-Only Baylor Bears are POWER pick among all four Sweet 16’ Saturday matches.
-Arkansas appears to be a ‘safe’ bet on the money line, not so much the spread.
-Midwest Region Semifinals are “roll-the-dice” bets.
Welcome to a short class on the “science” of Sweet 16 betting!
Only a few hours separate us from the next round of this year’s edition of the delectable ‘Sweet 16’.
And though, at many times during the COVID-filled 2020, many a Hoops’ fan thought that March Madness wouldn’t be happening at all, in the end, it all played out alright, even if not in the exact same fashion we all believed it would.
No.1-seed Baylor shone plenty throughout, and currently poses the one-and-only safe bet from the whole Saturday’s game chart; #3 Arkansas is presumed favorite to win their match against the Golden Eagles from Oral Roberts, but, How well are they going to cope with that 11.5 spread cap? – We’re not entirely sure.
As far as Oregon State/Loyola, and Syracuse/Houston are concerned? – We’ve labeled these two as clear “roll the dice” situations.
Before we continue with our special Sweet 16 review of Saturday’s games, take a look below at the latest March Madness betting odds, as currently displayed online by sports-betting platform JAZZSports.ag:
Sweet 16’ Saturday Game Line Up
South & Midwest Region Semifinals – Betting odds courtesy of JAZZ Sports*
| Date/Time | Team | Odds | VS | Team | Odds | Total |
| March 27th – 2:15 pm Central | Villanova | +7.5 | VS | Baylor | -7.5 | 141.5 |
| March 27th – 4:25 pm Central | Oral Robers | +11.5 | VS | Arkansas | -11.5 | 159 |
| March 27th – 11:40 am Central | Oregon State | +6.5 | VS | Loyola Chicago | -6.5 | 125.5 |
| March 27th – 6:55 pm Central | Syracuse | +6 | VS | Houston | -6 | 140 |
*Odds are subject to change.
Tough Picks at Saturday’ Sweet 16 matches
The 2021 NCAA Championship – and the odd regular season that preceded it – didn’t quite look the way we expected: Illinois did not make it past the first weekend, and though we do have our share of ‘usual suspects’ (Baylor, Arkansa & Syracuse, among others), a few double-digit seeds found their way inside the exclusive Sweet 16 club.
Take a look at a closer review of our Top Picks for Saturday’s calendar of Sweet 16 games (4 in total):
No. 1 Baylor
The Bears are currently listed at -7.5 spread line, which translates to roughly a -320/-315 money line price (depending on which book you follow). They haven’t faltered once since joining back the scene after the COVID-19 hiatus, effectively crushing their opposition through their ascension up the ranks. Nevertheless, the mighty 11.5 spread cap doesn’t quite intimidate us, and we’re pretty sure, whether by points, or via the money line option, the Bears make about the “safest” bet of the whole bunch.
FYI: Baylor just beat Wisconsin by 13 points, and is also the finest 3-point shooter of the league.
No.3 Arkansas
Most predictions have it that, the Razorbacks are going to make easy job of the Golden Eagles, as it has already happened in the past (like that last time a little while back, when they beat Oral Roberts 87-76), but it is precisely this 11-point gap that makes the Arkansas spread option a little bit shaky. Oral Roberts’ defense is staunch, and can literally take a pounding, but… Can Arizona overcome the Half-Point put on top of the square -11 spread. We think so.
Roll-a-Dice Bets: Oregon State/Loyola Chicago & Syracuse/Houston
Both PRO & NCAA Basketball betting are mostly a thing of proper ATS research, namely, how well can either team cope with the spread line put up against them.
#8 Loyola Chicago is favored by some, same as their opponent #12 Oregon State. Why the confusion? Just take a look at the Against-the-Spread statistics for both teams: Beavers are 20-9-1, and Ramblers are 18-9-1… Your guess! But please, don’t hold us liable for any unwanted outcomes. (Loyola Chicago is -6.5 / -290 money line at JAZZ Sports)
#2 Houston is a sharp -6 spread against No.11 Syracuse. Pundits are choosing to side with Houston, but both the Cougars and the Orange have been slightly inconsistent in the winning caps lately. A 6-point spread looks like the perfect way to make doubt your decision… We still haven’t made up ours.
Take a look at the complete list of Sweet 16 betting odds under the NCAA Championship category of JAZZ Sports’ extensive betting board. ‘Til Next Time!
