The last time a team was on the brink of three straight Stanley Cups, the country was losing its mind over a Star Wars sequel, Tom Cruise had a Top-10 blockbuster, and rising interest rates whipsawed the economy into a recession. Wait, what? 

Anyway, the Lightning have the opportunity to do what no team has done since the 1980-83 Islanders: string together three straight Stanley Cup championships. Despite that recent dominance, Tampa Bay checks in as substantial underdogs to make it happen. 

Props.com has the full breakdown of Lightning vs Avalance odds and action with a Stanley Cup Final Game 1 betting preview.

Lightning Vs Avalance Odds: Game 1 

Odds via PointsBetUSA and updated as of 1:15 p.m. ET on June 15.

N.Y. Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning (8 p.m. ET/ABC)

Best-of-7 series: First game.
Season series: Colorado won 2-0. The Avs won 3-2 in Denver on Feb. 10, and in Tampa 4-3 on Oct. 23.
Playoff results to date: Tampa Bay 12-5 overall (5-4 road); Colorado 12-2 overall (5-2 home).
Series price: Colorado -180, Tampa Bay +150

How the Avalanche got here: By wrecking everything in their path. Colorado rolled up 119 points in the regular season, second only to the Florida Panthers. After blitzing the Predators 4-0, Colorado barely slowed down against the Blues, losing Game 2 convincingly and Game 5 in OT only after giving up a 3-0 lead in the second. They bounced back against Edmonton with another sweep despite losing starting goalie Darcy Kuemper in Game 1 of that series. Potting 22 goals across four games will do that for you.

How the Lightning got here: Tampa had to settle for third in a stacked Atlantic. Their 110 points put them third behind Toronto and Florida, but the Lightning got to prove who the better team was in the playoffs. They played a life-and-death opening round seven-game set against the Maple Leafs that if we’re all being honest would have made for a much better Eastern Conference Finals. The Bolts stunned the deer-in-headlights Panthers in four straight before getting all they could handle from the New York Rangers, whom they dispatched in six. 

Key Injuries

Colorado Avalanche: Centers Nazim Kadri and Andrew Cogliano are both day-to-day and looking doubtful for Game 1. Kadri injured his right thumb, and Cogliano recently underwent hand surgery, though both were skating without sticks at practice.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Center Brayden Point is listed as day-to-day with a leg injury but is expected to play tonight.

Man Advantage

According to BetPrep, Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn has been frosty. He’s 11 of his last 11 to go pointless, and even though you have to lay some pretty significant juice, at -160, BetPrep still sees 21% expected value on the play.

Some other players showing an edge on the BetPrep Prop Cheat Sheet are:

• COL Devin Toews Over 1.5 shots on goal. Toews hasn’t been crushing this one lately. He’s been Under five of his last seven. But before this cold streak started against the Blues, he’s been money, clearing the number 63 of 95. At +130 there’s 24% edge here.
• TBL Ondre Palat Over 0.5 points. He’s beat it eight of his last nine and he’s only -118 to get there tonight. It’s a number good for 20% edge.
• COL Valeri Nichuskin Under 2.5 shots on goal. This is another juicy play at -160, but Nichuskin is a stone-cold weapon for the Avs. He’s beat it 16 of his last 21, and the play generates 12% expected value.

Betting Nuggets

• COL is 5-0 as a favorite
• COL is 5-1 on the puckline against a Top-10 defense
• COL is 10-4 on the puckline after three-plus days of rest
• TBL is 6-0 on the puckline as an underdog
• TBL is 4-13 on the puckline after three-plus days of rest
• Under is 5-0 in Tampa Bay’s last five

Tale Of The (Betting) Tape

Here are some key numbers BetPrep has identified, in both game and betting stats. These are for the regular season and playoffs combined, and the profit and loss numbers are based on $100 wagers.

Lightning vs Avalanche Odds and Action

UPDATE 5 P.M ET WEDNESDAY: Colorado has come down slightly to -155 with the action heavy on the Avalanche. They’re taking 62% of the money against 72% of the cash. Tampa Bay’s +130 on the other side isn’t proving attractive, and less so on the puckline where the Lightning +1.5 is at -216 and only generating 38% of tickets and 10% of handle. The total is lopsided too with 72% of wagers on Over 6 despite the juice running to -161. “Just” 66% of the dough falls on the Over, though.

UPDATE 1:15 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY: The moneyline at PointsBetUSA opened with the Avs as the heavy -175 chalk, but they were quickly bet down to -165 and have ticked down since to -160. 

On the puckline it was a similar story with Colorado opening at +165 to win by two, quickly being bet up to +170 and swung out to +175 yesterday afternoon where it currently sits.

The total has been steady at 6 with the juice at Over -115, aside from a brief trip to -120 Monday afternoon.

In the series, PointsBet opened Colorado as a -200 favorite, but they’ve come down to Avs -180 with the Lightning +150 on the comeback. The Lightning are taking the bulk of the tickets (63%) and money (77%)

Check back prior to puck drop of Game 1 for additional Lightning vs. Avalanche odds and action updates.

The post Lightning Vs Avalanche Odds: Stanley Cup Final Game 1 appeared first on Props.

The NBA play-in tournament has been fun. But come Saturday, we get down to the serious business of series play. In fact, three games on the Saturday NBA playoffs odds board have been set since before the play-in tournament, so those matchups have been percolating all week.

And the fourth matchup, the No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies, was quickly set Tuesday night following Minnesota’s victory in the play-in tourney.

Props.com grabs insights from multiple oddsmakers on NBA playoffs odds for Saturday’s games. Check back for updates through tipoffs of each contest.

Saturday NBA Playoffs Odds and Betting Action

No. 6 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 3 Golden State Warriors (8:30 p.m. ET)

UPDATE 7:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: The Warriors opened as 4-point favorites at WynnBet but are up to -6.5 (-112), with stops at 5.5 and 6 along the way. Though 66% of bets are on the Nuggets, Golden State is taking 60% of money. The total opened at 224, then went to 223.5 and 223 before going back to the current 223.5. There is another divide here, with 62% of bets on the Over but 56% of money on the Under.

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Golden State (53-29 SU, 31-37-4 ATS) was a trendy preseason pick to win the NBA championship, on the expectation that oft-injured All-Star Klay Thompson would be back at some point this season. The standout guard finally returned Jan. 9, more than 2.5 years after an ACL tear in the 2019 NBA Finals, followed by an Achilles tear while working out in November 2020.

Superstar backcourt mate Stephen Curry (foot) has been out since March 16, but all signs point to Curry playing Game 1. The former two-time MVP was hurt in a home game against Boston after playing just 14 minutes. The Warriors went on to lose that game 110-88, which started a 1-7 SU/2-6 ATS slide. However, Golden State finished the regular season on a 5-0 SU/4-1 ATS surge, capped by Sunday’s 128-107 thrashing of New Orleans as a 6.5-point road chalk.

The Warriors are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games, but just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 as a home favorite.

Denver will ride the shoulders of reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic, who is strongly favored to win this season’s MVP award, too. The Nuggets (48-34 SU, 36-45-1 ATS) were hit-and-miss in their final five games (2-3 SU and ATS). However, they did enough to dodge the No. 7 seed and the play-in tournament. In Sunday’s regular-season finale, Denver lost a shootout to the Los Angeles Lakers, 146-141 in overtime as a 6-point road favorite.

The Nuggets are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games, part of a broader 6-12 overall ATS slide. Denver is also 1-4 ATS in its last five as a postseason pup. That said, the Nuggs closed the regular season on a 5-0 ATS upswing as a road ‘dog and are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 roadies overall.

Denver went 3-1 SU against Golden State during the regular season, and the teams split the cash, with the visitor covering all four times. But Golden State is 9-3 ATS in the last dozen meetings overall with Denver.

The Over is 9-4 in Denver’s last 13 outings and has hit in four of the Nuggets’ last five on the highway. On the flip side, Golden State sports Under upticks of 5-2 overall and 4-1 at home. Plus, the Under is 6-2 in the last eight Nuggets-Warriors battles (2-2 this season).

Golden State is out to a 6.5-point favorite at BetMGM, after opening -4.5. Early ticket count is 2/1-plus and early money 5/1 on the Warriors. The total reached its low point of 222.5 Friday morning after opening at 225.5 Monday. Ticket count on the total is almost even, but 90% of early dollars are backing the Under.[/accordion]

No. 5 Toronto Raptors vs No. 4 Philadelphia 76ers (6 p.m. ET)

UPDATE 4:45 P.M. ET SATURDAY: The 76ers opened as 4.5-point favorites at WynnBet, spent a few hours Monday at -4, then held at -4.5 the rest of the week. That’s despite 75% of bets and 86% of money flowing to Philadelphia. The total opened at 217.5 and has dropped to 216, with 74% of bets on the Over, but 77% of money on the Under.

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Philadelphia (51-31 SU, 37-43-2 ATS) finished with a mini-flurry, going 5-1 SU in its last six games. That included a 118-106 win over Detroit as a 6.5-point home chalk in Sunday’s finale. However, the 76ers haven’t been as solid lately for bettors, with the cover against the Pistons coming after a 1-7 ATS slide.

Philly is also 1-4 ATS in its last four as a favorite and 3-13 ATS in its last 16 following a spread-cover. But Joel Embiid and Co. like their rest, cashing the last four when playing after a break of three or more days.

Toronto (48-34 SU, 47-35 ATS) worked its way up to No. 5 in the East by way of a late-season 8-1 SU surge (6-3 ATS). The Raptors then lost a meaningless regular-season finale at the Knicks, 105-94 as 1-point road favorites.

Even with that setback, Toronto is 7-2 ATS in its last nine roadies, as well as 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 as a playoff pup. The Raptors also went 3-1 SU/4-0 ATS against the Sixers this season. Toronto, an underdog in all four contests, posted outright wins in both trips to Philly. The latest meeting was April 7, with Toronto nabbing a 119-114 victory as a 3.5-point home ‘dog.

The Over went 3-1 in those four Raptors-76ers matchups, and the Over hit in Philly’s last four regular-season games (5-1 run overall). Further, the Over is 5-0 in the Sixers’ last five at home. On the flip side, Toronto sports Under runs of 19-7 on the road and 9-3 in first-round playoff games.

The 76ers have been a stable 4.5-point chalk this week on BetMGM’s Saturday NBA playoffs odds board. Philadelphia is attracting 73% of bets and 71% of money on the spread. The total opened at 217.5 Monday and by Thursday afternoon dipped to 215.5, where it sits now. The Over is seeing 68% of bets, but 53% of cash is on the Under.[/accordion]

No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves vs No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies (3:30 p.m. ET)

UPDATE 2:45 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Memphis hit TwinSpires’ Saturday NBA playoffs odds board as a 7-point favorite, and with tipoff looming, the line is -6.5. The Grizzlies are landing 69% of spread tickets, but just 53% of spread dollars. “Sharp play on Timberwolves +7,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said. The total rose from 234.5 to 237.5, with 63% of tickets/73% of cash on the Over. “A mix of public and sharp play on the Over,” Lucas said.

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Memphis has been an on-court surprise, finishing with the NBA’s second-best SU record at 56-26. The Grizzlies also have been a boon for bettors this season with an NBA-best 52-29-1 ATS mark, a 64.2 percent spread-covering clip. With its playoff position secure, Memphis rested a bit in the final week, going 1-3 SU (1-2-1 ATS). But prior to that, the Grizzlies posted a seven-game winning streak (6-0 ATS) — all without All-Star guard Ja Morant.

Morant (right knee injury) missed nine consecutive games from March 20-Arpil 7 before returning for Saturday’s home game against New Orleans, tallying 21 points, four rebounds and nine assists. He was among several starters who rested in Sunday’s finale, when the Grizzlies got rolled 139-110 as 9-point home underdogs to Boston. Still, Memphis is 17-4 ATS in its last 21 home games, and the Grizzlies are 24-9 ATS in their last 33 laying points.

Minnesota (47-36 SU, 42-38-2 ATS) had to win a play-in game to secure a spot in the NBA playoffs for just the second time in 18 seasons. On Tuesday, the Timberwolves fended off the ninth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 as a 3-point favorite. Prior to that, the TWolves had failed to cover in four straight games, part of a 2-8 ATS overall nosedive.

