scored 164 points in the 2021 March Madness Tournament after torching Maryland for 96. Five Alabama players had 10+ points, with Jaden Shackelford and John Petty scoring 21 and 20 respectively. The team also shot 0.530/0.485/1.000 and looked like they couldn’t be stopped. While UCLA is putting together quite the Cinderella run, Alabama is about as dangerous as they get.
