March Madness Sweet 16 Betting Trends, Stats, Notes: Action Network Betting Primer
We are down to just 16 teams now in March Madness. We have the SEC, the Big Ten, the Big 12 … and Duke. The best of the best have mainly made it through to the second weekend.
We're here to answer tourney questions, dish out stats and facts, talk futures, the bracket, coaches, cinderella, and more. Welcome to the March Madness Sweet 16 edition of Action Network's betting primer.
All data, stats and trends are updated as of Tuesday, March 25, 2:00 p.m. ET.
Chalk Full
Favorites Strike Back
Entering the Sweet 16, chalk has mostly survived both in the bracket world and in the betting world, too…
- Favorites of 8 points or more are 18-0 SU in the NCAA Tournament — the fourth time in the history of the tournament that 18 or more 8+ pt favorites won outright before the Sweet 16 with no losses.
- Favorites of 6 points or more are 26-2 SU and 19-9 ATS in the NCAA Tournament — Over the last two years, these big favs are 51-6 SU and 38-19 ATS entering the Sweet 16.
- We have no 11 seeds or higher in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007.
- Top-4 seeds are 19-13 ATS in this year's tournament and 40-22 ATS over the last two years entering the Sweet 16.
- Lower-seeded teams finished 27-21 ATS through two rounds. They are above .500 ATS three straight years through two rounds for a combined 81-62-2 ATS mark in the last three tournaments.
SEC Strikes Back
The New Sweet 16
Through the Round of 64 and First Four, the SEC was 5-9 ATS, and they were mainly the joke of the dance. In the Round of 32, the SEC went 6-2 ATS, and of the five "upsets" in March Madness—five points or more on the spread—the SEC has three of those, one with Ole Miss and two with Arkansas.
In March, SEC underdogs are 29-19 ATS and 6-3 ATS in the NCAA Tournament. This season, the SEC is 28-13 ATS as an underdog vs. non-conference opponents.
The SEC is 15-7 SU in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the Big 12 is 10-3 SU and the Big Ten is 12-4 SU. Combined, the SEC, Big Tenn and Big 12 are 29-6 SU vs. all other conferences in this year's dance. Every other conference is 15-38 SU in this year's tournament.
Back In The 70's
Alabama's High Total
The Alabama–BYU over/under could make some history in the Sweet 16. The over/under currently sits at 175.5.
We've seen five games close with a total above 170 in the last 30 years — three have happened since the 1995 NCAA Tournament, and they were all last year, all with Alabama — closing at 172.5, 173, and 175. The record is 177 with Texas–Maryland back in 1995.
This year has been even higher.
On Feb. 22, vs. Kentucky, they had a game close at 181.5—the highest total in any CBB game since 2019, and the highest closing total in a Conference Tournament game in the last 20 years.
First Time
Cal's New Experience
In his coaching career, John Calipari had never been an underdog in the Round of 64 — that ended Friday (a favorite in 23 straight R64 games). Then he was an underdog again in the Round of 32 and beat 2-seed St. John's and Rick Pitino.
Now Calipari is an underdog again in the Sweet 16. The first time he's ever been an underdog in three straight NCAA Tournament games and going back to the SEC Tournament, the 4th straight game he's been a dog — his most in a row since at least 2005.
Southern History
Dog Again
Arkansas and Ole Miss are the lone teams to win as underdogs in the Round of 64 and Round of 32 and now they are both listed as underdogs in the Sweet 16.
If either win, they would be the 16 team since 1985 to win as dogs in the first three rounds entering the Elite 8 and they would become just the second from the SEC, joining LSU in 1987. In the last 30 years, we've actually seen six major conference teams pull off this 3-game stretch: 2024 Clemson, 2021 Oregon State, 2021 UCLA, 2018 Syracuse, 2017 Xavier and 2002 Missouri.
Dogless Race
No Longshots
Of the 16 teams left in the field entering the Sweet 16, none had odds higher than 100-1 to win it all at the start of the regular season back in November—this is the first time since 2009 that has been the case.
The biggest longshots from preseason are Texas Tech and Maryland, who both had 100-1 odds to win it all.
History Unkind
Gators vs. World
Isn't this interesting? Florida opened the tournament by beating Norfolk State but not covering. Then, they beat UConn but couldn't cover the lofty 9-point spread. The only team since 1985 to start an NCAA Tournament 0-2 ATS and go on to win it all was Arizona in 1997.