Minnesota is in further ATS ruts of 1-4 on the highway and 4-9 catching points.

These teams split their four games SU and ATS this season, with the home team winning and cashing each time. The most recent clash was Feb. 24, a 119-114 TWolves win and cover as a 2-point home underdog. But Memphis has owned this rivalry the past three seasons, going 8-2 SU and 9-1 ATS.

The Over is 5-1 in Minnesota’s last six outings, with the lone Under coming in Tuesday’s play-in win over the Clippers (total 231.5). Memphis is 4-1 to the Over in its last five games, though that was preceded by a 6-1 Under run. In addition, the last two TWolves-Grizzlies meetings stayed Under after a 5-1 Over stretch.

BetMGM opened Memphis as a 6.5-point favorite in the Saturday NBA playoffs odds market. The Grizzlies advanced to -7 Thursday morning, then returned to -6.5 this afternoon. Early ticket count is 4/1 and early money 6/1 on Memphis. The total opened at 234.5, dipped to 233.5 late Thursday morning, then climbed back to 234.5 late Thursday afternoon. Tickets and money are in the 3/1 range on the Under.[/accordion]

No. 5 Utah Jazz at No. 4 Dallas Mavericks (1 p.m. ET)

UPDATE NOON ET SATURDAY: An hour before tipoff, Utah is -5.5 on DraftKings’ Saturday NBA playoffs odds market, ticking down from -6 midmorning. The Jazz opened -1.5 Monday and quickly stretched to -4 on news that the Mavs likely wouldn’t have Luka Doncic (calf) for Game 1. The line receded to -3 early Tuesday, but by Tuesday afternoon was out to Jazz -4.5, then got to -5 Thursday and 5.5 this morning, when Doncic was formally ruled out.

Utah is taking 58% of spread bets, but that’s translating into 80% of spread dollars. The total opened at 216.5 and steadily declined throughout the week, reaching its low of 208.5 midmorning today. Ticket count is actually 5/1-plus on the Over, and money is just shy of 2/1 on the Over.

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Utah (49-33 SU, 33-45-4 ATS) won the Northwest Division, while Dallas was second in the Southwest Division. But the Mavs (52-30 SU, 46-35-1 ATS) nabbed the higher seed by way of their better record. But Dallas is expected to be shorthanded Saturday — and in a big way — as star guard Luka Doncic is unlikely to play due to a calf injury.

Dallas finished the regular season with a 7-1 SU/6-2 ATS surge, winning their last four games (3-1 ATS). Among those four wins was an impressive 118-112 victory catching 6.5 points at Milwaukee on April 3. The Mavs capped the regular season with a 130-120 victory over San Antonio, narrowly failing to cash as 10.5-point home favorites.

A late-season 1-5 SU slide (0-6 ATS) kept Utah from improving its postseason position, but the Jazz went 3-1 SU (2-1-1 ATS) in their last four outings. Utah finished by blasting Portland 111-80 as a 17-point road chalk.

These teams split four regular-season meetings, with the home team winning each time. But Dallas cashed in all four contests, including a 114-100 win giving 4 points March 27.

The Over is 6-1 in Dallas’ last seven games, which runs counter to its season as a whole. The Mavs were the NBA’s top Under team, at 50-31-1 during the regular season. Further, the Under is 5-2 in the last seven Jazz-Mavs meetings, with the last two contests — both in Dallas — staying low.

Due to Doncic’s status, Utah moved from a -1.5 opener to -4.5 by Tuesday, then advanced to -5.5 Thursday in BetMGM’s Saturday NBA playoffs odds market. The Jazz are taking a modest majority 56% of spread bets, but that’s translating into 71% of spread money. The total opened at 216.5, crashed to 208.5 by Thursday and is now 209.5 (Under -115). Early ticket count is dead even, but 88% of early cash is on the Under.[/accordion]

The post Saturday NBA Playoffs Odds: Money Tilts to Warriors appeared first on Props.

March Madness now goes to the first Monday of April, and we all know what that means: College basketball championship game odds are on the board.

While coach Mike Krzyzewski won’t get to end his 42-year Duke career with one more shining moment, it still should be a tremendous title tilt. A pair of bluebloods square off when No. 1 seed Kansas meets No. 8 seed North Carolina at the Superdome.

Props.com breaks down the massive matchup, with insights from multiple oddsmakers on NCAA championship game odds and action. Check back for updates through Monday night’s tipoff.

https://youtu.be/aAedstO5Dhs

College Basketball Championship Game Odds

Odds via FanDuel and updated as of 7:30 p.m. ET on April 4.

No. 8 North Carolina vs No. 1 Kansas

UPDATE 7;30 P.M. ET MONDAY: Less than two hours pre-tip, TwinSpires Sportsbook has Kansas a steady 4-point favorite, where the Jayhawks opened late Saturday night. North Carolina is seeing the modest majority of tickets and money, at 59% and 57%, respectively. Further, the Tar Heels are taking the bulk of moneyline action, at 56% of tickets/62% of cash. Carolina is currently +160 on the moneyline, while Kansas is a -205 chalk.

“The public is siding with the Tar Heels. We’ll need Kansas in this one,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said. “Kansas is also the better result in the futures market.”

The total dropped from the 153 opener to 151.5, but in the past half-hour inched up to 152. The Under is taking 53% of tickets and 61% of cash.

UPDATE 5 P.M. ET MONDAY: Four-plus hours before game time, Kansas sits at -4 (-115) on FanDuel’s college basketball championship game odds board. The Jayhawks opened at 4 flat late Saturday night, rose to -4.5 within a half-hour, dipped to -4 (-115) Sunday afternoon and hasn’t moved since. Kansas is drawing 59% of spread bets and 58% of spread dollars. Moneyline opinion is split, with North Carolina (currently +158) seeing 69% of tickets, while 55% of cash is on Kansas (currently -192).

The total opened at 152.5, ticked up to 153 within a few minutes and reached 153.5 within an hour. Late Sunday morning, the number returned to 152.5 and by this morning bottomed out at 151.5 (Over -115), where it sits now. Contrary to the drop, tickets and money are running 2/1 on the Over.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET MONDAY: On Saturday night, DraftKings pegged Kansas a 4-point favorite in the college basketball championship game odds market. Sunday morning, the number nudged to -4.5, but returned to -4 less than two hours later. The Jayhawks are seeing 62% of spread tickets and 56% of spread dollars. The total opened at 152, quickly popped up to 153, returned to 152 late Sunday morning and in the past hour dipped to 151.5. Still, tickets and money are in the 3/1 range on the Over.

UPDATE 9 P.M. ET SUNDAY: With tipoff 24 hours away, Kansas is a 4.5-point favorite at WynnBet, matching the opening line after spending a few hours early today at -5. Ticket count is 2/1 and money 6/1 on underdog North Carolina. The Tar Heels are also seeing the bulk of moneyline play, at 60% of tickets/82% of cash.

Regardless, the book is in a good position to both teams, even with some North Carolina championship futures bets at long odds pre-Tournament and earlier in the Tourney.

“We are just glad Gonzaga is not playing in this game,” WynnBet junior trader Andy Morrissey said. “We win pretty big to Kansas and to North Carolina, as well. They’ve been betting Carolina since the beginning of the Tournament.”

That said, it’s mostly small stuff at +7,500 or less, with the most noteworthy bet being $100 at 75/1, to win $7,500.

The total opened at 153 and inched down to 152.5 late this morning, although tickets are 2/1 and money 4/1 on the Over.

UPDATE 11:30 P.M ET SATURDAY: After spoiling Coach K’s storybook ending, North Carolina now hopes its surprising run to the NCAA championship game ends with a net-cutting ceremony Monday night. Regardless, with Kansas as the other participant, it’ll be a high-profile contest sure to draw a ton of action.

“It should be a well-bet game. The downside is that it’s only on the board for 46 hours,” SuperBook risk manager Neil Fitzroy said.

In a riveting Final Four battle Saturday night, the Tar Heels fended off No. 2 seed Duke 81-77 as a 4.5-point underdog. The Tar Heels are 11-1 SU/10-2 ATS in their last 12 games, including a pair of outright wins as an underdog against Duke.

Carolina stunned its archrival 94-81 catching 11 points at Duke in the March 5 regular-season finale. Saturday’s rematch was tight throughout, but the Tar Heels made their free throws late to land the victory.

North Carolina has cashed in all five of its Tournament games and is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 outings. The Tar Heels’ only on-court blemish since mid-February was a 72-59 loss to Virginia Tech as a 3-point favorite in the ACC tournament semifinals March 11. UNC also is on a 5-0 SU/ATS run as an underdog, which they will in the championship game.

Kansas was the only No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four and parlayed that into a spot in Monday night’s final. The Jayhawks (33-6, 20-18-1 ATS) got out quickly against No. 2 seed Villanova in Saturday’s first semifinal, building a 19-point first-half advantage and leading 40-29 at halftime.

The Wildcats got as close as six at 64-58 with about five minutes remaining, but the Jayhawks pulled away from there, cruising to an 81-65 victory as a 4-point favorite.

Kansas is riding a 10-game winning streak and is 7-2 ATS in its last nine outings, all as a favorite (2-0 ATS last two). Kansas is also 11-1 SU in neutral-site games this season. And although Bill Self’s troops are just 7-5 ATS in those dozen games, they’re on a 6-2 ATS neutral-court run this postseason.

The Kansas-Villanova game easily cleared the 133.5 total, ending a modest 3-1 Under stretch for the Jayhawks. North Carolina-Duke surpassed the 154 total, after the Tar Heels played to Unders in wins over St. Peter’s and UCLA in the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively. The Over is 12-6 in Carolina’s last 18 games overall and 5-2 in its last seven NCAA Tourney contests.

Kansas opened as a 4.5-point favorite tonight in The SuperBook’s college basketball championship game odds market. The first move came literally within minutes, as early money on Carolina pushed the line down to Kansas -4.

“It was all UNC at +4.5,” Fitzroy said, while noting championship futures are the more notable concern at the moment. “We will be rooting for Kansas in the futures. It’s a significant swing for us if North Carolina pulls it out.”

The total opened at 153 and saw no movement this evening, with Fitzroy noting “not much action on the total.”[/accordion]

Strong Championship Pedigree

Kansas is 3-6 is in NCAA championship games, including losing its last title-game appearance to Kentucky in 2012 (67-59 as a 6-point ‘dog). The Jayhawks last cut down the nets in 2008, when they defeated Memphis 75-68 in overtime as a 2-point pup.

North Carolina will be making its 12th championship game appearance. The Tar Heels are 6-5 all time, most recently defeating Gonzaga 71-65 as a 1-point favorite in 2017, one year after falling to Villanova 77-74 as a 2-point chalk in the title game.

UNC has the third-most titles, trailing only UCLA (11) and Kentucky (8). Kansas ranks seventh in the championship standings, tied with Villanova.

The Tar Heels and Jayhawks haven’t faced one another since squaring off in the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Tournaments. Kansas won both games by double digits, rolling 80-67 as a 2-point chalk in the Elite Eight in 2012 and 70-58 as a 6.5-point favorite in the second round in 2013. The Jayhawks also whipped Carolina 84-66 as a 2-point underdog in the 2008 Final Four, on the way to their last title.

The post College Basketball Championship Game Odds: North Carolina vs Kansas appeared first on Props.

March Madness betting has dwindled down to a quartet of teams, with NCAA Final Four odds now on the board. And this is quite familiar territory for all four schools.

In Saturday’s opening semifinal, No. 2 seed Villanova meets Kansas, the sole No. 1 seed to reach New Orleans. Then, in a Tobacco Road battle for the ages, No. 8 seed North Carolina meets No. 2 seed Duke, which is trying to send Mike Krzyzewski into retirement on the highest possible note.

Props.com breaks down each matchup, with insights from multiple oddsmakers on March Madness Final Four odds and action. Check back for updates through Saturday’s tipoffs.

https://youtu.be/U0wQkB5X8m0

NCAA Final Four Odds

Odds via BetMGM and updated as of 4:45 p.m. ET on April 2.

