top of page
Writer's pictureAaron Torres Media Staff

NCAA Tournament odds - opening lines are out for Thursday/Friday's Sweet 16 games



After four days of wall-to-wall college hoops, we are officially down to 16 teams in the tournament bracket.


That's right, the Sweet 16 is here, but while games don't tip off until 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, it's never too early to look ahead - and on Monday we got opening odds for Thursday and Friday's Sweet 16 games via DraftKings Sportsbook.


DraftKings has an incredible offer for new users, which you can learn about below - but first, here are the odds:


West Regional: Thursday, March 24th (San Francisco)


No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Gonzaga (-8.5) - O/U 154.5


No. 3 Texas Tech (-1) vs. No. 2 Duke - O/U 137


South Regional: Thursday, March 24th (San Antonio)


No. 11 Michigan vs. Villanova (-4.5) - O/U 135.5


No. 5 Houston vs. No. 1 Arizona (-1.5) - O/U 144.5


Midwest Regional: Friday, March 25th (Chicago)


No. 4 Providence vs. No. 1 Kansas (-7.5) - O/U 141.5


No. 11 Iowa State vs. 10. Miami (FL) (-2.5) - O/U 133.5


East Regional: Friday, March 25th (Philadelphia)


No. 15 Saint Peters vs. No. 3 Purdue - N/A


No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 4 UCLA (-2) - 133.5


At first blush, there are a number of different things that jump out about these opening lines.


First off, how about Arizona - a team some are saying is the favorite in the remainder of the tournament - opening as just a 1.5-point favorite against Houston? Admittedly this comes on the heels of a late game Sunday, as the Wildcats had to fly back late, land and will now have to get back on a plane Tuesday to fly to San Antonio. It's certainly a quick turnaround, and it doesn't help that Arizona will now face the rugged Houston Cougars. The Cougars are not only rolling, but is just a three hour bus ride from this site in San Antonio.


In terms of other lines, seeing Duke open as a slight underdog is interesting, but not surprising. They will go up against one of the best defensive squads in college basketball in that West Regional semifinal. In the first semifinal in San Francisco on Thursday night though, how about Gonzaga coming in as an 8.5-point favorite against the red-hot Arkansas Razorbacks, the only remaining SEC team.


And finally, let's look at the East, where the North Carolina Tar Heels - which had to hold on for dear life against Baylor last weekend - are just a small underdog against the UCLA Bruins.


Enjoy the games everyone!

 

It's March, the tournament is HERE and DraftKings has an INCREDIBLE offer for first time users. The offer: Make a $5 moneyline bet on ANY team this March, you get $200 in free bets courtesy of DraftKings. That's right, one team, one $5 moneyline bet, one win - you get $200 in free cash. Here's how it works: 1. Click this link and sign up for a new account with DraftKings Sportsbook and make your first deposit. 2.) Make a $5 bet on any team 3.) And if your team wins, you get an automatic $200 thanks to our friends at DraftKings. It's the best offer going in sports betting - so act now! If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN). *21+ (18+ WY). AZ/CO/IL/IN/IA/MI/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Min $5 deposit. Min $5 wager. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.

Comments


bottom of page