Florida entered the regular season at 60-1 odds to win it all and was awarded a one-seed. Since 2009, we’ve had 12 teams listed at 30-1 or higher in the preseason and end up with a 1 seed — one made the Final Four, Gonzaga in 2017, and none have won it all
Quiet on the Western Front
Is This The Year?
Since Arizona won the national title in 1997, no team west of Texas has won it all. We only have two teams left in the field that fit this criteria: BYU and Arizona
Reversal of Fortune
Have A Lead, Hold A Lead?
Teams who lead at the half in the NCAA Tournament went 21-30 against the second half spread in this year's NCAA Tournament entering the Sweet 16. That 21-30 2H ATS mark is the 2nd-worst for any tourney in the last 15 years after the Round of 32.
It is crazy, especially when you consider this: Teams that led at the half in the NCAA Tournament were above .500 against the second-half spread in six consecutive tournaments dating back to 2018, going 220-160-5 (58%) against the second-half spread in that span entering this year.
Change It Up
Avoiding Houston Curse
Houston lost in the Sweet 16 in 2023 and 2024, both times as the betting favorite. Since 1980, 35 one-seeds have lost in the Sweet 16. Only Duke, in 2005 and 2006, lost in consecutive years as a one-seed in the Sweet 16; no team has done it in three straight years.
True Home Underdog
Win One At Home
Purdue will be playing the Sweet 16 in their home state of Indianapolis. In the seeding era, we’ve had 70 teams playing in Sweet 16 or later playing in their home state.
7 of those 70 teams were underdogs of 7 pts or more. They went 0-7 SU and 3-4 ATS — none being able to pull the upset.
March Madness 2025
Futures | Matchups | Bet Labs | Trends |
Sweet Sixteen
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Future Markets & Notes
Here's a look at the BetMGM futures market, from opening to current lines to win it all:
What are the highest odds to win the title entering the NCAA Tournament since seeding began in 1978? Only four teams listed above 20-1 entering March Madness have won the title in that same time frame:
2014 Connecticut
100-1 pre-tournament
1985 Villanova
35-1 pre-tournament
2011 Connecticut
25-1 pre-tournament
1983 NC State
25-1 pre-tournament
We still have some longshots left in the field from before the opening round. Here are the longest odds entering Round 64 for teams in the Sweet 16:
Michigan State: 25-1
Texas Tech: 35-1
Kentucky, Arizona, Maryland: 50-1
Purdue, Michigan, BYU: 80-1
Ole Miss: 125-1
Arkansas: 350-1
After flip-flopping, Duke and Florida were tied atop the odds board entering the NCAA Tournament at +325. How have pre-tournament favorites performed in March Madness recently? The pre-tournament favorite has gone on to win it all ten times since 2000, including last year by UConn.
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How has the preseason favorite to win the national title performed in March Madness?
Kansas
UConn
This year's preseason favorites entering the regular season were Kansas and Connecticut, both at +900 odds. Kansas entered the regular season last year as the favorites to win it all and lost in the Round of 32. This year, Kansas was eliminated in the Round of 64 to Arkansas — Kansas became the second AP preseason No. 1 team to lose in the Round of 64. The only other team to do so? Kansas in 2005, when it lost to 14-seed Bucknell. Connecticut lost in the Round of 32, knocking out both preseason favorites.
In 2021, Baylor and Gonzaga were preseason favorites and met in the title game (Baylor won it all). Before that, the last preseason favorite to win it all was UNC at +500 back in 2009.
Preseason favorites to make Final Four Since 2009:
2021 Baylor
+800 preseason
2021 Gonzaga
+800 preseason
2014/2015 Kentucky
+300/+400 preseason
2009 North Carolina
+500 preseason
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Matchups: Thursday Games
BYU has played well in toss-up games recently. They are 7-1 SU/ATS in their last 8 games as either an underdog or favorite of 3 points or less.
BYU broke a 5-game ATS losing streak in the NCAA Tournament against VCU on Thursday and then covered again on Saturday. Before their two wins, the Cougars were 1-7-1 ATS in the Round of 64 over the last twenty years.
BYU hadn’t covered consecutive games in the NCAA Tournament since 1990-91, behind Shawn Bradley. For the first time since 1981, BYU started 2-0 ATS in the NCAA Tournament, behind Danny Ainge.
Nate Oats has been very good on short prep. On 2 days rest or less, he is 22-12-3 ATS as coach of Alabama and Buffalo, including 18-6-1 ATS as a favorite in that spot.