No. 2 Villanova vs No. 1 Kansas

UPDATE 5 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Just more than an hour before tipoff, Kansas is laying 4.5 points at TwinSpires Sportsbook, up a point from the -3.5 opener. Point-spread ticket count is 3/1 and money approaching 5/1 Jayhawks. “It’s been all Kansas money. That’s our biggest liability today,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said. The total went from 132.5 to 133 and back to 132.5, with 54% of tickets on the Under/57% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 11:30 A.M. ET SATURDAY: Several hours before today’s tipoff, Kansas is a 4.5-point favorite at BetMGM. With a couple of price variations, that’s where the number has been almost all week, after opening at Jayhawks -3.5. Kansas is getting 58% of spread tickets and 64% of spread money. The total opened at 131.5, quickly went to 132.5, dipped to 131.5 (Over -120) a couple of times this morning and is now 132.5 (Over -115). The Over is netting 57% of tickets/71% of money.

UPDATE 6 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Caesars Sportsbook opened Kansas a 3.5-point favorite on Sunday evening and quickly went to -4, then moved to -4.5 Monday morning. The line returned to Jayhawks -4 Wednesday evening, then to -4.5 late Thursday afternoon. At lunchtime today, Kansas again nudged down to -4, where the number sits now. Point-spread ticket count is just shy of 2/1 Jayhawks, while spread money is just beyond 2/1 Wildcats.

Interestingly, at the moment, overall handle on Villanova-Kansas is more than double that of the Carolina-Duke nightcap. Aiding that gap is a $260,000 alternate-spread bet on Villanova +6 (-130),

“We’ve taken some big bets on the Villanova-Kansas game,” Caesars assistant director of trading Adam Pullen said. “I think Duke-North Carolina will end up having the bigger handle, since it’s also the late game. It just hasn’t gotten those big bets yet like Villanova-Kansas has. The money at [the current spread of] 4 has predominantly been on Kansas.

“Obviously, the next 24 hours or so is when the bulk of the action will come in. I think [the line] has a better chance of going back up than going down further, because of the [Justin] Moore injury, and just with how good Kansas looked last game. That Miami game is definitely still in people’s minds.”

As Pullen alluded to, Villanova is minus Moore, who tore an Achilles tendon in the South Region final win over Houston. And Kansas outscored Miami 47-15 in the second half of the Midwest Region final, en route to a 76-50 rout.

The total is out to 134 from a 132 opener, with tickets about 2/1 on the Under, but money 4/1 on the Over. That includes a $220,000 bet on Over 133.

UPDATE 6 P.M. ET THURSDAY: With 48 hours to go before tipoff, Kansas is laying 4.5 points in DraftKing’s NCAA Final Four odds market. The Jayhawks opened -3.5 early Sunday evening, quickly moved to -4, advanced to -4.5 Monday morning, then briefly fell back to -4 Wednesday morning before returning to -4.5. Ticket count is 2/1 on Kansas, but money is almost dead even, with a slight nod to Villanova. However, on the moneyline, it’s 2/1 tickets and cash on the favored Jayhawks (-195).

The total rose from 132 to 133 by Wednesday afternoon, with the Over nabbing 55% of early tickets/81% of early cash.

UPDATE 4:30 P.M. ET TUESDAY: PointsBet USA pegged Kansas a 4-point chalk in its NCAA Final Four odds market, then briefly dipped to -3.5 before returning to -4 early Sunday evening. There’s now more of a tax on the Jayhawks, who are -4 (-125), with early ticket count running 3/1-plus and early money 9/1 on the favorite. The total opened at 133 flat, shuffled to various iterations of that number and is now 133 (Under -115), with tickets and money in the 2.5/1 range on the Under.

UPDATE 7:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Kansas ended a modest two-game ATS skid by putting together a dominant second half in Sunday’s Midwest Region final against No. 10 seed Miami. The Jayhawks (32-6 SU, 19-18-1 ATS) trailed 35-29 at the break. Bill Self’s squad then body-slammed Miami with a 47-15 second half to win going away, 76-50 as a 5.5-point favorite.

The Jayhawks are riding a nine-game winning streak and are 6-2 ATS in their last eight outings. Kansas is also 10-1 SU in neutral-site games this season, though it’s a middling 6-5 ATS in those 11 contests.

Villanova (30-7 SU, 20-16-1 ATS) has been a solid Big Dance bet, going 4-0 SU and ATS to reach the Final Four. In Saturday’s South Region final, the Wildcats stuffed No. 5 seed Houston in a defensive grind of a game, winning 50-44 as a 3-point underdog.

Like Kansas, Jay Wright’s troops have won nine in a row (6-3 ATS). Villanova is 21-6 ATS in its last 27 NCAA Tourney tilts. The Wildcats are shooting for their third national title in seven years, having also won the 2016 and 2018 championships.

“From a futures perspective, we are rooting for Nova or Kansas to win it all,” SuperBook risk manager Neil Fitzroy said this evening. “Either of those teams would be an excellent result for us. We’re looking forward to what is hopefully an exciting final weekend of March Madness.”

Jay Wright became Villanova coach in 2001 and Bill Self the Kansas coach in 2003. These two have since met six times — three times in the regular season, and three in the NCAA Tourney. Wright’s squad has had its way, going 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings, after Kansas won and covered in a 2008 Sweet 16 contest.

In fact, these two teams met in the 2018 Final Four, with ‘Nova rolling 95-79 as a 5-point fave.

Villanova’s win against Houston fell miles short of the 126.5 total, moving the Under to 6-1 this postseason for the Wildcats. Further, ‘Nova is 8-2 to the Under at neutral sites this season. The Under is also 3-1 in Kansas’ last four outings, with the rout of Miami never threatening the 146 total.

Including Villanova-Houston and Kansas-Miami, 11 of 12 games in the Sweet 16/Elite Eight stayed Under the total. And first-half Unders were 11-1 in those two rounds, as well.

Late this afternoon, The SuperBook opened Kansas as a 4-point favorite against Villanova, with a total of 131.5 on the NCAA Final Four odds board. The line quickly dipped to Kansas -3.5, while the total rose to 133. Early this evening, the Jayhawks returned to -4.[/accordion]

No. 8 North Carolina vs No. 2 Duke

UPDATE 7:15 P.M. ET: About 90 minutes pre-tip, Duke sits as a 4-point favorite at TwinSpires, matching the opener, and the Duke Blue Devils spent time this past week at -4.5. Opinion is definitely split, with 56% of spread tickets on North Carolina and 55% of spread cash on Duke.

“Great two-way action,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said. “Duke is our biggest futures liability, so we’ll be rooting for UNC.”

The total rose from 151.5 to 153, with 66% of tickets/72% of money on the Over.

“It’s a mix of public and sharp play on the Over,” Lucas said.

UPDATE 11:30 A.M. ET SATURDAY: Duke hasn’t moved off -4.5 all week in BetMGM’s NCAA Final Four odds market, save for a price adjustment to -105 Monday morning. The Blue Devils remain -4.5 (-105) this morning, while the Tar Heels are garnering 60% of spread bets and 72% of spread dollars. The total was painted to 151.5 all week before advancing to 152.5 in the past hour, though current betting splits weren’t available.

UPDATE 6 P.M. ET FRIDAY: On Sunday evening, Caesars opened Duke -4.5, quickly dipped to -4, then returned to -4.5 in the NCAA Final Four odds market. The line receded to Blue Devils -4 on Monday morning and remains there now, with 53% of spread bets on Duke and 58% of spread dollars on North Carolina.

“This game just has incredible storylines,” Caesars Sports assistant director of trading Adam Pullen said. “You have the Coach K factor, then two rivals who have never played in the NCAA Tournament before, let alone a Final Four. When they played first [this season] at Carolina and Duke handled them pretty easily, that was a different Carolina team. That Carolina team that won at Cameron [on March 5] is more indicative of their true self.

“But Duke is also playing really good basketball of late. Hopefully this game lives up to the hype. The hype on this one has more than any other Final Four game in recent memory.”

With the exception of a few minutes Sunday night at 150.5, the total has been steady at 151. The Over is drawing 54% of bets, while 69% of cash is on the Under.

UPDATE 6 P.M. ET THURSDAY: Duke is a 4-point favorite on DraftKings’ NCAA Final Four odds board, moving and sticking at that number Monday morning, after opening -4.5 Sunday. It’s two-way point-spread action with a lean toward the Blue Devils, at 54% of early tickets and 55% of early money. And there’s a segment of bettors eschewing the spread and favoring Duke on the moneyline instead, with just shy of 2/1 tickets and cash on the Blue Devils (-190) to simply win the game.

The total is up a tick from 150.5 to 151, also on two-way play, with 56% of bets on the Under/55% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 4:30 P.M. ET TUESDAY: Duke hasn’t moved off -4.5 yet at PointsBet USA, though the price for that number has adjusted a few times. The Blue Devils are currently -4.5 (even), with the Tar Heels netting 54% of early bets, translating into 80% of early cash. The total opened at 151 and is now 151 (Under -120), with 56% of bets on the Under/64% of cash on the Over.

UPDATE 7:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s victory tour now heads to the Big Easy, where the Big Difficult awaits in the form of hard-charging archrival North Carolina.

The Tar Heels (28-9 SU, 20-16-1 ATS) put a blunt end to the Cinderella run of March Madness No. 15 seed St. Peter’s on Sunday. North Carolina bolted to a 38-19 halftime lead and coasted to a 69-49 victory giving 8.5 points in the East Region final.

Such was the rout that The SuperBook — among other outlets — wasted no time getting a Carolina-Duke Final Four matchup on the board, posting the odds before halftime of St. Peter’s-Carolina. The Blue Devils opened -4, with a total of 149.5. The total was the first mover, with early Over cash quickly pushing the number to 150.5, then to 151. This evening, Duke action moved the Blue Devils to -4.5.

“We’re getting four huge brand names among the college hoops landscape for this Final Four,” The SuperBook’s Fitzroy said. “We expect our handle to be incredible, especially for the Duke-North Carolina semifinal. It’s wild how we’ve never seen the Tobacco Road rivalry in NCAA Tourney play.”

The Tar Heels are 10-1 SU/9-2 ATS in their last 11 games. Among those 10 wins: A 94-81 shocker as an 11-point underdog at Duke on March 5 in the regular-season finale, which doubled as Krzyzewski’s final home game. That followed Duke’s 87-67 blowout victory over the Heels in Chapel Hill on Feb. 5.

Carolina has cashed in all four its Tournament games and is 7-1 ATS in its last eight outings. The Tar Heels are also on a 4-0 ATS upswing as an underdog.

Meanwhile, Duke (32-6 SU, 20-16-2 ATS) found a place on the NCAA Final Four odds board by winning the West Region. In Saturday’s regional final against No. 4 seed Arkansas — which took out No. 1 Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 — the Blue Devils built a 12-point halftime lead en route to a 78-69 victory laying 4.5 points

Duke has cashed in its last three games, after an 0-5 ATS skid overall and an 0-6 ATS purge in NCAA Tournament play. In the last 10 clashes between these ACC rivals, North Carolina is 6-4 SU and a robust 8-2 ATS (3-1 SU/ATS last four).

The SuperBook already has a rooting interest, thanks to Duke being the worst remaining outcome for the book in the championship futures market.

“We are rooting against Duke,” SuperBook executive director John Murray said.

Duke’s win vs. Arkansas fell just shy of the 148 total, but the Over is still 8-2 in the Blue Devils’ last 10 overall. Further, the Over is 7-2 in Duke’s last nine on neutral floors. North Carolina’s lockdown win over St. Peter’s fell far short of the 138.5 total. However, the Over is 11-6 in the Tar Heels’ previous 17 games overall and 4-2 in NCAA Tournament play.

In addition, the last six Carolina-Duke contests have surpassed the total. However, as noted above, the Under went 11-1 in the Sweet 16/Elite Eight rounds, as did the first-half Under.[/accordion]

The post NCAA Final Four Odds: Villanova Vs Kansas, Duke Vs North Carolina appeared first on Props.

