Ricky Dimon
From now through the end of March Madness, we will be providing a daily update with everything you need to know about the NCAA Tournament. Covering line movements to betting trends, statistics, quotes, and more, we will provide you with everything you need to know about all of happenings in Indiana.
With the first two rounds having come and gone, let’s take another daily in-depth look at the Big Dance by previewing this weekend’s Sweet 16 action.
Line movements
Move for the favorite
Alabama -4.5 to -6 vs. UCLA
USC -1 to -2.5 vs. Oregon
Move for the underdog
Oregon State +7 to +6 vs. Loyola Chicago
Move for the over
Baylor-Villanova 138 to 140.5
Alabama-UCLA 143.5 to 145
Move for the under
Michigan-Florida State 146 to 144
Loyola Chicago vs. Oregon State preview and picks
Public Money
Loyola Chicago vs. Oregon State Over 125.0
The public is all over the over in Saturday’s showdown between the Loyola Chicago Ramblers and Oregon State Beavers. It is a surprising No. 8 vs. No. 12 meeting in the Midwest Region. Loyola Chicago scored 71 points in each of its two wins over Georgia Tech and Illinois, while Oregon State averaged 75 points while defeating Tennessee and Oklahoma State. Per DraftKings, 94 percent of the handle and 86 percent of the bets are on Over 125.
Gonzaga -13.5 vs. Creighton
Bettors are also hammering the Gonzaga Bulldogs in their matchup with the Creighton Bluejays on Sunday. It is a No. 1 vs. No. 5 meeting in the West Region. Gonzaga, the top-ranked team in the nation, had no trouble disposing of Norfolk State and Oklahoma. Creighton barely got past UC Santa Barbara before manhandling Ohio. For this Sweet 16 contest, 82 percent of the money and 80 percent of the wagers are on the Zags -13.5.
Stats of the Day
5 – Number of top scorers USC lost from last year’s team
6 – Position Arkansas was picked to finish in the SEC
7 – Position Michigan was picked to finish in the Big Ten
Despite relatively low expectations, all three of those teams are in the Sweet 16…and so is Oregon State. The Beavers were supposed to be even worse, picked to finish last in the Pac-12! Both USC (-1 vs. Oregon) and Arkansas (-11.5 vs. Oral Roberts) are suddenly expected to reach the Elite Eight.
Arkansas vs. Oral Roberts preview and picks
Quote of the Day
“We kind of coined our own phrase; we’re ‘new bloods.’ We’re new on the block. We didn’t get invited to the blue blood party.”
— Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton
No worries if you aren’t a blue blood. After all, the 2021 NCAA Tournament is not for blue bloods. Duke and Kentucky did not even make the field. Kansas and North Carolina are already out. This marks the first time since 1979 that neither Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, nor North Carolina advanced to the Sweet 16. Although Florida State may not be a historic basketball program such as the aforementioned quartet, but it is no stranger to success. This is the Seminoles’ third consecutive trip to the Sweet 16. They are +3 underdogs against East Region No. 1 seed Michigan on Sunday.
NCAA Tournament futures betting
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