With the first week of March Madness in the books, only 16 teams remain in the men’s tournament. Most of the top contenders are still alive after a chalky start to the tournament, including all eight No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.
Accordingly, there are several heavyweight showdowns set for the Sweet 16 on Thursday and Friday. You can fill out a Sweet 16 bracket through Forbes Betting.
March Madness Sweet 16 Bracket
With multiple close matchups that could go either way, it’s important for March Madness bettors to do their research before placing any wagers.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the odds and lines for these eight games.
Note: Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Subject to change.
Clemson Tigers (6) vs. Arizona Wildcats (2)
Game Details
- Date: Thursday, March 28
- Time: 7:09 p.m. ET
- Location: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Clemson +240, Arizona -300
- Spread: Clemson +6.5 (-104), Arizona -6.5 (-118)
- Total: Over/Under 152.5 (-115/-105)
Clemson bounced back after losing three of four games coming into the tournament by thrashing No. 11 seed New Mexico by 21 points in the Round of 64. The Tigers followed that up by taking down No. 3 seed Baylor in the Round of 32 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018.
Clemson has a daunting matchup on Thursday against No. 2 seed Arizona, which ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll earlier in the season before finishing at No. 9. The Wildcats won both of their tournament games by double digits and feature one of the best offenses in the country, ranking third in scoring at 87.6 points per game.
Not surprisingly, Arizona enters this game as a solid favorite on both the spread and moneyline. The Wildcats are the better team and are 22-11-2 ATS this year, making them good bets to cover.
The Over/Under of 152.5 looks a bit high for this game, as both teams went under that total in both of their tournament games. Accordingly, the Under looks like a viable play.
San Diego State Aztecs (5) vs. UConn Huskies (1)
Game Details
- Date: Thursday, March 28
- Time: 7:39 p.m. ET
- Location: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: San Diego State +570, UConn -850
- Spread: San Diego State +11.5 (-105), UConn -11.5 (-115)
- Total: Over/Under 137.5 (-105/-115)
San Diego State and UConn will clash in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Championship Game. The Huskies dominated 76-59, cruising to their fifth national championship.
This game could have a similar outcome, as UConn is widely considered the best team in the country and is favored to win the tournament. The defending champs finished at the top of the AP Poll and blitzed through the first two rounds of the tournament, destroying Stetson and Northwestern by a combined 56 points.
The Huskies are heavily favored in this game, which has the most lopsided odds of the Sweet 16. It’s also essentially a home game for them, as Boston is only 85 miles from campus.
Aztecs fans, on the other hand, will have to travel all the way across the country to see their team try to upset UConn. SDSU squeaked by UAB in the first round before blowing out Yale in the second round.
This will be the first time that either team has been truly tested in this tournament. The Aztecs could make things interesting after getting a good look at the Huskies last year and are an intriguing play at +11.5. That said, the reigning champs haven’t given us any reason to doubt them and should emerge victorious.
Alabama Crimson Tide (4) vs. UNC Tar Heels (1)
Game Details
- Date: Thursday, March 28
- Time: 9:39 p.m. ET
- Location: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Alabama +150, UNC -182
- Spread: Alabama +4.5 (-114), UNC -4.5 (-106)
- Total: Over/Under 173.5 (-110/-110)
Alabama is back in the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last four years under head coach Nate Oats. The Crimson Tide pulled out of their pre-tournament rut (2-4 over their previous six games) to notch double-digit victories against College of Charleston and Grand Canyon.
They have a much tougher matchup here against UNC. The Tar Heels have won 10 of their last 11 games and are coming off easy wins over Wagner (+28) and Michigan State (+16).
This game has the highest Over/Under of the Sweet 16 and is expected to be a track meet. Alabama led the country in scoring at 90.7 points per game but also had one of the worst defenses in the country, yielding 80.9 points per game (eighth-most). That could be a problem against UNC, which averaged 81.8 points per game (20th).
The Tar Heels are much stronger on defense, ranking sixth in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom. The Tide were 101st – the worst of any remaining team.
Look for UNC to exploit Alabama’s shaky defense and earn the win here.
Illinois Fighting Illini (3) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (2)
Game Details
- Date: Thursday, March 28
- Time: 10:09 p.m. ET
- Location: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Illinois -105, Iowa State -115
- Spread: Illinois +1.5 (-115), Iowa State -1.5 (-105)
- Total: Over/Under 146.5 (-110/-110)
These two Midwestern powerhouses will square off Thursday night with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. Based on the odds, this game is the most evenly matched of the Sweet 16.
Illinois comes in on a six-game winning streak after blasting through the first two rounds. The Big Ten champs breezed to the Sweet 16 with double-digit wins over Morehead State and Duquesne, winning both games by a combined 42 points.
Iowa State has similar momentum after winning both of its tournament games by double digits. The Big 12 champs didn’t sweat too much against South Dakota State and Washington State, beating both by a combined 28 points.