It’s on to Day 2 in the Round of 32, and the Sunday NCAA Tournament odds board features a matchup of college basketball coaching greats. Mike Krzyzewski, calling it a career after 42 seasons at Duke, meets Tom Izzo and Michigan State.

Arizona is the only No. 1 seed in action, taking on No. 9 seed Texas Christian in the West Region.

Props.com breaks down the second day of second-round games, with insights from multiple oddsmakers on Sunday March Madness odds and action. Check back for updates through tipoff of these contests.

Sunday NCAA Tournament Odds

Odds via BetMGM and updated as of 10:45 a.m. ET on March 20.

NCAA East Region Odds and Action

No. 6 Texas vs No. 3 Purdue

Game information: 8:40 p.m. ET at Milwaukee (TNT)

UPDATE 8:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Purdue opened as a 3.5-point favorite at TwinSpires sportsbook and has gone down to 3, despite 72% of tickets and 56% of money on the Boilermakers. Perhaps that’s due in part to the Big 12’s domination so far in the Tournament (five of six teams still alive, including Texas) and the Big Ten’s struggles (seven of nine teams already eliminated, with Michigan being the lone member to punch a Sweet 16 ticket).

“Sharp play on Texas +3.5,” Zachary Lucas, director of retail sports, said.

The total opened at 133.5 and is up to 135, with 74% of tickets and 78% of money the Over, which Lucas called a mix of public and sharp play.

UPDATE 10:45 A.M. ET SUNDAY: Texas and Purdue had little trouble winning and covering in their first-round games Friday to set up a Big 12/Big Ten clash.

Trailing No. 11 seed Virginia Tech by a point in the waning seconds of the first half, Longhorns guard Marcus Carr banked in a 55-foot heave at the buzzer to give his team a 34-32 halftime lead. Texas (22-11 SU, 13-20 ATS) took that momentum and ran with it in the second half, posting an 81-73 victory as a 1.5-point favorite.

The win snapped the Longhorns’ three-game losing skid overall and three-game slide in NCAA Tournament play. It was Texas’ first March Madness triumph since 2015.

Purdue (28-7, 14-19-2 ATS) notched its first Tourney victory since the 2019 Sweet 16, routing Ivy League champ and 14th-seeded Yale 78-56 as a 16.5-point chalk. It was the first time the Boilermakers held an opponent under 60 points since a 79-59 victory over Incarnate Word on Dec. 20.

Both these squads halted lengthy ATS slumps Friday. The Longhorns failed to cover in seven straight games, while Purdue was 0-8-2 ATS in its previous 10. Texas also snapped an 0-10 ATS drought in Tournament action.

Additionally, the Longhorns are 2-6 ATS in their last eight as an underdog, while the Boilermakers are 7-18-2 ATS in their last 27 when laying points.

Both also topped the total in the opening round, pushing the Over to 12-4 in Texas’ last 16 Tournament games and 4-1 in Purdue’s last five in this event. That said, the Boilermakers were on a 6-0 Under roll prior to Friday.

BetMGM pegged Purdue a 3.5-point favorite at the outset, and the line remains there this morning. The Boilermakers are getting a slim majority 53% of spread bets, but 67% of spread money is on the underdog Longhorns. The total is up a point to 134.5, with early ticket count 5/1 and early money 9/1 on the Over.[/accordion]

NCAA Midwest Region Odds and Action

No. 10 Miami vs No. 2 Auburn

Game information: 7:45 p.m. ET at Greenville, S.C. (TruTV)

UPDATE 6:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Auburn opened as a 7-point favorite at TwinSpires sportsbook and has stayed there, with 59% of tickets and 53% of money on Miami.

“Public leaning toward Miami,” Zachary Lucas, director of retail sports, said. “Not a big decision for us.”

The total has moved up from 143.5 to 145, with 64% of tickets and 71% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 11 A.M. ET SUNDAY: Two days after hanging on for its first NCAA Tournament win in six years, Miami will try to make it two in a row when it faces the region’s No. 2 seed.

The Hurricanes (24-10, 19-14-1 ATS) survived a final-shot scare against No. 7 seed USC in Friday’s opening round, escaping with a 68-66 victory as a 2-point underdog. Miami has won four of its last five SU and ATS. The lone blemish: an 80-76 defeat to Duke in the ACC tournament semifinals.

Auburn easily ousted 15th-seeded Jacksonville State, cruising 80-61 as a 14-point chalk for its first Tournament win since losing in the 2019 Final Four. The Tigers spent several weeks ranked No. 1 this season, thanks to a 19-game winning streak that stretched from Nov. 25-Feb. 5. However, they’re just 6-4 SU since, and they’ve followed a 13-2 ATS run by going 3-8 ATS in their last 11.

Miami is still just 2-6 ATS in its last eight NCAA Tournament games, but is otherwise on positive spread-covering runs of 23-8-1 as an underdog, 6-1 as a neutral-site ’dog, and 4-1 as a pup in the Tournament.

Auburn has cashed in five straight March Madness outings, but is 2-5 ATS in its last seven as a favorite this season.

Both teams stayed Under the total in their first-round games. That said, the Over is 6-2 in Miami’s last eight overall, 11-4 in Miami’s last 15 Tourney games, and 5-1 in Auburn’s last six in the Big Dance.

The Tigers were installed as a 7-point favorite, but have since ticked up to -7.5. The total is 144.5, up a point from the 143.5 send-out.

Auburn is a stable 7.5-point chalk at BetMGM, where underdog Miami is netting 57% of early spread bets and 64% of early spread dollars. The total moved from 143.5 to 144.5, then back to 143.5, with 54% of bets/84% of money on the Under.[/accordion]

No. 11 Iowa State vs No. 3 Wisconsin

Game information: 6:10 p.m. ET at Milwaukee (TNT)

UPDATE 4:20 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Wisconsin opened as a 3-point favorite at TwinSpires sportsbook, went all the way to 5, then has come back to 4, with 63% of the tickets and 70% of the money on Wisconsin.

“Mix of public/sharp money on Wisconsin,” Zachary Lucas, director of retail sports, said. “We’ll need Iowa State.”

The total opened at 125.5 and has gone to 126, with 56% of tickets on the Under but 57% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 11 A.M. ET SUNDAY: Two grind-it-out teams will fight for a Sweet 16 berth in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin (25-7 SU, 17-15 ATS) battled to a 67-60 victory over No. 14 seed Colgate on Friday, but the Badgers fell a hair short of cashing as 7.5-point favorites.

Wisconsin ended a two-game losing streak but failed to cover for the third straight game after going 5-0 SU (4-1 ATS) in its five previous games . The Badgers shared the Big Ten regular-season title with Illinois but were upset by Michigan State in their first game at the conference tournament.

Wisconsin is seeking its first Sweet 16 since 2017.

Iowa State (21-12 SU, 18-15 ATS) continued its remarkable turnaround from a 2-22 season a year ago, knocking off No. 6 seed LSU 59-54 on Friday as a 3-point underdog. The Cyclones earned their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2017 and are gunning for their first Sweet 16 trip since 2016.

Friday’s win snapped Iowa State’s three-game skid (1-2 ATS), including an embarrassing 72-41 loss to Texas Tech at the Big 12 tournament.

Both Wisconsin’s and Iowa State’s first-round games stayed Under. The Under is now 4-1 in the Badgers’ past five games. The Cyclones’ past two games have stayed low after four of their previous five went Over.

Wisconsin is up a point to -4.5 at BetMGM, where ticket count is 2/1 and money approaching 3/1 on the Badgers. The total rose from 124.5 to 125.5, with ticket count 3/1 and money 5/1 on the Over.[/accordion]

NCAA West Region Odds and Action

No. 11 Notre Dame vs No. 3 Texas Tech

Game information: 7:10 p.m. ET at San Diego (TBS)

UPDATE 6:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Texas Tech opened as a 7-point favorite at TwinSpires sportsbook, then went to 7.5 and now 8. Though Notre Dame is on 55% of tickets, Texas Tech is getting 63% of the money.

“Sharp play on Texas Tech -7,” Zachary Lucas, director of retail sports, said.

The total opened at 133 and is down to 132.5, with 60% of tickets and 64% of money on the Under.

UPDATE 10:45 A.M. ET SUNDAY: Two teams coming off double-digit first-round victories — one expected, one not — duke it out in America’s Finest City with a Sweet 16 bid on the line.

After surviving Wednesday’s First Four double-overtime thriller against Rutgers in Dayton, Ohio, Notre Dame (24-10 SU, 18-15 ATS) traveled to San Diego and took out No. 6 seed Alabama 78-64 as a 4-point underdog. The Irish, back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2017, haven’t made it out of the first weekend since losing back-to-back regional finals in 2015 and 2016.

Texas Tech, which normally leans on its defense, exploded for a season-high point total in a 97-62 thrashing of 14th-seeded Montana State, easily cashing as a hefty 14.5-point chalk. Even with the blowout, the Red Raiders (26-9 SU, 22-13 ATS) are still just 4-3 SU/2-5 ATS in their last seven contests.

Notre Dame is 5-1 ATS in its last six as an underdog, but 3-7 ATS in its last 10 at neutral venues.

Texas Tech — which lost in the second round last year after reaching the national championship game and Elite Eight in consecutive seasons in 2018 and 2019 — is now 7-2 ATS in its last nine NCAA Tournament contests.

The Irish were on an 8-0-1 Over tear before Friday’s game against Alabama stayed low (pushing the Under to 18-7-1 in their last 26 March Madness games). The Under also is 7-3 both in the Red Raiders’ last 10 neutral-site games and last 10 NCAA Tourney outings.

Texas Tech landed on BetMGM’s Sunday NCAA Tournament odds board as a 7.5-point chalk, and the line hasn’t moved yet. The Red Raiders are seeing 60% of spread tickets and 59% of spread cash. The total of 132.5 is also stable, with 57% of bets on the Over, but 73% of cash on the Under.[/accordion]

No. 7 Michigan State vs No. 2 Duke

Game information: 5:15 p.m. ET at Greenville, S.C. (CBS)

UPDATE 4:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Duke opened as a 6.5-point favorite at TwinSpires sportsbook, and the line has stayed there, with 53% of tickets on Michigan State and 55% of money on Duke.

“Great two-way action here,” Zachary Lucas, director of retail sports, said. “Parlay liability tied to Duke (money line).”

The total opened at 145 and has gone to 145.5 with 59% of tickets and 56% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 10:45 A.M. ET SUNDAY: Duke had little trouble Friday with No. 15 seed Cal State Fullerton, rolling to a 78-61 victory, but falling just short of cashing as an 18.5-point chalk. The Blue Devils (29-6 SU, 17-16-2 ATS) have failed to cover in five straight games and are 3-8 ATS in their last 11. Further, Duke is in an 0-6 ATS rut in NCAA Tournament play.

Meanwhile, Michigan State hung on Friday against No. 10 seed Davidson to set up the Krzyzewski vs. Izzo matchup. The Spartans (23-12 SU, 19-15-1 ATS) notched a 74-73 victory as 1.5-point underdogs Friday. That stretched Michigan State’s ATS win streak to five games, following a 2-8 ATS purge. The Spartans are on a 5-0 ATS run on neutral courts, as well.

These college basketball bluebloods have met regularly over the past decade, including in the NCAA Tournament. The most recent clash was last season at Duke, and Michigan State pulled out a 75-69 victory as a four-point underdog. In fact, the ‘dog 4-1 SU/5-0 ATS in the last five series battles dating to November 2016.

The last three Tournament meetings have come in the Elite Eight or Final Four. Duke won and covered the first two (2013, 2015), while the Spartans won and covered the most recent (2019).

Duke’s 6-0 Over spree ended against Fullerton (total 146), but the Over is still 11-3 in the Blue Devils’ last 14 games overall and 5-1 in their last six neutral-site contests. The Over is 6-1 in Michigan State’s last seven, with Friday’s tilt against Davidson topping the 139.5-point total.

