March Madness 2021 Day 3 gambling recap

Through one half of the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, underdogs and "Unders" have taken over.

To help you keep track of all the March Madness action, here is how the spreads, moneylines and total score over/unders played out for all eight games Sunday, in the order the games were played, plus the tournament-wide trends so far.

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TRENDS THROUGH FIRST 38 GAMES PLAYED*
Spread: Underdogs are 21-16 against the spread, with one "pick 'em" (the spread was 0).
Moneyline: Favorites are 21-13 outright, with one "pick 'em" and three games not on the board.
Total over/under: 23 games have gone "Under" the scoring total, 14 games have gone "Over," and there has been one "Push" (the final score landed exactly on the over/under).
*VCU vs. Oregon in the first round was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols, with Oregon advancing.

No. 8 Loyola 71, No. 1 Illinois 58
Spread: Loyola (+7) covers by winning outright and also would have covered if it lost by fewer than 7 points.
Moneylines: Loyola (+240) wins; a $10 wager on Loyola would have won $24, plus your $10 back. Illinois was a -295 favorite.
Total over/under: UNDER 133.5 total points scored (129 combined points)

Loyola's +240 moneyline odds implied an approximately 30% chance of knocking off Illinois. The odds of a double-digit win over the 1-seed would have been much, much longer (as high as +2200, according to our insights).

No. 1 Baylor 76, No. 9 Wisconsin 63
Spread: Baylor (-6.5) covers by winning by more than 6.5 points (13).
Moneylines: Baylor (-275) wins; a $10 wager on Baylor would have won $3.64, plus your $10 back. Wisconsin was a +210 underdog.
Total over/under: OVER 136.5 total points scored (139 combined points)

Baylor bettors ended up sweating this one quite a bit more than a 13-point win would indicate, as Wisconsin was within nine with less than a minute to play.

No. 11 Syracuse 75, No. 3 West Virginia 72
Spread: Syracuse (+4) covers by winning outright and also would have covered if it lost by fewer than 4 points.
Moneylines: Syracuse (+140) wins; a $10 wager on Syracuse would have won $14, plus your $10 back. West Virginia was a -182 favorite.
Total over/under: UNDER 147.5 total points scored (147 combined points)

Despite West Virginia's decision to play for 2s rather than attempt a 3-pointer to extend the game in the closing seconds, this one went "Under" the scoring total by the slimmest of margins. Syracuse is now 10-1 against the spread all time as a double-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 3 Arkansas 68, No. 6 Texas Tech 66
Spread: Arkansas (+2) covers by winning outright and also would have covered by losing by fewer than 2 points.
Moneylines: Arkansas (+110) wins; a $10 wager on Arkansas would have won $11, plus your $10 back. Texas Tech was a -138 favorite.
Total over/under: UNDER 140.5 total points scored (130 combined points)

Despite being the higher seed, Arkansas came into this one as the underdog – and pulled off an outright win in a nail-biter.

No. 2 Houston 63, No. 10 Rutgers 60
Spread: Rutgers (+7) covers by losing by fewer than 7 points (3).
Moneylines: Houston (-350) wins; a $10 wager on Houston would have won $2.86, plus your $10 back. Rutgers was a +260 underdog.
Total over/under: UNDER 131.5 total points scored (123 combined points)

Houston needed a wild comeback to overcome a late nine-point deficit and keep its championship dreams alive. The cover, however, belonged to Rutgers.

No. 15 Oral Roberts 81, No. 7 Florida 78
Spread: Oral Roberts (+9) covers by winning outright and also would have covered by losing by fewer than 9 points.
Moneylines: Oral Roberts (+295) wins; a $10 wager on Oral Roberts would have won $29.50, plus your $10 back. Florida was a -370 favorite.
Total over/under: OVER 148 total points scored (159 combined points)

Florida led 67-56 with 9:46 remaining and looked to be well on its way to a win and a cover. A 21-9 run vaulted Oral Roberts ahead with just under three minutes remaining. Now, the 15-seed is Sweet 16-bound.

No. 5 Villanova 84, No. 13 North Texas 61
Spread: Villanova (-6.5) covers by winning by more than 6.5 points.
Moneylines: Villanova (-270) wins; a $10 wager on Villanova would have won $3.70, plus your $10 back. North Texas was a +220 underdog.
Total over/under: OVER 126.5 total points scored (145 combined points)

Four players scored in double figures for Villanova, easily pushing this game "Over."

No. 12 Oregon State 80, No. 4 Oklahoma State 70
Spread: Oregon State (+6)
Moneylines: Oregon State (+205) wins; a $10 wager on Oregon State would have won $20.50, plus your $10 back. Oklahoma State was a -250 favorite. 
Total over/under: OVER 142 total points scored (150 combined points)

The Pac-12's dominance continued in Sunday's final game, and so did the trend of underdogs covering and winning outright.

We'll see if Day 4 brings more of the same.

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