The Cyclones are one of the best defensive teams in the country, ranking fourth in fewest points per game allowed (61.2) and No. 1 in KenPom’s defensive rankings. They’ve allowed 65 points or fewer in 10 straight games.
Their defense will be tested against the Fighting Illini’s explosive offense, however, which ranks first in KenPom’s offensive ratings. Illinois ranked ninth in scoring at 84.6 points per game and has exceeded that number in four straight games.
This game is a true toss-up, but we lean towards the Fighting Illini and their superior offense.
NC State Wolfpack (11) vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (2)
Game Details
- Date: Friday, March 29
- Time: 7:09 p.m. ET
- Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: NC State +225, Marquette -280
- Spread: NC State +6.5 (-108), Marquette -6.5 (-112)
- Total: Over/Under 151.5 (-105/-115)
NC State is the lowest seed still in the tournament and the only team lower than a No. 6 seed to advance to the Sweet 16.
The Wolfpack fought hard to get here and appear to have caught fire at the right time. They’ve won seven straight, including major upsets of Duke and UNC in the ACC Tournament.
That momentum has carried over into March Madness, as they knocked out Texas Tech by 13 points in the Round of 64 and survived a frisky Oakland squad in the Round of 32.
NC State will try to keep it going against Marquette, which followed a similar path to the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles also dominated their first-round matchup (against Western Kentucky) before grinding out a close win in the second round (against Colorado).
Marquette is better on both ends of the court and will likely win this game. That said, the Wolfpack deserve some respect at this point and could be a worthy play on the spread.
Gonzaga Bulldogs (5) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (1)
Game Details
- Date: Friday, March 29
- Time: 7:39 p.m. ET
- Location: Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, MI)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Gonzaga +188, Purdue -230
- Spread: Gonzaga +5.5 (-110), Purdue -5.5 (-110)
- Total: Over/Under 154.5 (-115/-105)
Two of the best offensive teams in the country will collide in this matchup between Gonzaga and Purdue.
The Bulldogs are scorching hot after winning 11 of their last 12 games, including both tournament games by 21 points. While McNeese State was a layup in the Round of 64, Gonzaga earned a convincing 89-68 win over Kansas in the Round of 32.
After averaging 85 points per game (seventh in the nation), the Bulldogs will need their firepower if they want to get past the Boilermakers. Purdue is back with a vengeance after suffering a historic upset loss to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round last year.
The Boilermakers have made it look easy by stomping Grambling and Utah State by a combined 67 points in the first two rounds. They racked up a season-high 106 points in the Round of 32 and are firing on all cylinders.
Gonzaga is a live dog in this one and should be able to keep things relatively close, but Purdue (led by reigning Wooden Award winner Zach Edey) is simply too talented and should prevail.
Duke Blue Devils (4) vs. Houston Cougars (1)
Game Details
- Date: Friday, March 29
- Time: 9:39 p.m. ET
- Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Duke +158, Houston -194
- Spread: Duke +4.5 (-115), Houston -4.5 (-105)
- Total: Over/Under 134.5 (-110/-110)
Duke seemed to be heading in the wrong direction before the tournament, losing back-to-back games for only the second time all season. The Blue Devils quickly recovered, however, blowing out their first two tournament opponents by a combined 55 points.
With all due respect to UVM and James Madison, they were just appetizers. Houston is one of the best teams in the country, especially on the defensive end.
The Cougars ranked second in the final AP Poll and led the nation in fewest points per game allowed (57.7). Their offense isn’t quite as impressive, but still scored 186 points over the first two rounds combined.
Houston blew out Longwood in the first round but needed overtime to finish off Texas A&M in the second round. The Cougars’ defense surrendered a season-high 95 points after yielding just 46 in the first round.
Houston proved it can win a high-scoring affair if needed, which bodes well for this matchup against Duke. The game should be close, but look for the Cougars to take it in the end.
Consider the Under as well, as both teams combined are 41-29 against the Under this year.
Creighton Bluejays (3) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (2)
Game Details
- Date: Friday, March 29
- Time: 10:09 p.m. ET
- Location: Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, MI)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Creighton +122, Tennessee -146
- Spread: Creighton +2.5 (-104), Tennessee -2.5 (-118)
- Total: Over/Under 144.5 (-105/-115)
The final game of the Sweet 16 also projects to be one of the closest as Creighton takes on Tennessee.
The Blue Jays are coming off a tense double-overtime win over Oregon after blowing out Akron in the first round. Creighton played well defensively in both games, allowing just 122 points in regulation.
The Volunteers’ defense has also been outstanding, allowing 107 points in the first two rounds combined. Similar to Creighton, Tennessee cruised in the first round against Saint Peter’s but gritted out a 62-58 nailbiter in the second round against Texas.
Based on how both defenses are performing, the Under looks like the play here. The Bluejays play at one of the slowest paces in the country and the Volunteers rank third in adjusted defense, per KenPom.
Both offenses struggled in the Round of 32 as well, making the Under a viable play in a game that could go down to the wire.
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