Duke opened and remains a 6.5-point favorite at BetMGM, where it’s nearly dead-even two-way action. The Blue Devils are netting 52% of spread tickets and 53% of spread money. The total opened at 144.5 and stuck there Saturday, but it’s up 2 points this morning to 146.5, with 70% of tickets/87% of cash on the Over.[/accordion]

NCAA South Region Odds and Action

No. 9 TCU vs No. 1 Arizona

Game information: 9:40 p.m. ET at San Diego (TBS)

UPDATE 8:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Arizona opened as a 9.5-point favorite at TwinSpires sportsbook and stayed there, with 57% of tickets and 64% of money on the Wildcats.

The total opened at 143.5 and is up to 145.5, with 56% of tickets and 78% of money on the Over.

“Sharp play on the Over,” Zachary Lucas, director of retail sports, said.

UPDATE 11 A.M. ET SUNDAY: Arizona ended a mini-NCAA Tournament drought Friday, but that was nothing compared to TCU.

Arizona (32-3 SU, 20-14-1 ATS) earned its first Tournament victory since 2018, but the Wildcats did not cover as 21.5-point favorites in an 87-70 victory over No. 16 seed Wright State.

Arizona, the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament champion, is seeking its first Sweet 16 since reaching back-to-back Elite Eights in 2014 and 2015.

The Wildcats have won seven straight (4-3 ATS).

TCU (21-12 SU, 19-11-3 ATS) earned its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1987, crushing No. 8 seed Seton Hall 69-42 as a 1.5-point underdog. The Horned Frogs are 7-2 ATS in their past nine (5-4 SU).

TCU’s victory completed a 6-0 SU and ATS sweep for the Big 12 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The average margin of victory for Big 12 teams was 23 points, including four double-digit blowouts of 27 or more.

The Horned Frogs are seeking their first Sweet 16 since the Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Arizona’s game Friday stayed Under, snapping a six-game Over streak. The Wildcats are 20-15 to the Over this season. The Under has cashed in six straight TCU games.

The Wildcats opened and remain a 9.5-point favorite in BetMGM’s Sunday NCAA Tournament odds market. Arizona is collecting 60% of early spread bets and 70% of early spread dollars. The total is out to 145.5 from a 143.5 opener, with tickets 2/1-plus and money almost 4/1 on the Over.[/accordion]

No. 5 Houston vs No. 4 Illinois

Game information: 12:10 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh (CBS)

UPDATE 10:45 A.M. ET SUNDAY: BetMGM dropped Houston a point today, from the -4.5 opener to -3.5. Point-spread betting is two-way with a very slight lean toward underdog Illinois, at 51% of tickets and 52% of money. The total bounced from 133.5 to 134.5 and back, with 70% of bets/78% of cash on the Over.

UPDATE 11 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Illinois barely survived its first-round game Friday, and now the Illini are underdogs to lower-seeded (but more-well-regarded) Houston.

Illinois (23-9 SU, 13-19 ATS) led for less than a minute of game time, but the Big Ten regular-season co-champions survived a last-second shot to beat No. 13 seed Chattanooga 54-53.

The Illini never came close to covering as 7.5-point favorites, and they have now failed to beat the number in five of their past six games (despite going 4-2 SU). The ATS drought includes a 65-63 loss to Indiana in their first Big Ten tournament game.

Illinois is seeking its first Sweet 16 since losing in the national championship game in 2005.

Houston (30-5, 23-12 ATS) remains a covering machine, holding off No. 12 seed UAB 82-68 as an 8.5-point favorite Friday. The Cougars, the American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champions, have won and covered in four straight and eight of nine overall.

Houston is arguably the most underseeded team in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars are third in the highly respected KenPom rankings. The only teams above them are the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAAs.

Houston is seeking a second straight trip to the Final Four after losing to eventual national champion Baylor in last year’s semifinals.

Illinois is now 21-6-1 to the Under in its past 28 NCAA Tournament games after Friday’s low-scoring slugfest. Also, four straight Illini games overall have stayed Under. The Under is 5-2-1 in the past eight for Houston.

Houston opened and remains a 4.5-point chalk tonight at WynnBet, and it’s two-way action on the point spread. The Cougars are taking 54% of tickets and 57% of money. The total is stable at 133.5, with a ticket count of 4/1 and money running 2/1 on the Over.[/accordion]

No. 7 Ohio State vs No. 2 Villanova

Game information: 2:40 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh (CBS)

UPDATE 2:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Less than thirty minutes before tipoff, Villanova is -5 (-105) on WynnBet’s Sunday NCAA Tournament odds board. The Wildcats, who opened -5.5, are taking 69% of tickets, but money is much closer to two-way play, at 53% on ‘Nova. The total initially dipped from 133.5 to 132.5, but is now up to 134, with tickets 2/1 and money nearing 9/1 on the Over.

UPDATE 10:45 A.M. ET SUNDAY: Villanova opened -5.5 at BetMGM and this morning dropped a point to -4.5. The Wildcats are drawing 58% of spread bets, while spread money is running almost dead even. The total opened at 131.5, spent time at 132.5, then this morning shot up to 134.5. Updated betting splits weren’t available, though prior to that 2-point surge, tickets and money were beyond 2/1 on the Over.

UPDATE 11 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Two teams that barely surrendered a combined 100 points in their opening-round matches meet for a berth in the Sweet 16.

In what was arguably the ugliest game of the entire first round, Ohio State (20-11 SU, 16-15 ATS) took out 10th-seeded Loyola Chicago 54-41 on Friday, covering as a 1-point underdog. The Buckeyes, who entered March Madness in a 1-4 SU/ATS slump, advanced to the second round for the first time since 2018.

Villanova (27-7 SU, 17-16-1 ATS) struggled for most of the first half against No. 15 seed Delaware, but opened a 10-point lead by halftime and rolled to an 80-60 victory as a 15-point chalk. The Wildcats, who won the Big East conference tournament, have won six in a row and 11 of 12. However, they’ve alternated spread-covers in their last six games and are just 5-8-1 ATS in their last 14.

Ohio State, which hasn’t made the Sweet 16 since 2015, has cashed in four straight games as an underdog and five of six as a neutral-site pup. However, the Buckeyes are just 2-10 ATS in their last 12 Tournament contests. Conversely, Villanova is on a 17-5 ATS tear in the Tourney (16-5 ATS as a chalk).

Even though Ohio State never came close to the 133-point total against Loyola-Chicago, the Over remains 21-10 in its last 31 March Madness games.

Late Saturday night, Villanova is laying 5 points at WynnBet, down a half-point from the -5.5 opener. The Wildcats are taking 74% of spread tickets and 63% of spread money. The total is stable at 132.5, with tickets 3/1 and money 2/1 on the Over.[/accordion]

Props.com’s Matt Jacob and Jim Barnes contributed to this report.

The post Sunday NCAA Tournament Odds: Sharp Money On Texas Vs Purdue appeared first on Props.

It’s on to the Round of 32, and the Saturday NCAA Tournament odds board includes a few teams that jump out at you. Most notably among those outfits is No. 15 seed St. Peter’s, coming off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history.

Less surprising is a Saturday showdown between blueblood North Carolina and defending national champion Baylor.

Props.com breaks down the first day of second-round games, with insights from multiple oddsmakers on Saturday March Madness odds and action. Check back for updates through tipoff of these contests.

Saturday NCAA Tournament Odds

Odds via WynnBet and updated as of 9 p.m. ET on March 19.

NCAA West Region Odds and Action

No. 12 New Mexico State vs No. 4 Arkansas

Game information: 8:40 p.m. ET at Buffalo, N.Y. (TNT)

UPDATE 8 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Arkansas hasn’t budged off -6.5 at TwinSpires, with about 45 minutes to go until tipoff. New Mexico State is netting 56% of tickets, while 53% of cash is on the Razorbacks. The total opened at 139, dipped to 138 and is now 138.5, with 6% of tickets on the Over/53% of money on the Under. “Sharp play on Under 139,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Arkansas opened -6.5 and remains -6.5 at WynnBet, with ticket count 2/1 on New Mexico State and money 2/1 on the Razorbacks. The total opened at 139.5 and is now 138.5, with 72% of bets on the Over/78% of money on the Under.

UPDATE 5 P.M. ET FRIDAY: New Mexico State was responsible for one of two No. 12 over No. 5 upsets in Thursday’s opening round. Now the WAC champions find themselves as sizable underdogs in a second-round matchup with No. 4 seed Arkansas.

The Aggies (27-6 SU, 18-12 ATS) took the court as a 6-point pup against UConn in Buffalo and led most of the way en route to a 70-63 victory. New Mexico State, which snapped a 12-game NCAA Tournament losing skid dating to 1993, has won and covered four in a row.

Arkansas got all it could handle from 13^th-seeded Vermont on Thursday but held on for a 75-71 victory, falling just shy as a 4.5-point chalk. The Razorbacks (26-8 SU, 20-13-1 ATS) have followed a six-game winning streak by alternating SU wins and losses in their last four outings. Also, the Hogs have failed to cash in back-to-back games after a 14-2-1 ATS romp.

New Mexico State has cashed in five straight contests as an underdog, while Arkansas is in ATS funks of 1-3-1 as a favorite overall and 1-5 as a chalk in the Tournament.

NMSU’s game against UConn barely crept Over the total, making the Over 8-1 in its last nine neutral-site outings, 4-0 in its past four March Madness contests, and 5-0 in its last five neutral-site contests. Arkansas has topped the total in seven consecutive games overall and five straight at neutral venues.

Arkansas opened as a 6.5-point favorite on PointsBet USA’s Saturday NCAA Tournament odds board and hasn’t moved yet. Underdog New Mexico State is the play with early bettors, as ticket count is 3/1 and money 5/1 on the Aggies. The total opened at 139.5 and has seen only a juice adjustment so far, to Under -120. The Over is seeing 63% of tickets, while 59% of cash is on the Under.[/accordion]

No. 9 Memphis vs No. 1 Gonzaga

Game information: 9:40 p.m. ET at Portland, Oregon (TBS)

UPDATE 9 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Forty minutes from tipoff, Gonzaga is laying 10 points at TwinSpires Sportsbook, down a point from the -11 opener. The Zags are drawing 57% of spread tickets, and 60% of spread money is on the underdog Tigers. “Sharp play on Memphis +11,” TwinSpires director of retail sports said. The total rose from 154 to 155, with ticket count 2/1 and money 3/1 on the Over.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: The Zags have opened -11 (-105) at WynnBet, and dipped to -10 by late Friday night. Gonzaga is drawing 71% of spread money, but 80% of spread cash is on underdog Memphis. The total opened at 153.5 (Over -115) and is up to 154.5, with early ticket count 4/1 and practically all the early money on the Over.

UPDATE 5 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Gonzaga survived a bit of a scare in its opening-round game. Now the No. 1 overall seed will try to get past a ninth-seeded Memphis squad that’s on a roll.

The Bulldogs (27-3 SU, 14-13-3 ATS) found themselves tied with No. 16 seed Georgia State nearing the midpoint of the second half, then kicked it into gear and pulled away for a 93-72 victory. The nation’s highest scoring team outscored the Panthers 41-18 over the final 13 minutes and change, but still came up just short as a 22.5-point favorite.

Memphis had a completely opposite experience in its first-round game against No. 8 seed Boise State. The Tigers (22-10 SU, 16-15-1 ATS) opened a 38-19 halftime lead and remained in control for much of the second half before surviving a late Boise rally and extending for a 64-53 win as a 3.5-point chalk.

Gonzaga, which started last season 31-0 before losing to Baylor in the national championship game, enters Saturday having won 20 of its last 21 games. However, the Zags are just 10-8-3 ATS in that span, including 1-5-2 ATS in the last eight.

The Tigers, who are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, waltz into the Round of 32 on a 13-2 SU run. Additionally, Memphis is on ATS surges of 11-3 overall, 9-3 at neutral sites, and 16-5 as an underdog.

The Under is 3-1-1 in Memphis’ last five overall, 5-1 in its last six at neutral sites, and 7-3 in Gonzaga’s last 10 overall.

