Sweet Sixteen Betting Preview
With the first two rounds of the 2023 March Madness tournament all wrapped up, college basketball fans are gearing up for what should be an action-packed Sweet 16. These next few games are scheduled for March 23 and 24 and will be aired on national television for all to see. With the remaining teams now just two wins away from the Final Four, you can expect some hard-fought battles on the hardwood.
Latest March Madness odds at Bovada!
Bovada Sportsbook has March Madness odds available for all eight Sweet 16 matchups, giving you a chance to keep the fun going all month long! Before betting on this week’s games, let’s take a look at some of the major headlines from the first two rounds of the 2023 March Madness tournament. We’ll also give you a short preview of each Sweet 16 matchup, so you’ll know exactly what to expect heading into this week’s games.
March Madness Recap So Far
There was no shortage of upsets in the first two rounds of March Madness, with several underdogs pulling out impressive wins over heavily-favored opponents. The biggest upset so far was delivered by #16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, as the little-known NEC team made history by taking out #1 seed Purdue in the First Round. This is just the second time a #1 seed has fallen in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Purdue wasn’t the only #1 seed to fall early, as Kansas lost in the Second Round to Arkansas, ending their bid for a national title. Princeton also made headlines in the early stages of March Madness, as the #15th seeded Ivy League school not only beat #2 seed Arizona, but followed that up with an impressive win over Missouri to make it past the NCAA tournament’s opening weekend.
Sweet 16 Preview
#7 Michigan State (-2) vs. #3 Kansas State (+2)
When it comes to March Madness, not many coaches have a better track record than Tom Izzo. The Michigan State coach is back in the Sweet 16 once again, this time as a 2-point favorite over a talented Kansas State team. The Spartans are coming off an impressive upset victory over Marquette with help from Tyson Walker and Joey Hauser, while Kansas State, led by senior Markquis Nowell, just took out powerhouse Kentucky. This should be a tightly-contested Sweet 16 matchup and could come down to the wire.
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#8 Arkansas (+3.5) vs. #4 UConn (-3.5)
With wins over Illinois and Kansas, Arkansas has earned a spot in the Sweet 16 for the third straight season. Ricky Council is Arkansas leading scorer this season, but it was Davonte Davis who guided them past Kansas with an impressive 21-point second half. On the other side of the floor, UConn remains one of the more impressive teams left standing, having cruised past Iona and St. Mary’s. UConn’s game is centered around big man Adama Sanogo and it’ll be interesting to see how he holds up against the Razorbacks stifling defense.
#9 Florida Atlantic (+5.5) vs. #4 Tennessee (-5.5)
Tennessee enters this matchup after an impressive win over Duke and are led on the floor by Santiago Vescovi and Olivier Nkamhoua. They’ll need both players at their best as they prepare to face Florida Atlantic, who just took out this year’s Cinderella team in FDU. While Florida Atlantic plays an up-tempo run-and-gun style of basketball, they’ll be in for a stiff test against Tennessee, who gave up the third-fewest points in the country this season at just 57.8 PPG.
#3 Gonzaga (+2) vs. #2 UCLA (-2)
In one of the Sweet 16’s more high-profile matchups, Gonzaga and UCLA go head to head for a spot in the Elite Eight. Gonzaga boats a veteran squad led by Drew Timme and just earned a tough win over TCU in the Second Round. UCLA is headlined by players like Jaime Jacques Jr. and Tyger Campell, and is coming off a win over Northwestern. Both of these teams rank in the top 10 for odds to win this year’s NCAA tournament, making this a must-see Sweet 16 matchup.
#5 San Diego State (+7.5) vs. #1 Alabama (-7.5)
Alabama is the top-ranked team in the tournament and have cruised into the Sweet 16 with easy wins over Texas A&M and Maryland. Freshman Brandon Miller may be their star player, but Alabama has gotten solid support from players like Jahvon Quinerly and Charles Bediako. San Diego State just enjoyed a blowout win over Furman but has just one double-digit scorer in Matt Bradley (13 PPG) and will need others to step up for any chance at pulling off the upset.
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#5 Miami (+7) vs. #1 Houston (-7)
As the only ACC team left standing, Miami has posted strong wins over Drake and Indiana to get to this point. The Hurricanes are all about offense, as they love to spread the floor, move the ball and create easy buckets. As the #1 seed in the Midwest region, Houston has enjoyed an easy path to this point with wins over Northern Kentucky and Auburn. Led by senior Marcus Sasser, the Cougars possess one of the more suffocating defenses in the country and should make things very difficult for Miami in this game.
#15 Princeton (+10) vs #6 Creighton (-10)
As the lowest seed left in this year’s March Madness tournament, Princeton is looking to keep the magic going versus Creighton. Having already posted wins over Arizona and Missouri, Princeton has proven they’re a dangerous team not to be underestimated. Creighton enters this matchup as the heavy favorite and has looked strong in wins over NC State and Baylor. With players like Ryan Kalkbrenner and Baylor Scheierman, Creighton has the depth and rebounding needed to end Princeton’s Cinderella run.
#3 Xavier (+4) vs. #2 Texas (-4)
With their explosive offense, Xavier is back in the Sweet 16 following wins over Kennesaw State and Pitt. Xavier is an excellent shooting team but will face their biggest test yet versus Texas. Led by guards Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice, the Longhorns are solid defenders and are also capable on offense, having led the Big 12 in shooting and scoring this season. Expect both teams to leave it all on the floor in this year’s final Sweet 16 matchup.