The over/under for Friday's NCAA Tournament matchup between Auburn and North Carolina opened at 160, which was already the highest total of the Sweet 16.
The Tar Heels and Tigers rank eighth and sixth, respectively, in KenPom's Adjusted Offensive Efficiency metric, so it's not surprising to see oddsmakers set such a lofty over/under.
Despite the high number, bettors have not been scared about hitting the over, either. At the time of writing, 61% of bets are on the over, but an incredible 92% of all dollars wagered on the total are also on that side.
In response, the over/under has shot to 164 at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, as of Tuesday afternoon.
While the money splits — and line movement — support overwhelming action coming in on the over, there have been a couple of instances in which sharps bought back the under, according to Sports Insights' Bet Signals.
However, those blips of professional under action have done nothing to flow the tide of money on the over, especially considering the over has triggered three Bet Signals of its own.
According to our Bet Labs data (which dates back to the 2005 NCAA Tournament), the 2017 matchup between Kentucky and UCLA is the only Sweet 16 game with an over/under of at least 164. That game finished with 161 points scored, falling under the closing total of 167.