Gonzaga opened as a 10.5-point chalk early this morning at PointsBet USA, and the line remains there early this evening. Memphis is actually taking 61% of early spread bets and 85% of early spread dollars. The total is also stable, at 154.5, though 84% of bets/88% of dollars are on the Over.[/accordion]

NCAA East Region Odds and Action

No. 8 North Carolina vs No. 1 Baylor

Game information: 12:10 p.m. ET at Fort Worth, Texas (CBS)

UPDATE 11:15 A.M. ET SATURDAY: Less than an hour before tipoff, Baylor is laying 6 points at PointsBet USA, matching the opening number. However, the Bears did make a couple trips down to -4.5, late Friday night and within the past hour, before surging up. North Carolina is seeing 52% of spread tickets, while 55% of spread dollars are on Baylor. The total has bounced around, from a 149.5 opener down to 147.5 a couple of times, then up to 149, and it’s now 148.5. It’s two-way action, with 55% of tickets/52% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 6:30 P.M. ET FRIDAY: North Carolina and Baylor return to the court in Fort Worth, Texas, after posting the two biggest blowouts in Thursday’s opening round of games.

Baylor (27-6 SU, 17-14-2 ATS) began defense of its 2021 national championship by throttling No. 16 seed Norfolk State 85-49 as a 20.5-point chalk. The Bears, who were coming off an upset loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals, posted their highest point total since a 104-68 victory over Northwestern State back on Dec. 28.

North Carolina (25-9 SU, 17-16-1 ATS) followed Baylor to the court and hammered 11^th-seeded Marquette 95-63 as a 4-point favorite. The Tar Heels, who bowed out of the ACC tournament in the semifinals, opened a 53-25 halftime lead and cruised from there.

Baylor is 6-1 SU in its last seven games overall, but just 3-3-1 ATS. On the positive side, the Bears have now won seven consecutive NCAA Tournament games, cashing in the last six in a row (5-0 ATS as a favorite). Going back to 2019, the defending champs are 7-1 ATS in the Big Dance.

North Carolina is on a 7-1 SU/6-2 ATS roll. However, despite Thursday’s rout of Marquette, the Heels remain just 2-5 ATS in their last seven NCAA Tournament contests, and they’ve failed to cover in six straight as a Tourney underdog.

The Over is 15-6-1 in UNC’s last 22 games overall.

Baylor, which is 9-2 ATS this season when laying 7 points or less, is a 5.5-point chalk at PointsBet USA, with no movement yet off that opening number. Ticket count is almost dead even, but money is almost 2/1 on underdog North Carolina. The total also hasn’t moved, sticking at 149.5, despite an early 4/1 ticket count and 9/1 money count on the Under.[/accordion]

No. 5 St. Mary’s vs No. 4 UCLA

Game information: 7:10 p.m. ET at Portland, Oregon (TBS)

UPDATE 6:45 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Shortly before tipoff, UCLA is laying 3 points at TwinSpires Sportsbook, up from the -2.5 opener. St. Mary’s is taking 56% of spread tickets, while 61% of spread cash is on the Bruins. “Sharp play on UCLA -2.5,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said. The total is down a point to 126, with 56% of tickets on the Over/66% of money on the Under.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: UCLA hit WynnBet’s Saturday NCAA Tournament odds board at -2.5 (-115) and is now -3. However, ticket count is just shy of 2/1 on St. Mary’s, and money is nearing 2.5/1 on the Gaels. The total fell from 127 to 126, with tickets 5/1 on the Over and money 2.5/1 on the Under.

UPDATE 6:30 P.M. ET FRIDAY: One year after a stunning run from the First Four to the Final Four, UCLA nearly went one-and-done in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The Bruins (26-7 SU, 17-15-1 ATS) trailed 13^th-seeded Akron most of the way Thursday night in Portland, Oregon, but rallied late and held on for a 57-53 victory. However, they never threatened to cover the 13.5-point spread, ending a 6-0 ATS run in the Tournament (all last year).

St. Mary’s was another blowout winner Thursday, breaking open a tight game late in the first half and rolling to an 82-53 victory over No. 11 seed/First Four-winner Indiana. The Gaels (26-7 SU/20-10-2 ATS) had no trouble covering as a 2.5-point favorite.

UCLA is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games but has failed to cash in its last two after a 7-2 ATS surge. That said, the Bruins are still 8-4 ATS in their last 12 neutral-site starts.

St. Mary’s is 14-3 SU/11-4-2 ATS since Jan. 13, with two of the three outright losses coming to West Coast Conference rival and No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga. However, the Gaels have failed to cover in their last four as a March Madness underdog.

For St. Mary’s, the Under is on runs of 51-18 as an underdog, 9-4 at neutral sites, and 7-2 in the Tournament. UCLA also has stayed low in seven of its last 10 Tournament contests, but the over is 5-2 in its last seven games overall.

UCLA has been at various iterations of -3 in PointsBet USA’s Saturday NCAA Tournament odds market. The Bruins are currently -3 (-105), with 57% of spread tickets on St. Mary’s, but 74% of cash on UCLA. The total is stuck on 126.5, though early tickets and money are running 4/1 on the Over.[/accordion]

No. 15 St. Peter’s vs No. 7 Murray State

Game information: 7:45 p.m. ET at Indianpolis (CBS)

UPDATE 7 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Inside an hour before game time, Murray State is a 7.5-point chalk at TwinSpires Sportsbook, after opening at -8 and peaking at -8.5. Tickets and money are running almost 2/1 on underdog St. Peter’s. “St. Peter’s is our most-popular-bet ‘dog today. We’ll need Murray State to at least win, as St. Peter’s moneyline is a very popular pick,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said. The total is down to 128.5 from a 130 opener, with 61% of tickets/62% of money on the Under.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: WynnBet moved Murray State from -8 to -9 in its Saturday NCAA Tournament odds market. However, resident Cinderella St. Peter’s is nabbing 67% of spread bets and 59% of spread cash. The total is steady at 130, with 70% of bets/72% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 6:30 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Some 48 hours after pulling off the biggest March Madness shocker to date, St. Peter’s will try to score another upset when it meets No. 7 seed Murray State in Indianapolis.

The 15^th-seeded Peacocks went off as an 18-point underdog against No. 2 seed Kentucky on Thursday night, went toe-to-toe with the Wildcats the entire way, and eventually prevailed 85-79 in overtime. In knocking out a team that was among the top three favorites in to win the NCAA title, St. Peter’s (20-11 SU, 20-9-1 ATS) picked up its first Tournament win in school history.

Like the Peacocks, Murray State (31-2 SU, 17-12-1 ATS) needed overtime to advance to the Round of 32. Facing No. 10 seed San Francisco, the Racers squandered a late lead in regulation but gutted out a 92-87 victory, cashing as a 1.5-point favorite. It was the school’s fourth NCAA Tournament victory ever, and second since 2019.

Both these teams are scalding hot. St. Peter’s is on an 8-0 SU/ATS tear and continues to sport one of the nation’s best point-spread records. The Peacocks are also on ATS tears of 6-0 as an underdog and 12-2 at neutral sites.

Meanwhile, Murray State now owns the nation’s longest SU winning streak at 21-0. The Racers snapped an 0-3 ATS slide with Thursday’s spread-cover, but they’re still just a middling 11-9-1 ATS during their winning streak.

The Under is 5-2 in St. Peter’s last seven overall and 27-13-2 in its last 42 at neutral venues. Murray State has stayed low in seven of its last 10 March Madness outings.

Murray State hit PointsBet USA’s board as an 8.5-point favorite early today and by lunchtime got to -9, where the line sits now. St. Peter’s is taking 57% of spread bets, while 72% of spread cash is on Murray State. The total hasn’t budged off 129.5, though early tickets are 5/1-plus and early money almost 4/1 on the Over.[/accordion]

NCAA South Region Odds and Action

No. 11 Michigan vs No. 3 Tennessee (5:15 p.m. ET)

Game information: 5:15 p.m. ET at Indianapolis (CBS)

UPDATE 4:45 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Thirty minutes before tipoff, Tennessee is a 7-point chalk at TwinSpires Sportsbook, continuing a progression from -5.5 to -6 to -6.5. Ticket count and money are running 4/1 on the Vols. “Lopsided liability on the Vols. Michigan is a big need,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said. The total moved from 136 to 136.5, then back to 136, and it’s now 137. The Under is seeing 53% of tickets, while 64% of cash is on the Over.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Tennessee is up to -6.5 from a -6 opener at WynnBet, where 56% of bets and 78% of dollars are on the Vols. The total is stable at 136.5, with 70% of bets/66% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 5 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Tennessee (27-7 SU, 21-13 ATS) crushed No. 14 seed Longwood 88-56 as an 18-point favorite Thursday, continuing the Volunteers’ hot streak from the SEC tournament. Tennessee has now covered four straight, including three in a row last week to claim the conference tournament crown.

Michigan (18-14 SU, 14-18 ATS) rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to cover as a 1.5-point favorite in a 75-63 victory over No. 6 seed Colorado State on Thursday. Bouncing back from an opening loss at the Big Ten tournament, the Wolverines will now try to cover in back-to-back games for the first time since mid-January.

The Volunteers have won 16 of 18 SU, going 12-6 ATS. Meanwhile, Michigan has now alternated SU wins and losses in 11 consecutive games and alternated ATS wins and losses in its last 14. The Wolverines come into this one on an 8-1-1 spread-covering tear as an underdog at neutral sites.

Both teams topped the total in their opening-round games. The Over is now 20-12 in Michigan games this season (5-1 in the last six). Tennessee is 4-1 Over in its last five NCAA Tournament affairs.

Tennessee opened as a 6-point favorite at PointsBet USA, and the line has stayed there with 73% of tickets and 74% of money on the Volunteers. The total has moved from 133.5 to 135.5 with 77% of tickets and 72% of money on the Over.[/accordion]

NCAA Midwest Region Odds and Action

No. 9 Creighton vs No. 1 Kansas

Game information: 2:40 p.m. ET at Fort Worth, Texas (CBS)

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Kansas is out to a 12.5-point chalk at WynnBet, after opening -11 on Friday. However, that move has come despite point-spread money running almost dead even. The Jayhawks are taking 68% of point-spread tickets. The total is up to 140 from a 138.5 opener, with 71% of tickets and practically all the money on the Over, a couple of hours before tipoff.

UPDATE 5 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Kansas (29-6 SU, 18-16-1 ATS) pulled away from No. 16 seed Texas Southern in Thursday’s final game, covering as a 21.5-point favorite in an easy 83-56 victory. The Jayhawks have won six in a row and cashed in a season-high five straight.

Creighton (23-11 SU, 20-14 ATS) scored the final nine points of regulation to force overtime against No. 8-seed San Diego State, then pulled out a 72-69 victory as a 2.5-point underdog. The Bluejays trailed for almost the entire game against the Aztecs, who completed an 0-4 sweep for Mountain West teams in the NCAA Tournament.

During its 5-0 ATS surge, Kansas has cashed in four games as at neutral sites. Meanwhile, Creighton has now covered four straight and 10 of 12, and the Bluejays are also 20-8 ATS in their last 20 as an underdog. However, despite Thursday’s upset win, they’re still just 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 March Madness contests.

The Under is 5-2 in both teams’ last seven games, with Kansas staying low against Texas Southern and Creighton topping the total versus San Diego State.

Kansas has been one of the big early movers at PointsBet USA, going from the opener of -9.5 to -11.5 (-105), hitting -10 (-120) along the way. The Jayhawks are getting 72% of tickets and 84% of money. The total has moved from 137.5 to 139 and now 139.5, with 84% of tickets and 87% of money on the Over.[/accordion]

No. 12 Richmond vs No. 4 Providence

Game information: 6:10 p.m. ET at Buffalo, N.Y. (TNT)

UPDATE 4:45 P.M. ET SATURDAY: About 90 minutes from game time, Providence is a 3.5-point favorite at TwinSpires, after opening -3, dipping to -2.5, then returning to -3. The Friars are taking 62% of spread tickets, while 53% of spread cash is on Richmond. “We’ve seen sharp play on both sides,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said. The total opened at 133 and spent time at 133.5 on the way to 134, with tickets and money in the 2/1 range on the Over.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Providence opened -3 in WynnBet’s Saturday NCAA Tournament odds market and initially backed up to -2.5 Friday night. However, the Friars jumped to -3 and then to -3.5 midmorning today. Ticket count is 2/1 and money 4/1 on Providence. The total is stable at 134.5, with 56% of tickets on the Over/77% of cash on the Under.