This week, he has extended his prep to prepare for BYU. Oats is 94-78-1 ATS on 4+ days of prep between games, but just 44-50-1 ATS since 2020, including 30-42 ATS when listed as a favorite.
Don’t mind the higher totals. Oats is 10-9 ATS in the NCAA Tournament.
When the total is 155+, his teams are 6-2 ATS, under that, they are 4-7 ATS.
When the total is 170+, his teams are 3-0 ATS, covering by 5.5 PPG.
Teams to beat UConn in the NCAA Tournament have had a tough time in their next game.
Maryland won the title in 2002 after taking out the Huskies in the Elite 8. Since then, teams are 2-7 SU in their next tourney game after taking out UConn.
Todd Golden has yet to win or cover a game in the NCAA Tournament, going 0-1 ATS with San Francisco and now 0-3 ATS with Florida, for a 0-4 ATS tourney record.
Entering the NCAA Tournament, Florida had gone 12-1 ATS in their previous 13 games. Florida hasn’t lost consecutive ATS since November 11th this year.
Since the tournament expanded in 1985, only Arizona in 1997 won it all after starting the tournament 0-2 ATS.
Since 2019, we’ve seen 7 schools enter the Sweet 16 on a 2+ game ATS losing streak; they are 2-5 ATS. In the last 20 years in the Sweet 16, teams on a 2+ game ATS losing streak are 5-8-1 ATS when listed as favorites.
Florida has only been a one-seed twice, in 2007 and 2014, and has made the Final Four both times.
For Maryland coach Kevin Willard, the short prep games have been a nightmare and they barely escaped on Sunday.
Since 2020, with both Maryland and Seton Hall, Willard's teams are 3-14 ATS on games played with 2 days prep or less, going 1-11 ATS in his last 12 games in that spot.
Extended prep time has been a mixed bag. He is 36-18 SU with Maryland, but 30-5 SU as a favorite and 6-13 SU as an underdog. Overall, Maryland has closed +4 or higher under Willard, and they are 3-13 SU in those games.
A good Maryland angle is betting on their second-half spread. This year, they are 6-1 2H ATS when trailing at the half and just 9-14 2H ATS when leading at the half.
Duke has received a 1 seed 15 times and they have never lost in the first weekend after beating Baylor on Sunday. In 7 of the 14 previous tournaments, they made the Final Four.
In their history, Duke’s entered the tournament under 4-1 odds five times. They made the title game in three of them and never lost in the first weekend.
This season, Duke is 25-0 SU as a double-digit favorite — the most wins without a loss as a big favorite than any other team in the country. Overall, they’ve won 26 consecutive games outright as a double-digit favorite dating back to last season.
Jon Scheyer starts his Duke career 6-2 ATS in the tourney as head coach, covering the spread by 6 PPG.
Under Scheyer, Duke has faced 24 non-conference opponents as a 6+ pt favorite, and they are 24-0 SU and 17-7 ATS.
Arizona came out and covered against Akron in the Round of 64, then came out and beat Oregon, but didn’t cover the 4.5-pt spread. You have to go all the way back to the 2013 NCAA Tournament to find the last time Arizona covered the spread in consecutive NCAA Tournament games, even across two seasons it hasn't happened.
Overall, Arizona is 5-16-1 ATS in the NCAA Tournament since 2014, the least profitable team on the spread in the country in that span.
Under Tommy Lloyd, Arizona is used to facing Oregon and also used to playing well after. They are 6-0 SU the game after facing Oregon under Lloyd, winning by 22.7 PPG.
Largest Dog in NCAAT Game, Seeding Era (every ARI NCAAT game above +7)
+10.5, 1997, vs. Kansas (won)
+9.5, 2011, vs. Duke (won)
+9.5, 2009, vs. Louisville (lost)
+8.5, 2025 vs. Duke
John Calipari hadn’t been an underdog in either the Round of 64 or 32 since 2014 before this year and this was his first game as an underdog in the Round of 64 after 23 straight as a favorite.
Calipari has been listed as an underdog in the tournament 11 times and is 7-3-1 ATS, going 5-0-1 ATS while with Arkansas and Kentucky. Calipari has coached 81 NCAA Tournament games. This would be the fifth time he could close +4 or higher, and he is 6-1 ATS in those games.
Texas Tech has played seven neutral site games this year and they are 1-6 ATS after starting 0-6 ATS and finally covering against Drake in the Round of 32.
