NCAA Tournament Odds: Kansas, Other Top Seeds Favored In Sweet 16 Action
A pair of No. 1 seeds will hit the court on the first day of Sweet 16 action, including the Kansas Jayhawks, who will look for their 17th consecutive win when they battle the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday night as seven-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Jayhawks entered the tournament as the top seed in the South Region and have maintained their perch as championship betting favorites, sporting strong 7-2 odds after handing No. 16 seed Austin Peay and No. 9 seed Connecticut lopsided beatings last weekend to extend their streak of straight-up wins by a double-digit margin to three, and five of their past seven.
Conversely, No. 5 Maryland enters Thursday night’s Terrapins vs. Jayhawks betting matchup at the KFC Yum! Center with just five SU wins in its past 10 games, 4-5-1 against the spread.
While the Terrapins emerged triumphant in their past two meetings with Kansas, it has been 14 years since these two clubs have met on the hardwood.
A more urgent concern for bettors considering Maryland on Thursday is the squad’s recent dismal record as an underdog, going winless SU in its past seven overall, 2-3-2 ATS, and 0-2 SU and ATS in its past two as underdogs at the NCAA Tournament, according to the OddsShark College Basketball Database.
No. 1 Oregon will face No. 4 Duke in a West Region Sweet 16 matchup as 2 1/2-point chalk at the sportsbooks.
The Ducks came up short in their only previous clash with the defending national champion Blue Devils, but have enjoyed success in Sweet 16 contests, going 2-1 SU and ATS in their past three, and are on an impressive 10-0 SU run, and 4-0 ATS when favored by three or fewer points.
The Blue Devils eked out victories in first- and second-round meetings with No. 13 UNC Wilmington and No. 12 Yale, but have been a risky bet in 2016, going 6-12-1 ATS in 19 games since mid-January, and just 1-6 ATS in their past seven.
In other Sweet 16 betting action Thursday, No. 2 Oklahoma faces No. 3 Texas A&M in another West Region clash as two-point favorites, while in the South, No. 2 Villanova is favored by 4 1/2 points over No. 3 Miami.
The Sooners, losers of seven straight ATS, will have their hands full against the Aggies, who are riding high following a 92-88 double-overtime win over No. 11 Northern Iowa, their 10th in their past 11, while Miami vies for the first Elite Eight bid in program history.
Thumbnail photo via Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports Images
