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2022 NCAA Tourney: Sweet 16 Betting Tips Thursday
Mackenzie Kraemer
Posted: 2022-03-22
It's Sweet 16 time and with it sixteen teams have vision of climbing the ladder in New Orleans the first Monday in April.
To help get you there, check out these game notes and betting tips on Thursday's contests.
Thursday
4 Arkansas vs 1 Gonzaga (-8.5)
- Arkansas is 4-1 ATS as an underdog this season. Arkansas' largest underdog spot this season is +6.5 at LSU on Jan. 15, a game Arkansas won outright.
- This is just the sixth time this season Gonzaga has been a single-digit favorite. Gonzaga is 3-2 ATS as a single-digit favorite.
- This is the 16th straight NCAA tournament game Gonzaga has been favored in, tied with Arizona for the longest active streak. UNC's streak of 19 straight games as an NCAA tournament favorite ended in the round of 32 against Baylor.
- Gonzaga and Arkansas are two of three teams to reach the Sweet 16 despite not covering either of its first two games (Arizona). Teams that have failed to cover its first two NCAA tournament games are .500 ATS in the Sweet 16. The only team since 1985 to start an NCAA tournament 0-2 ATS and go on to win the NCAA tournament was Arizona in 1997.
11 Michigan vs 2 Villanova (-5)
- Villanova is 7-1 ATS as a favorite of six points or less this season and 42-21-1 ATS in that spot since 2014-15.
- Jay Wright is 11-5-1 ATS against Big Ten teams, but Villanova is 1-4 ATS against Big Ten teams since 2018-19.
- Michigan is 6-3 ATS as an underdog this season (5-4 outright).
- Since 2012, double-digit seeds from major conferences are 9-3 ATS in the Sweet 16.
- Over the past 10 seasons, Villanova has covered 60% of its games (200-133-5), the best mark in D-I. Michigan is 185-152-1 ATS in that span, the third-best mark among major conference teams.
- Michigan games are 20-12-1 to the over this season (8-2 in last 10).
3 Texas Tech (-1) vs 2 Duke
- This is the second time all season Duke has been an underdog. Duke beat Gonzaga outright as an 8.5-point underdog on Nov. 26.
- Duke had been favored in 12 straight NCAA tournament games entering the Sweet 16. The last time Duke was an underdog in the NCAA tournament was in the 2016 Sweet 16 against Oregon (Duke lost by 14 as 3.5-point underdog).
- This is the second time Duke has been an underdog against a lower-seeded team since 1985. 1-seed Duke was a 2-point underdog against 2-seed UConn in the 2004 Final Four. Duke lost by 1, covering the 2-point spread on a Chris Duhon 38-footer at the buzzer.
- Mike Krzyzewski is 5-11 ATS in his last 16 Sweet 16 games (0-3 ATS last three).
- Since 1985, Coach K is 7-4 ATS and 4-7 outright as an underdog in the NCAA tournament.
- Coach K is 12-4 ATS in NCAA tournament games when the line is between +3 and -3 since 1985.
5 Houston vs 1 Arizona (-2)
- Houston is 23-12-1 ATS this season, including 8-1-1 ATS in its last 10 games.
- Over the past five seasons, Houston is 14-6 ATS as an underdog (10-10 SU), including 1-0 ATS this season.
- Arizona is one of three teams to reach the Sweet 16 despite not covering either of its first two games (Gonzaga, Arkansas). Teams that have failed to cover its first two NCAA tournament games are .500 ATS in the Sweet 16. The only team since 1985 to start an NCAA tournament 0-2 ATS and go on to win the NCAA tournament was Arizona in 1997.
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