At North Texas and Texas Tech, Grant McCasland has coached five NCAA Tournament games, and the over is 4-0-1, going over the total by 13.2 PPG. If you look recently, the over has also hit in four straight for Texas Tech and six of their last seven games overall.
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Matchups: Friday Games
What a time to be playing your best. Ole Miss won and covered against UNC and Iowa State — winning and covering b2b games for the first time since January 14th.
The NCAA Tournament has done Chris Beard well. He is 12-6 ATS since his first appearance in the field in 2016.
On 3-plus days of prep time for Beard and his tournament teams — they are 8-1 ATS, which is the 5th-most profitable mark for any coach in the tournament last 20 years.
Time to prep has been a good thing for Tom Izzo in the NCAA Tournament. In either the First 4, Round of 64, Sweet 16, or Final Four, Izzo is 28-7 SU and 20-13-2 ATS in his coaching career when listed as a favorite.
To be fair, Izzo’s record as a favorite overall in the tournament is just as impressive—he is 44-9 SU and 32-19-2 ATS, and he’s covered four in a row in this spot over the last three tournaments.
In his first year in Lexington, Mark Pope has taken Kentucky to the Sweet 16. It isn’t something new for a first-year Wildcat coach to perform well.
John Calipari took them to Elite 8.
Tubby Smith won it all in his 1st year.
Eddie Sutton even took them to Elite 8.
Over the last twenty years, we’ve seen a conference matchup in the Sweet 16 or later 13 times—the underdog is 8-5 ATS in those matchups, and in the 13 games, the over is 11-2, going over the total by 4.2 PPG.
Kentucky also went 2-0 SU/ATS vs. Tennessee this season, beating them both times as underdogs and are now underdogs again. They become the first team in Sweet 16 or later to beat a conference foe twice same season and be listed as a dog in the tournament.
Rick Barnes is 23-37 (38%) against the spread in the NCAA Tournament in his coaching career with Providence, Clemson, Texas, and Tennessee. That includes a record of 6-18 ATS in the tournament since 2010.
Of the 306 coaches in that span, Barnes is the least profitable on a $100 wager at -$1,242. Barnes hasn’t finished a single NCAA Tournament above .500 ATS since 2009 — 11 straight tournaments .500 ATS or worse.
Even after his cover last week, Barnes is 3-15 ATS in that span as an underdog or favorite of under 10 points in the tournament.
For the 12th straight NCAA Tournament, Barnes enters the Sweet 16 a combined 1-1 ATS or worse in the previous two rounds.
He is 1-2 ATS in the Sweet 16 and 1-3 ATS in the Sweet 16 or later in that span.
On 4+ days of prep, Tennessee is 49-31 ATS (61%) when listed as a favorite over the last five years—that is the second-best mark for any coach in the nation.
Michigan has been the close-call kings. They have had 14 games decided by 3 points or less this season and they've won 8 of those "3-point" games in a row outright since February 1st. Michigan now has 13 wins by 4 points or fewer this season, the most by any Division I team in a season since Bradley in 1985-86.
Michigan has covered the spread in five straight games entering the Sweet 16. The Wolverines haven’t covered six straight since March 2011, losing eight straight games ATS since that point when they were on a five-game ATS win streak.
This is Bruce Pearl’s sixth trip to the Sweet 16, and it is the first time his team has been favored. Pearl has coached 32 NCAA Tournament games, and he is pretty consistent.
He’s coached 20 games on extended prep time — Round 64, Sweet 16, Final 4 — and is 12-8 SU.
On short rest — Round 32, Elite 8 — he is 7-5 SU.
Since 2020, Bruce Pearl and Auburn have faced six Big Ten teams — they are 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS, covering the spread by 11.6 PPG.
Pearl has coached 16 games in the tournament where his team had a seed advantage (6 vs. 8). He is 5-10-1 ATS in these games, never covering two in a row—after he covered vs. Creighton in the Round of 32.
Between his days at Southern Illinois and Purdue, Matt Painter has coached 17 Round of 64 games. His teams are 13-4 ATS (77%) in that round. His 77% ATS win percentage in the Round of 64 is the highest mark for any head coach with a minimum of 10 games coached.
In the Round of 32, Painter has won six games in a row outright, and overall, he is also 9-3 ATS in his career in the Round of 32— making Painter 22-7 ATS in the Rounds of 64 and 32, also a record.
