The first week of the NCAA tournament comes to an end Sunday with the final eight round-of-32 games. What was a field of 68 teams back on Tuesday will be down to 16 Sunday night.
NCAA Tournament Betting: Sunday Round of 32 Odds Preview
Two of college basketball’s marquee programs battle in NCAA tournament betting odds action Sunday. Kansas is favored over North Carolina and Ohio State is favored over Iowa State.
Jamie Squire
Sunday’s action begins in Dayton, as a couple of Big Ten heavies look to advance. First, second-seeded Ohio State goes against 10th seeded Iowa State (12:15 pm ET, CBS). Then top-seeded Indiana takes on ninth-seeded Temple (2:45 pm ET, CBS).
As of early Sunday morning the Buckeyes, trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season, were favored by seven points over the Cyclones, who last reached the Sweet 16 back in 2000; and the Hoosiers, looking for a second straight trip to the second weekend of the tournament, were favored by 12 points over the Owls, who last made the Sweet 16 back in 2001.
The game was also attracting significant NCAA college basketball props action, especially on the Deshaun Thomas scoring over under (20.5 points).
In Kansas City, in a battle of college basketball titans top-seeded Kansas plays eighth-seeded North Carolina (5:15 pm ET, CBS). And in a battle between longshots 12th-seeded Ole Miss takes on 13th-seeded LaSalle (7:40 pm ET, truTV).
In early Round of 13 betting the Jayhawks, who beat Carolina in a regional final last year, were favored by six points over the Heels; and the Rebs, who are playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade, were favored by four points over the Explorers, who are playing in the tournament for the first time in two decades.
Down in Austin two more Big Ten teams go against two teams from the Sunshine State. First, 11th-seeded Minnesota goes against third-seeded Florida (6:10 pm ET, TNT), after which seventh-seeded Illinois takes on second-seeded Miami (8:40 pm ET, TNT).
In the early betting the Gators, who have made it to the Sweet 16 the last two seasons, were favored by eight points over the Gophers, who haven’t made it to the Sweet 16 in 15 years; and the Hurricanes, whose only-ever Sweet 16 appearance came back in 2000, were favored by seven points over the Illini, who last reached the Sweet 16 back in 2005.
Finally, in Philly, seventh-seeded San Diego State goes against the lowest-seeded team still alive, 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast (7:10 pm ET, TBS), after which second-seeded Duke plays seventh-seeded Creighton (9:40 pm ET, TBS).
As of early Sunday morning the Aztecs, looking to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the last three seasons, were favored by seven points over the Eagles, who are playing just their second season of D-1 ball; and the Blue Devils, whose reputation precedes them, were favored by five points over the Bluejays, who haven’t reached the Sweet 16 since the tournament expanded to 60-plus teams back in 1985.
