- Purdue is a 7.5-point favorite against Texas in the first Sweet Sixteen game on Thursday.
- Betting odds favor Nebraska -130 over Iowa in a Big Ten clash.
- March Madness sportsbooks favor Arizona by 8.0 points over Arkansas.
- Houston has -145 odds to defeat Illinois in the final game of the evening.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Sweet Sixteen matchups begin with the Purdue Boilermakers as 7.5-point favorites against the Texas Longhorns. There are +270 legal sports betting odds for Texas to continue their run from the First Four game as an 11 seed.
Texas vs Purdue Betting Lines
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | +7.5 (-110) | +270 | O147.5 (-110) |
| Purdue | -7.5 (-110) | -340 | U147.5 (-110) |
Texas took advantage of key injuries on the No. 6 seeded BYU and No. 3 seeded Gonzaga squads, but they run into a healthy Purdue team that’s been nothing but dominant to start March Madness. Purdue’s strong front court of Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff can mitigate Texas’ success on the offensive boards, plus the Boilermakers are red-hot from three, shooting 58% and 57% in their first two tournament games. Back Purdue to cover the 7.5-point spread at legal college basketball betting sites and end Texas’s surprising run.
Iowa vs Nebraska Betting Lines
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | +1.5 (-105) | +110 | O132.0 (-105) |
| Nebraska | -1.5 (-115) | -130 | U132.0 (-115) |
The Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers split their regular season series and now meet in the Sweet Sixteen after posting impressive runs to get here. Iowa struggles to defend the three-point shot (165th in opponent 3P%) and that’s where Nebraska thrives, making the Cornhuskers the best bet on March Madness for the Sweet Sixteen.
Back Favorites To Cover in AZ vs Ark, Houston vs Illini
The Arizona Wildcats are 8.0-point favorites against the Arkansas Razorbacks in an expected high-scoring clash with a 165.0-point total. Arizona will be Arkansas’ toughest test all season and will cover the spread at -105 odds.
Arkansas vs Arizona Betting Lines
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | +8.0 (-115) | +290 | O165.0 (-110) |
| Arizona | -8.0 (-105) | -380 | U165.0 (-110) |
Arizona’s interior defense will be a huge problem for Arkansas as the second-best defense in the country in terms of opponent two-point field goal percentage (43.7%) and sixth-best in total field goal percentage (38.9%). Meanwhile, Arizona loves to take two-pointers and Arkansas ranks 278th in the country for 2PTFG%, letting up a 54% clip.
The final Sweet Sixteen game of the night features the Houston Cougars as 2.5-point favorites against the Illinois Fighting Illini. In this clash of Illinois’ high-powered offense and Houston’s smothering defense, back the Cougars at sportsbooks for Texas players on the 2.5-point spread.
Illinois vs Houston Betting Lines
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | +2.5 (-105) | +125 | O140.0 (-110) |
| Houston | -2.5 (-115) | -145 | U140.0 (-110) |
Houston holds opponents to just 31.4% from three-point range, which is where the game will be won or lost for Illinois that shoots the three ball on more than half of their attempts from the floor. They’re both slow-paced and guard-driven units, but the over at 140.0 points can still cash behind two reliable offenses.
