Odds to Make the Sweet 16 – Texas Tech, Creighton Could Be Value Plays
- Odds have been set for 27 teams on whether they will reach the Sweet 16 at the 2021 NCAA Tournament
- Gonzaga, the top overall seed, is a heavy favorite to win its first two games
- A look at all the odds along with betting analysis can be found below
Odds have been set for 27 high-profile teams to reach the Sweet 16 at the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga, the #1 overall seed , is an overwhelming favorite to win its first two games and also to reach the Final Four.
The Bulldogs play either Norfolk State or Appalachian State in the first round on Saturday. If Gonzaga wins, as expected, it will face either Oklahoma or Missouri in the second round Monday.
With a potential matchup with Gonzaga looming, Oklahoma is the longest shot on the board to get to the Sweet 16.
Odds to Make/Miss the Sweet 16
| Team | Yes Odds at FanDuel | No Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga | -1500 | +790 |
| Baylor | -340 | +260 |
| Illinois | -310 | +240 |
| Michigan | -290 | +225 |
| Iowa | -250 | +198 |
| Ohio State | -162 | +132 |
| Alabama | -154 | +124 |
| Florida State | -110 | -110 |
| Texas | -104 | -118 |
| Virginia | -106 | -114 |
| Kansas | +112 | -138 |
| Purdue | +116 | -142 |
| Tennessee | +116 | -142 |
| Arkansas | +118 | -144 |
| West Virginia | +118 | -144 |
| Oklahoma State | +134 | -164 |
| USC | +134 | -164 |
| Texas Tech | +146 | -180 |
| Creighton | +154 | -192 |
| Colorado | +164 | -205 |
| San Diego State | +180 | -225 |
| BYU | +194 | -245 |
| Oregon | +240 | -350 |
| Florida | +370 | -520 |
| Wisconsin | +410 | -590 |
| Virginia Tech | +490 | -750 |
| Oklahoma | +920 | -2000 |
Odds as of March 16.
Watch Out for Texas Tech
Texas Tech has struggled late in the season, dropping its last two games and five of its past eight. With a 17-10 record, the Red Raiders are seeded #6 in the South Region.
However, the presence of a clutch performer in junior guard Mac McClung makes Texas Tech a potentially good value bet.
MAC MCCLUNG FOR THE WIN.
No. 15 Texas Tech upsets No. 4 Texas in Austin 🚨 pic.twitter.com/CZuNP0lUJU
— ESPN (@espn) January 14, 2021
McClung is averaging 15.7 points a game and one of four players with double figure scoring averages. The others are sophomore guards Terrance Shannon Jr. (12.7) and Kevin McCullar (10.1) and junior guard Kyler Edwards (10.0).
While the Red Raiders are a perimeter-oriented team, they also have a solid inside player in senior forward Marcus Santos-Silva. He is averaging 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Texas Tech’s first-round game is Friday against #11 Utah State (20-8). If they win, the Red Raiders will then face either #3 Arkansas (22-6) or #14 Colgate (14-1).
It is easy to be scared off by a team with double-digit losses. However, Texas Tech can beat good teams away from Lubbock; it owns road victories over Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU this season.
Don’t Count Out Creighton
Creighton, which is seeded #5 in the West, got absolutely annihilated by Georgetown 73-48 in the Big East Tournament championship game Saturday even though the Bluejays were 8.5-point favorites.
However, Creighton is still a quality team that has a 20-8 record, was ranked as high as #7 in the Associated Press media poll during the regular season and has a player capable of controlling the game in junior guard Marcus Zegarowski.
#19 Creighton (+115) cruises to win an 86-70 W vs #5 Villanova! Marcus Zegarowski finished with a game-high 25 points. #GoJays pic.twitter.com/gAwCrwP0wP
— SportsBettingDime (@SBD) February 14, 2021
Zegarowski leads the team in scoring with a 15.5 average and is dishing out 4.3 assists. He isn’t the only Creighton player who can score as senior wing Denzel Mahoney (12.5), senior forward Damien Jefferson (12.1), and junior forwards Christian Bishop (10.8) and Mitch Ballock (10.2) are all averaging in double figures.
That balanced attack is why Creighton is ranked 14th in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com, at 113.6 points per 100 possessions.
Creighton opens Saturday against #12 UC Santa Barbara (22-4). Up next would be either #4 Virginia (18-6) or #13 Ohio (16-7).
Florida State Laying Eggs
Florida State has come up small in March, losing its two biggest games of the season despite being favored in both.
The sloppy Seminoles dropped an 80-75 decision to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament final Saturday. Florida State had a whopping 25 turnovers that led to 31 points for Georgia Tech.
15 of the 25 turnovers @GTMBB forced against Florida State were steals 🤯#ACCTourney #TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/mdeBlL02Df
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) March 14, 2021
Two of Florida State’s best players were a big part of the turnover problem; senior guard MJ Walker had eight and freshman guard Scottie Barnes finished with six.
That loss came exactly one week after Florida State blew a chance to win the ACC regular-season title by losing at Notre Dame 83-73. Favored by 7.5 points, the Seminoles had 14 turnovers in that one.
Seeded #4 in the East, Florida State (16-6) squares off with #13 UNC Greensboro (21-8) on Saturday. If the Seminoles win — and three losses in their last five games do not inspire great confidence that they will – they would then have a tough matchup with #5 Colorado (22-8) or surging #12 Georgetown (13-12) in the round of 32.
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