Overall, Painter has also had success as a favorite, too, going 17-8 ATS in the tourney.
For Kelvin Sampson, the issues came later in the tournament. Since 2005, he is 11-7 ATS in the Round of 64 and 32, and 2-6 ATS in the Sweet 16 or later. In his coaching career in the NCAA Tournament, Sampson has avoided the big upset, going 12-0 SU as a favorite of 8 pts or more.
Under Sampson at Houston, the Cougars are 84-60-1 ATS (58%) as a favorite on 4+ days of prep time before any game—when that opponent has a 60%+ win percentage, he is 42-25-1 ATS (63%).
Houston barely survived Gonzaga, winning 81-76 last Saturday. Since 2021, the under has been 13-4 in Houston games after they allowed 70+ points to their previous opponent (Cougars are 14-3 SU).
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Bet Labs Systems
Let's take a look at some NCAA Tournament systems. Click each system for matches, bets, and detailed profitability charts.
In the Sweet 16, you have teams who are winning now and teams who have been winning for a while. Teams who have won just two straight games — Round of 32 and 64 — facing a team on a longer win streak, in this case 3+ games, are 10-25 ATS in the round. Basically, I'm telling you to trust the team on the longer win streak.
Current matches: Maryland, Auburn, Arizona
The old notion, "Fade The Public." This system targets under-bet teams in high-bet games. For this, we are using a 1.1X daily bet average. If you have Bet Labs, increase that DB-AVG for smaller samples, and higher ROI matches.
Current matches: Check updated betting lines
Free-throw shooting in the tournament is key. This system targets the better shooting teams vs. the teams shooting under 75%.
Current matches: Maryland, Texas Tech, Michigan State
Over! Look Under.
When two teams that are both over .500 to the over during their season entering the NCAA Tournament meet, the total being inflated and the under hitting has been a good strategy. These unders went 7-4 in this year's NCAA Tournament so far.
Current matches: Alabama-BYU, Florida-Maryland, Auburn-Michigan, Duke-Arizona
Let's Talk Elevation
Using Bet Labs, we've identified 17 schools playing in the highest elevation in the country during the season. Since 2005, those teams have been 28-57-1 ATS (32%) in the NCAA Tournament. They've finished above .500 ATS as a group just once since 2005. This year has been different—these schools are 5-2 ATS in this year's tournament—but over the last 20 years, these schools have been 0-4 ATS when playing in the Sweet 16.
Current matches: BYU
Market Money
When it comes to the later rounds of the tournament, fade the movement. When the line moves two points or more towards a team (ex. -5 to -7) from opening line to the closing line after the Round of 64, those teams are 9-27 ATS, going 2-15 ATS since the 2013 dance. At the moment, this system fits Florida.
Current matches: Check updated betting lines
Slow It Down
Look for first-half Unders in the NCAA Tournament between slower-paced teams.
Current matches: Florida-Maryland, Texas Tech-Arkansas, Auburn-Michigan, Houston-Purdue, Duke-Arizona, Michigan St-Ole Miss
Speaking of pace, historically, when a higher-paced team for the season faces a lower-paced team during the tournament, the slower-paced team has had the advantage covering the spread.
Current matches: Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan
This system looks to bet against good ATS teams from the season in the NCAA Tournament. It is 15-7 ATS in this year's dance.
Current matches: BYU, Maryland, Arizona, Ole Miss
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March Madness Trends
Let's take a live look at the biggest line movements for the Round of 64 so far.
Biggest Spread Moves
Florida 2-pt move: -4.5 to -6.5 vs. Maryland
Rising Totals
Florida-Maryland 3-pt move: 154.5 to 157.5
Alabama-BYU 2-pt move: 173.5 to 175.5
Auburn-Michigan 2-pt move: 151.5 to 153.5
Falling Totals
Tennessee-Kentucky 1-pt move: 145.5 to 144.5
Momentum Matters Sometimes
Don't Lose Early
Since seeding began in 1978, every NCAA champion to play in a conference tournament won at least one game in that appetizer for March Madness. In that span, eight champions never actually had a conference tournament ('97 ARI, '95 UCLA, '89 MICH, '87 IU, '81 IU, '79 MSU, '78 UK, '77 MARQ).
In 2025, this trend held true, with these five teams not even making the Sweet 16: Xavier, UCLA, Texas A&M, Georgia, Vanderbilt.
