NCAA Tournament 2021: Sweet 16 Day 1 gambling recap

Updated Mar 28, 2021 12:46 am ET

The old cliche is that defense wins championships. A little over three-quarters of the way through the 2021 NCAA Tournament, it's also winning wagers. 

Day 1 of the Sweet 16 tipped off with yet another game going "Under" on the scoring total – and another underdog winning outright – which set the tone for the rest of the day's action. By the end of the night, the "Under" had cashed in all four games.

To help you keep track of all the madness, here is how the point spreads, moneylines and total over/unders played out for each game on Saturday, as well as the tournament-wide trends so far (with all odds via FOX Bet).

Play the FOX Super 6 Tourney Challenge all tournament long for your chance to win thousands of dollars every round! Just download the FOX Super 6 app for free and make your picks before each round.

TRENDS THROUGH FIRST 51 GAMES PLAYED*
Point spread: Favorites and underdogs are 25-25 against the spread, with one "pick 'em" (the spread was 0).
Moneyline: Favorites are 31-16 outright, with one "pick 'em" and three games not on the board.
Total over/under: 30 games have gone "Under" the scoring total, 20 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. 12 Oregon State 65, No. 8 Loyola Chicago 58
Point spread: Oregon State (+7.5 at FOX Bet) covered by winning outright and also would have covered by losing by fewer than 7.5 points.
Moneylines: Oregon State (+240 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 wager on Oregon State would have won $24, plus your $10 back. Loyola was a -333 favorite (bet $10 to win $3, plus your $10 back).
Total over/under: Under 126 total points scored (123 combined points)


Underdog Oregon State took a 17-16 lead with 4:22 remaining in the first half and never again trailed in a game that had just 40 combined points at halftime – then saw both teams score more than 40 points in the second half, turning the over/under into a bit of a sweat down the stretch.

No. 1 Baylor 62, No. 5 Villanova 51
Point spread: Baylor (-7.5 at FOX Bet) covered by winning by more than 7.5 points (11).
Moneylines: Baylor (-400 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 wager on Baylor would have won $2.50, plus your $10 back. Villanova was a +280 underdog (bet $10 to win $28, plus your $10 back).
Total over/under: Under 142 total points scored (113 combined points)


Is it something in the water in Indiana? The defenses? The pressure of March?

Whatever the case, the "Under" continues to reign in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, as Baylor and Villanova went well below the projected combined scoring total of 142 points.

No. 3 Arkansas 72, No. 15 Oral Roberts 70
Point spread: Oral Roberts (+11.5 at FOX Bet) covered by losing by fewer than 11.5 points (2).
Moneylines: Arkansas (-800 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 wager on Arkansas would have won $1.25, plus your $10 back. Oral Roberts was a +500 underdog (bet $10 to win $50, plus your $10 back).
Total scoring over/under: Under 157.5 total points scored (142 combined points)


Cinderella's tournament run might be over, but Oral Roberts made Arkansas earn every single bit of its Elite Eight berth. And while these two teams were known for getting up and down the court this season, the "Under" cashed for the third straight game on Saturday.

No. 2 Houston 62, No. 11 Syracuse 46
Point spread: Houston (-6.5 at FOX Bet) covered by winning by more than 6.5 points (16).
Moneylines: Houston (-300 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 wager on Houston would have won $3.33, plus your $10 back. Syracuse was a +220 underdog (bet $10 to win $22, plus your $10 back).
Total scoring over/under: Under 141 total points scored (108 combined points)


Play the FOX Super 6 Tourney Challenge all tournament long for your chance to win thousands of dollars every round! Just download the FOX Super 6 app for free and make your picks before each round.