March Madness Sweet 16 Odds – Opening Point Spreads, Moneylines and Totals

• The Sweet 16 Round of the NCAA Tournament tips-off on Thursday (March 24th)
• Gonzaga faces Arkansas in the highest totalled game of the slate
• See below for the opening Sweet 16 March Madness odds

After a wild First Round at the NCAA Tournament, the madness continued in the Second Round on Saturday. Three more shocking upsets transpired, including the elimination of the East Region’s top seed Baylor. 3-seed Tennessee also bit the dust, while 15-seed Saint Peter’s is still dancing after upsetting Murray State.

The Peacocks are the clear Cinderella Story through three days, and are one of eight teams that have punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 so far.

March Madness Sweet 16 Odds

Odds as of March 19th/20th at Caesars Sportsbook. See all available Caesars Sportsbook promos. 

That list is highlighted by Gonzaga, the tournament’s number one seed, who barely survived a Second Round scare from Memphis.

The Bulldogs, who boast the shortest odds to win March Madness, overcame a 10-point half time deficit to the Tigers, edging them out 82-78. Gonzaga will now face Arkansas on Thursday, in one of three Sweet 16 matchups that are currently set.

Sweet 16 Biggest and Smallest Spreads

For the first time since early December, Gonzaga is not a double-digit favorite. They opened up as the 7.5-point chalk in the college basketball odds over the Razorbacks, which is not even the biggest spread on the board.

The biggest favorite honor belongs to the Midwest Region’s number one seed, Kansas. The Jayhawks are 8-point favorites over Providence, after posting a 79-72 victory over Creighton. That result followed a 83-56 thrashing of Texas Southern in the First Round, and Kansas’ impressive play has shortened their Final Four odds to -115.

🎶 HOW SWEET IT IS 🎶 pic.twitter.com/K4AWAaymWa

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) March 19, 2022

The Jayhawks failed to cover vs the Bluejays, which snapped a five game-winning streak against the spread. They covered all four of their Big 12 Tournament games en route to the title, and the 21.5-point line against Texas Southern by 5.5 points.

The Friars meanwhile, routed Richmond in the Second Round after opening March Madness with a 9-point victory over South Dakota State. They’ve covered in both tournament games so far, and are 8-1 ATS as an underdog this season. Look out for Providence in the Sweet 16.

Survive and Advance
Trust and Believe
Us. We. Together. Family. Friars

…and Happy Birthday Coach Blaney!#MarchMadness #BEdancing #gofriars pic.twitter.com/BTi1XvGBIT

— Providence MBB (@PCFriarsmbb) March 20, 2022

The shortest spread so far features North Carolina and UCLA. The Tar Heels stunned the top-seeded Bears in overtime in the Second Round, and have now won eight of nine overall. They’ll be catching 2.5 points against the Bruins, and will be looking to win outright for the fourth straight time as an underdog.

What a feeling 😁#CarolinaFamily | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/E4xL5ZHa5Y

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) March 19, 2022

A year after a Final Four run, UCLA is back in the Sweet 16 after a 16-point win over Saint Mary’s. That followed a narrow 4-point victory over Akron, but there’s a chance the Bruins are shorthanded versus UNC.

UCLA beats St. Mary's, 72-56, to advance to play North Carolina in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Philadelphia. But Jaime Jaquez Jr. has to limp to the locker room instead of the handshake line and his status will be the big story in the coming days.

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) March 20, 2022

Second leading scorer Jamie Jaquez Jr. left the game with ankle injury in the second half and did not return. There’s no official word on the severity of the injury just yet, but his absence would be a massive blow.

Sweet 16 Highest and Lowest Totals

As far as totals go, it’s no surprise the highest over/under on the slate belongs to the Arkansas vs Gonzaga game at 155.5. The Bulldogs led the nation in points per game (87.8) and field goal percentage (52.7%) this year, and have scored at least 80 points in all but five games this season. Both of their March Madness games soared over the total, beating the number by an average of 13.5 points.

That’s our PG 💪pic.twitter.com/yxMnvLvLqJ

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) March 20, 2022

The Razorbacks ranked 27th in points per game this season and have been cashing over tickets at a ridiculous clip since late last month. Each of their past seven games have exceeded the total, but it’s worth noting this is the second highest over/under that has posted in any of their contests this season.

Rest up, Hogs. We've got more dancing to do. pic.twitter.com/GoJjivpMoU

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) March 20, 2022

The lowest total as of Saturday night belongs to Providence and Kansas. They rank 57th and 26th respectively in defensive efficiency per KenPom, but the Jayhawks have been a profitable over team this season. Kansas has seen nine of its 15 contests versus non-conference opponents soar over the total, while the over is 6-2-1 in their neutral site games this season.

Other March Madness Content

General

• SBD’s Expert Brackets and March Madness Picks 2022
• Updated March Madness Bracket
• Odds to Win March Madness Ahead of Second Round – Gonzaga Still Betting Favorite
• Printable 2022 March Madness Bracket – Make Your Picks for the NCAA Tournament