How to Bet on the NCAA Sweet 16: Betting Strategies & Trends

If you survived the first two rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament relatively unscathed, consider yourself in the minority. With upsets coming at a blistering pace, we saw multiple top-seeded Tournament favorites bow out this past weekend. 

Now what?

After the craziness of the first long weekend of the tournament, the Sweet 16 games will take place on Thursday and Friday of the second weekend, with the winners moving into the Elite Eight, just one game away from a trip to the Final Four.

Sweet 16 NCAA Basketball Betting Predictions & Strategies

Here are some strategies to use when placing your bets in the Sweet 16 NCAA Basketball and making predictions.

1. There will be some top seeds to go out, but do not bet against all of them.

While it’s easy to get caught up in the madness, top-seeded teams have historically dominated in March. In the last 35 tournaments, 31 have been won by teams seeded one, two, or three (89 percent). Top seeds have won the tournament 24 of those 35 times (65%). While you might have an itch and want to keep hammering the underdogs, keep these stats in mind.

2. 1 Seeds have dominated the Sweet 16 in recent years

Since 2015, top seeds are 19-3 in Sweet 16 games. History tells us if the best teams can get out of the first weekend unscathed, they generally get stronger as the Tournament goes along.

This year we saw two one-seeds go down, with Kansas and Purdue suffering opening-round losses. Houston survived a Round 2 scare against Auburn, while Alabama has been in cruise control in the early juncture.

3. Cinderalla’s often turn into pumpkins in the Sweet 16.

What makes the NCAA Tournament so unique is a winner-take-all format where everyone has a puncher’s chance. It’s easy to get swept up in the narrative of an excellent cinderella run.

However, as the Tournament progresses, the wheels often come off the carriage. This is because the competition intensifies and the cream of the crop begins to rise to the top

4. You can still count on some upsets in this round.

If you take a look at the last decade-plus (2010-2022), at least one team seeded seventh (two), eighth (two), ninth (one), 10th (one), or 11th (three) has found their way to the Final Four. 

5. If you have to choose between 2 vs 3 seeds, go with the two.

Second-seeded teams have found a way to win these matchups to the tune of 64% (30-17).

Where can you bet on Sweet 16 Games ?

All legal online US sportsbooks will have the NCAA tournament games and live in-play betting and futures.

Some of the top Sweet 16 betting sites for US bettors that offer odds, promotions, and bonus bets are

• DraftKings
• Caesars
• BetMGM
• PointsBet
• BetRivers