Public Bets Dogs
Tough Start
The public didn't have their best March Madness through two rounds in 2025. Teams with more than 50% of the spread bets (or tickets) went 22-28 ATS (44%) — A $100 bettor was down $795 for a negative 16% ROI.
The public also went very dog heavy. Public sides were on 17 favorites and 29 underdogs in the Round of 64 and 32. The 29 games as public dogs is tied for the most in the first two rounds over the last 20 years.
Last year, in March Madness, the public had its best season in over two decades. Teams with more than 50% of the spread bets (or tickets) went 45-21 ATS (68%). A $100 bettor was up $2,003 for a 30.4% ROI. Prior to last season, the public had covered 47.8% of games between 2005 and 23 in the tourney, and since the 2010 NCAA Tournament, the betting public was .500 ATS or below in eight of the previous 13 seasons.
Big Favs
Duke and Auburn Look Back
Since the 2022 NCAA Tournament, favorites of 8+ points have gone 2-2 SU in the Sweet 16, with SU losses from Purdue and Gonzaga. Between 1998 and 2021, favorites of 8+ points in the Sweet 16 went 45-2 SU, and both SU losses were by 1 seeded Duke teams (including one of those games vs. Arizona).
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Upsets and Betting Records
Heading into the Sweet 16, here are the biggest upsets in the tournament and the betting records set throughout the years.
What are the highest & lowest totals in the NCAA Tournament?
Last year's NCAA Tournament changed the game when it comes to totals. In the Round of 64, 32 and Sweet 16, Alabama had a closing over/under of 172.5, 173 and 175 — the highest totals we've seen in the tournament since 1995. Now this week, Alabama is threatening that record again.
Before last year, we had only seen two totals since 1995 reach above the 170 mark in the NCAA Tournament, and those came all the way back in 1995, both with Texas involved.
Maryland vs. Texas
O/U: 177
Oregon vs. Texas
O/U: 176
➤In the 1995 tourney, the Texas Longhorns, behind coach Tommy Penders, were averaging almost 93 points per game and had back-to-back games with a total above 170. They faced Oregon in the Round of 64 and won, then the total got a little higher when they faced an even higher-scoring team in Maryland, a game in which the Longhorns lost by 14. Both games went under the total.
When it comes to the lowest totals, we've only seen one close below 110 and that came in 1996 between Princeton and Mississippi State. If we lift the floor a bit, we've only seen two totals close at 115 or lower since the 2010 NCAA Tournament — Northern Iowa/Wyoming in 2015 (110.5) and Cal/South Florida in 2012 (114).
Princeton vs. Mississippi State
O/U: 108
➤The story of this over/under tale is Princeton's defense, which was No. 1 in the country in 1995-96 and allowed under 52 points per game. As a 13-seed in the Round of 64, the Tigers beat 4-seed UCLA, 43-41, and held the Bruins to 38.5% shooting (Princeton shot 37% and won). Then, in the Round of 32, the total closed at 108 vs. Mississippi State, which beat Princeton 63-41, barely staying under the total.
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What are the easiest betting wins in the NCAA Tournament?
Between the moneyline, against the spread and totals, going through history, what has been the easiest (largest margin) wins for bettors? Let's explore.
Easiest Bets Won in NCAA Tournament Since 1978:
| Teams | Year/Result | Bet Type |
|---|---|---|
 | 2016 National Semifinals Villanova (-2.5) | VIL, 95-51 Covered by 41.5 pts | Against The Spread |
 | 1998 Round of 64 Kansas (-36.5) | KU, 110-52 Won by 58 pts | Moneyline |
  | 2002 Round of 32 Cincinnati/UCLA (139) | 105-101 Went over by 67 pts | Over |
 | 2017 Round of 64 S. Dakota St/Gonzaga (157.5) | 66-46 Went under by 45.5 pts | Under |
What are the worst betting losses later in March Madness?
Since seeding began in 1978, seven teams have lost straight up in the Sweet 16 or later as favorites of 10 points or more. Our last example of this came back in 2022, when both Purdue and Gonzaga lost in the same season. Let's take a look at the top seven losses.
2022
Purdue (-13) lost to Saint Peter's
2002
Duke (-12) lost to Indiana
2011
Kansas (-11.5) lost to VCU
1998
Arizona (-10.5) lost to Utah
1997
Kansas (-10.5) lost to Arizona
2022
Gonzaga (-10) lost to Arkansas
1985
Georgetown (-10) lost to Villanova
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