UPDATE 5 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Providence (26-5, 18-13 ATS) shrugged off its doubters Thursday, winning and covering as a 2.5-point favorite in a 66-57 victory over No. 13 seed and popular upset pick South Dakota State. With the victory, Providence snapped South Dakota’s 21-game winning streak, which had been the longest in the country.

The Friars, who won their first-ever Big East regular-season title by percentage points over Villanova, also earned their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2016. They had lost eight of nine March Madness games since reaching the Elite Eight in 1997.

Richmond (24-12, 18-18 ATS) provided the first upset of this Tournament, knocking off No. 5 seed Iowa 67-63 on Thursday as 9.5-point underdogs. The Spiders remain one of the hottest teams in the NCAA Tournament, having won five in a row — including four straight as an underdog — and seven of nine.

Richmond is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, when it reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 12 seed before losing to No. 1 seed Kansas. (Is it fate? Richmond could meet No. 1 Kansas in the Sweet 16 this year.)

Providence has cashed in four of its last six games but remains just 1-5 ATS in its last six Tournament outings and 3-13 ATS in its last 16 at neutral sites. Richmond’s 4-0 ATS surge (all at neutral sites) follows a 2-7 ATS slide. Both teams stayed Under the total on Thursday. The Under is now 13-4-1 the Spiders’ last 18 overall and 5-1 in Providence’s last six at neutral venues.

Providence opened as a 3-point favorite at PointsBet USA, moved down to 2.5, back to 3 and now back to 2.5. Richmond is on 53% of tickets, but Providence is getting 56% of money. The total has been steady at 134.5, with 67% of tickets and 77% of money on the Under.[/accordion]

Props.com’s Jim Barnes and Matt Jacob contributed to this report.

The post Saturday NCAA Tournament Odds: Two-Way Play On Memphis Vs Gonzaga appeared first on Props.

With Selection Sunday just three weeks away, we’ve officially hit the home stretch of the 2021-22 college basketball season. And as scheduling fate would have it, that home stretch begins with a quartet of matchups on the Saturday college basketball odds board pitting Top 25 teams against one another.

The most anticipated of them all tips off in prime time in Waco, Texas, where No. 5 Kansas will attempt to complete a season sweep of No. 10 Baylor in a critical Big 12 showdown. A pair of pivotal SEC battles are also featured on the Saturday college basketball odds menu, as No. 6 Kentucky travels to No. 18 Arkansas and No. 3 Auburn visits No. 17 Tennessee.

At the back end of the day’s betting card is a West Coast Conference rematch between No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 23 St. Mary’s. Also out West, No. 16 USC pays a visit to Oregon in a key Pac-12 clash.

Multiple oddsmakers provided insights on opening/current lines and action for all five of these games that dot the Saturday college basketball odds landscape. Check back throughout the day for action updates.

Saturday College Basketball Odds and Betting Action

No. 5 Kansas Vs No. 10 Baylor (8 p.m. ET)

UPDATE 7:40 PM ET: Less than a half-hour before tipoff, there’s been no change in the point spread for this marquee matchup, as Baylor remains -2.5 at WynnBet. Tickets and cash continue to favor the home team, as 72.3% of wagers and 64.5% of the handle is on the Bears. The total also is holding steady at 148 (down from the opener of 149.5).

It’s nearly a dead-even split in ticket count, with 51.1% of bets on the Over. However, a hefty 80.9% of the cash is on on the Under.

UPDATE 3:25 PM ET: Baylor remains -2.5 at WynnBet, same as the opening line. The Bears are still seeing the majority of the action, with 73.3% of tickets and 57.8% of handle on the defending champions. The total remains at 148, with a slight majority of the tickets on the Under (54.6%) and nearly all the dollars on the Under (98.1%).

UPDATE 1:30 PM ET: As of noon ET, Wynn Bet had Baylor holding firm at the opening number of -2.5. The Bears were catching the majority of the action, as 75.7% of early spread bets and 78.9% of the money was on the home team. The total was down 1.5 points, from an opener of 149.5 to 148. While there was a 50-50 split in terms of ticket count on the total, the Under was catching an eye-popping 98.4% of early cash.

UPDATE 11:30 AM ET: Fresh off its highest-scoring performance of the season, Kansas (23-4, SU, 13-13-1 ATS) heads to Waco looking to move closer to clinching the Big 12 regular-season title by beating Baylor for the second time in three weeks.

The Jayhawks destroyed in-state rival Kansas State 102-83 on Tuesday, easily cashing as a 12-point home favorite. KU has now won four in a row and six of its last seven (5-2 ATS). With Big 12 leading scorer Ochai Abaji (20.2 points per game) leading the way, the Jayhawks have tallied at least 70 points in seven straight contests.

Like Kansas, Baylor (23-5 SU, 14-12-2 ATS) also picked up a victory early this week, but it wasn’t nearly as easy, as the defending national champs needed overtime to edge Oklahoma State 66-64 as a 4.5-point road chalk. The Bears have won four of five, but they’re 2-5-1 ATS in their last seven games. They’re also 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight at home.

Baylor, which trails first-place Kansas by 1.5 games in the Big 12 standings, will be looking to avenge its worst loss of the season, an 83-59 drubbing at Kansas on Feb. 5. The Jayhawks cashed as 2.5-point faves in that one, moving to 6-1 ATS in the last seven series meetings.

Although Kansas was favored in each of its first 27 games this season, DraftKings opened Baylor as a 3-point favorite. That spread remains -3, although 81% of the tickets/54% of the money are on the Jayhawks.

The total has plummeted to 147 from an opener of 150. That movement is in line with this solid trend: Seven of the last 10 Kansas-Baylor clashes have stayed Under the total, including four of the past five. [/accordion]

No. 1 Gonzaga Vs No. 23 St. Mary’s (7 p.m. ET)

UPDATE 7:40 PM ET: Gonzaga is pegged to -10.5 on the Saturday college basketball odds board at WynnBet, down from the opener of -11 but unchanged from three hours ago. St. Mary’s is still the preferred side among bettors as far as the spread is concerned, with 56.5% of wagers and 74.8% of money on the Gaels.

The total has not budged from WynnBet’s opening line of 145, even though the Over is getting the vast majority of bets (82.1%) and a solid majority of cash (58.5%).

UPDATE 3:25 PM ET: WynnBet customers believe there’s value on the home underdog in this one, as host St. Mary’s has shifted from +11 to +10.5 on the Saturday college basketball odds board. A slight majority of the tickets (57.7%) are on the Gaels, but they’re attracting a sizeable chunk of the cash (70.9%). The total remains at WynnBet’s opening number of 145, but there’s been solid two-way action with 81.3% of bets on the Over and 61.2% of the cash on the Under.

UPDATE 11:30 AM ET: For the second time in two weeks, No. 23 St. Mary’s (22-6 SU, 18-9-1 ATS) will attempt to hand Gonzaga its first West Coast Conference loss of the season — only this time, the Gaels get to host the top-ranked team in the land.

St. Mary’s traveled to Spokane, Washington, on Feb. 12 and gave Gonzaga a good battle before eventually falling 74-58, pushing as a 16-point road underdog. Since then, the Gaels have ripped off three straight wins (2-1 ATS), including Thursday’s 60-46 rout of San Diego laying 12 points on the road.

St. Mary’s — which has the ninth-best point-spread record in the nation — is 11-2 SU/9-3-1 ATS in its last 13 games and 15-0 at home this season (10-4 ATS).

Gonzaga (23-2 SU, 14-10-2 ATS) stretched its winning streak to 17 in a row with Thursday’s 89-73 takedown of San Francisco as a 10.5-point road fave. The Bulldogs are 10-5-2 ATS during their hot streak, which stretches back to Dec. 9. Gonzaga has won its five conference road games by an average of 26.2 points per contest, going 4-1 ATS along the way.

The Zags, who are riding a seven-game winning streak against St. Mary’s (4-2-1 ATS), opened as an 11-point road chalk at DraftKings. The line remains -11, despite lopsided action on the visitors as 77% of early tickets and 87% of early money is on Gonzaga. It’s the 23rd time in 25 games this season that the Zags have been a double-digit favorite.

The Over/Under has jumped to 145 after opening at 143.5 early Friday evening. Nearly all of the action at DraftKings is on the Over, which is catching 97% of all tickets and 99% of dollars. [/accordion]

No. 16 USC Vs Oregon (7 p.m. ET)

UPDATE 7:40 PM ET: Oregon is holding strong as a 4.5-point home favorite at WynnBet, which is up two points from the overnight line of -2.5. However, USC is now getting most of the support, with 60% of tickets and 52.6% of money on the Trojans.

The total is unchanged from the opener of 139, although it’s one-sided action on the Over in terms of both tickets (77.8%) and money (93.4%).

UPDATE 3:25 PM ET: After a significant two-point swing in the spread, Oregon has settled as a 4.5-point favorite at WynnBet. Some 6 1/2 hours before tip, this Pac-12 matchup is setting up as a Pros vs. Joes tussle, with 57.3% of all bets on road underdog USC and 53.5% of the handle on the host Ducks.

There’s been no movement in the total, which remains at the opening number of 139. That said, 80% of tickets and 94.7% of money has poured in on the Over.

UPDATE 11:30 AM ET: USC (24-4 SU, 13-15 ATS) takes a five-game winning streak to Eugene, Oregon, for a late-night Pac-12 battle with the Ducks, who need a victory to enhance their shaky NCAA Tournament résumé.

The Trojans required overtime to get past last-place Oregon State on Thursday, prevailing 94-91 but never threatening to cash as an 11-point road favorite. Although USC has been getting the job done on the court (7-1 SU last eight), it has been failing miserably at the betting window, going 2-7 ATS in the last nine.

Oregon (18-10 SU, 11-16 ATS) held off No. 12 UCLA on Thursday 68-63 as a 2.5-point home underdog. Despite the victory, the Ducks are just 2-3 SU in their last five games. However, they’ve now cashed in consecutive contests following an 0-5 ATS funk. Oregon also had no trouble with USC in Los Angeles back in mid-January, rolling 79-69 as a six-point underdog.

At DraftKings, Oregon opened -1.5 (-115) Friday evening but has shot all the way up to -4 (-115). Although 52% of tickets are on the Ducks, 92% of the cash at DraftKings is on the home team. The fact Oregon is laying points in this one is interesting from this perspective: During its ongoing 2-7 ATS slump, USC is 0-for-7 as a favorite but 2-for-2 as an underdog. In fact, the Trojans are 3-1 SU/4-0 ATS as a pup this season.

The total opened and remains at 138.5, with a slight juice modification of -115 to the Over. Early on, there’s lopsided action on the Over, at 82% of tickets and 89% of money. [/accordion]

No. 3 Auburn Vs No. 17 Tennessee (4 p.m. ET)

UPDATE 3:25 PM ET: Less than an hour before tipoff, Tennessee is still holding at -3, down from the opener of -3.5. Auburn is getting the bulk of the action, though, with 83.6% of tickets and 56.6% of cash on the Tigers. The total also hasn’t budged from the morning line of 140.5, which is up a point from the 139.5 opener. The betting public is anticipating a high-scoring game, as 77.8% of all wagers and 54.3% of the dough is on the Over.

UPDATE 1:30 PM ET: Tennessee opened -3.5 (-105) on the Saturday college basketball odds board at WynnBet, but had dipped to -3 (-110) by about noon ET. Auburn was taking the majority of bets (87%), but the Vols were attracting slightly more dollars (51.7%). The total jumped from 139.5 to 140.5 on significant two-way action, with 81% of tickets on the Over but 78.2% of money on the Under.

UPDATE 11:30 AM ET: Tennessee (20-7 SU, 16-11 ATS) will try to remain unbeaten at home — and hang in the race for the SEC regular-season crown — when it welcomes No. 3 Auburn to Knoxville.

The 17^th-ranked Vols pounded Missouri 80-61 as a 10.5-point road favorite on Tuesday, and in the process improved to 9-1 SU/6-4 ATS in their last 10 SEC games. Tennessee is 14-0 in its building this season, including 7-0 against SEC rivals. However, the Vols have covered in just three of those seven league home games.

Auburn (25-3 SU, 18-10 ATS) stands alone in first place in the SEC, one game clear of Kentucky and two games ahead of both Arkansas and Tennessee. Most recently, the Tigers took down Ole Miss 77-64 on Wednesday, but came up short as a 15.5-point home favorite.

Since starting the season 17-5 ATS, coach Bruce Pearl’s squad has cashed just once in its last five outings. Auburn also has failed to cover in four consecutive road games.

Despite being 0-6 SU/ATS in its last six battles with the Tigers — including five losses as a favorite — Tennessee was installed as a 3.5-point home chalk (-105) at DraftKings. The Vols are now down to -3 flat, with 82% of tickets and 78% of money on Auburn.

The total opened at 139.5 but is now sitting at 140 (Over -120). That line move makes sense, given that the last eight series meetings have gone Over the total. [/accordion]

No. 6 Kentucky Vs No. 18 Arkansas (2 p.m. ET)

UPDATE 1:30 PM ET: Wynn Bet installed Arkansas as a 1.5-point favorite, but the line now sits at -2. There’s a Pros vs Joes situation developing on this point spread, as 57.4% of tickets are on Kentucky, but 62.9% of money is on the Razorbacks. The total opened at 146.5 and is now down to 144. As with the side, the total is seeing two-way action, with 67.4% of bets on the Over, but a whopping 87.5% of the cash is on the Under.

UPDATE 11:30 AM ET: It’s not often that you see the sixth-ranked team in the country as an underdog against that’s barely inside the Top 20. Then again, it’s not often that you see a team on a 12-1 SU/ATS roll. That’s the case with No. 18 Arkansas (22-6 SU, 18-10 ATS), which opened as a 2-point home favorite against No. 6 Kentucky at DraftKings.

The Razorbacks continued their blazing-hot run Tuesday at Florida, winning 82-74 and cashing as a 1.5-point road favorite. Arkansas has now covered the spread in nine consecutive games overall, and its only blemish on the scoreboard in the last 13 games was a one-point loss at Alabama on Feb. 15. The Hogs also have won seven straight at home (6-1 ATS).

Kentucky (23-5 SU, 13-15 ATS) arrives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, fresh off back-to-back home wins over Alabama (90-81 as a 5.5-point favorite) and LSU (71-66 as a 7.5-point chalk). The Wildcats are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games, but 6-9 ATS in their last 15. They also have cashed just once in their last five SEC road outings.

At DraftKings, Arkansas is up a tick from -2 to -2.5, although 67% of all wagers and 58% of the cash is on Kentucky. The total opened at 147.5 early Friday evening but has since tumbled 4.5 points to 143. The Over is getting 77% of the tickets and 60% of the money. [/accordion]

The post Saturday College Basketball Odds: Baylor Still A Slight Favorite Vs Kansas appeared first on Props.

Super Bowl odds have been percolating for two weeks, getting plenty of attention as the 2021-22 season approaches its final Sunday. The upstart Cincinnati Bengals face the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56, with the Rams getting to play on their home field at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Feb. 13.

Both teams advanced to Super Bowl 56 as No. 4 seeds — Cincinnati as the winner of the AFC North and Los Angeles as the NFC West champion.

Multiple oddsmakers provided insights on opening/current numbers, line moves and action on Super Bowl 56 odds. Check back regularly right through Sunday’s kickoff for more updates.

https://youtu.be/pc6LxhEFZTQ

2022 Super Bowl Odds

Odds via The SuperBook and updated as of 5:45 p.m. ET on Feb. 13.

Super Bowl Point Spread

Opening line: Rams -3.5

UPDATE 5:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: Forty-five minutes before kickoff, PointsBet USA has Los Angeles a 4.5-point favorite. That’s up a half-point from the Jan. 30 opening line and a full point from a very brief stint at -3.5 midweek. It’s two-way action with a lean toward Cincinnati, which is taking 53% of spread bets and 56% of spread money.

“America believes in Joe Burrow,” PointsBet head oddsmaker Jay Croucher said. “All the late money has been on Cincinnati, tipping the balance, to the point where we’re now cheering for the home favorite.”

UPDATE 4:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: TwinSpires moved the Rams up to -4.5 this afternoon, up from the -4 line of this morning. The line opened Los Angeles -3.5 back on Jan. 30 and actually got to -4.5 in fairly short order, then returned to -4. Although L.A. is up to -4.5 today, Cincinnati is taking 55% of bets and 66% of money on the spread.

“The best-case scenario for us is the Rams by 1-3 points. I don’t see that changing before kickoff,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said.

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: With less than five hours until kickoff, DraftKings has the Rams -4 (-115), after opening Jan. 30 at -4 (-105). Since then, Los Angeles has toggled between -4 and -4.5 several times, with the last trip to -4.5 (even) lasting all of about one minute Saturday. The Bengals are taking 56% of spread bets and 52% of spread money.

UPDATE 10:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY, FEB. 12: With one more sleep until Super Bowl Sunday, The SuperBook decided to offer a little special to spread bettors: -105 juice on both sides up until kickoff. So it is that the Rams are -4 (-105) tonight, after opening -3.5, spending much of the past two weeks at -4.5, then dipping to -4 Thursday. Even the largest Super Bowl 56 wager so far isn’t moving the number.

“Friday, we had a guy but Bengals +4 for $380,000. But we stayed at 4,” SuperBook executive director John Murray said. “There’s no need to do anything drastic. There’s plenty of time until kickoff. But we’re definitely Rams fans right now.”

Murray admitted he’s surprised that Bengals are attracting 65% of spread tickets, and the spread money is running even larger than that on the underdog.

“All the six-figure wagers are on the Bengals,” Murray said. “Right now, we want the Rams to win and cover, and the Under. If the Rams won this game 23-10, we’d do awesome. It’s unusual to be rooting for the favorite to win and cover in the Super Bowl. It happens, but not very often.

“But most of the money hasn’t arrived yet. It’s coming tonight and Sunday.”

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET FRIDAY, FEB. 11: Caesars goeth to -3.5, and Caesars returneth to -4.

Caesars Sportsbook shook things up very early Thursday morning by dropping the Rams from -4 to -3.5 (see below). Late this morning, though, Caesars returned to Rams -4. The book has spent much of the past two weeks toggling between L.A. -4 and -4.5, after opening -3.5.

But the roughly 36 hours that Caesars spent at -3.5 did generate some of the desired Rams play. On Thursday, Cincinnati was netting 64% of tickets on the spread; that’s now down to 59%. And on Thursday, 56% of spread money was on Los Angeles; that’s now up to 63%.

Caesars also noted that two Rams bettors — both in Nevada — have more than $1 million each tied to Rams spread bets. That said, Caesars also took a second massive “Mattress Mack” Bengals moneyline bet. More on that below in the Super Bowl Moneyline section.

Also worth noting when it comes to the Super Bowl 56 point spread: As of tonight, the Rams have gone from a consensus -4.5 at most sportsbooks to -4 across the board.

UPDATE 7 P.M. ET THURSDAY, FEB. 10: In the very wee hours today — around 1:30 a.m. ET — Caesars Sportsbook put itself out there as the only legal U.S. book offering Rams -3.5. The move from -4 to -3.5 followed 10 days of toggling between -4 and -4.5, after opening Los Angeles -3.5. Tonight, Caesars remains at Rams -3.5, with 64% of tickets on Cincinnati and 56% of cash on Los Angeles.

But the 3.5 might not last too long, according to Caesars vice president of trading Craig Mucklow.

“We are testing the appetite of Rams bettors. Why bet them elsewhere?” Mucklow asked.

Last week, Caesars took a $4.5 million bet from Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale on Bengals moneyline +170. So perhaps the book is looking to manage that position by inviting Rams spread money. Or perhaps not.

“We want Rams money today. Tomorrow, we may want Bengals,” Mucklow said. “It’s about giving the public a choice and value.”

This afternoon at The SuperBook, the Rams dipped to -4, after sitting at -4.5 since Jan. 31.

“Some big bets came in [Wednesday] and today on the Bengals +4.5, and we felt the time was right to move down,” SuperBook executive director John Murray said.

UPDATE 8:15 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9: Inside 96 hours from kickoff, PointsBet USA has Los Angeles a 4-point favorite on its Super Bowl odds board, having just dropped to that number from -4.5 in the past few minutes. The Rams opened -4 on Jan. 30, nudged to various versions of -4.5 a few times last week, then on Sunday night briefly went to -3.5 (-115).

PointsBet bettors apparently jumped on that during a 25-minute stretch, after which the line went to -4 (-115) on its way back to -4.5 (-105) early Monday. L.A. is now -4 (-115).

“The Bengals continue to [hold] a slight edge in both tickets and handle, despite going back to +4,” PointsBet’s Wyatt Yearout said. “Currently, 57% of bets and 54% of handle are on the Bengals in the spread market.”

UPDATE 7:45 P.M. ET TUESDAY, FEB. 8: The Rams went from -3.5 to -4.5 in fairly short order early last week at TwinSpires, and earlier today, the line was at -4. It’s now back up to Los Angeles -4.5, though Cincinnati is seeing 52% of spread tickets and 57% of spread money. “We’re Rams fans as of today,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said.

UPDATE 9 P.M. ET MONDAY, FEB. 7: WynnBet remains painted to Rams -4 in the Super Bowl odds market, with only a couple very minor price adjustments since first posting that number on Jan. 30. As of tonight, Los Angeles is -4 (-112), while taking 53% of spread bets and 65% of spread money. So WynnBet’s position remains the same, as well: It is rooting for a Rams win/Bengals cover.

UPDATE 8 P.M. ET SATURDAY, FEB. 5: Los Angeles landed on WynnBet’s Super Bowl odds board as a 4-point favorite, and the number hasn’t budged at all, not even on the price. Point-spread ticket count is almost dead even, but the Rams are taking 61% of spread money. WynnBet said its need at this point is a Rams win and a Bengals cover, which also lines up with its Super Bowl moneyline/futures position (see below).

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET FRIDAY, FEB. 4: PointsBet USA opened the Rams as a 4-point chalk and moved to -4.5 multiple times during the first of two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. The most recent move to -4.5 came this morning, but tonight, the line dipped back to Rams -4 (-115). It’s two-way action on the spread with a lean toward the Bengals, who are taking 57% of tickets and 52% of money.

UPDATE 1:30  P.M. ET WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2: Los Angeles landed on DraftKings’ Super Bowl odds board as a 4-point favorite Sunday night, but with a modest juice reduction, priced at -105. Early Monday morning, the Rams moved to -4.5 (-105), then a few hours later went to -4 flat. Monday evening brought another rise to -4.5, and L.A. is now at -4.5 (-105) once again. However, contrary to the upward move, Cincinnati is taking the bulk of tickets and money, at 67% and 55%, respectively.

UPDATE 11:30 P.M. ET MONDAY, JAN. 31: Caesars Sportsbook opened the Rams -3.5 and didn’t stay there for long Sunday night before moving to -4. By lunchtime today, Los Angeles was up to -4.5, in part due to some hefty early wagers. Caesars didn’t release betting splits today, but the Rams have already drawn a $522,500 bet at -4 and a $105,000 bet at -4 (-105). After moving L.A. to -4.5, Caesars attracted a $110,000 bet on Cincinnati +4.5.

L.A. is technically the road team in the Super Bowl, but is playing on its home field at SoFi Stadium. However, Caesars assistant director of trading Adam Pullen isn’t putting a whole lot of stock in that perceived advantage.

“The Rams may be more comfortable with their surroundings, but I don’t think [home field] means that much at all to the spread,” Pullen said. “Other people might disagree and think it’s worth a little. Maybe that’s the reason why the spread has gone up. It was 50/50 for Rams and 49ers fans yesterday, and [the] Super Bowl is corporate. It’s not like it’s your average fan that’ll be in a lot of the seats.”

UPDATE 9:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY, JAN. 30: Cincinnati is the big surprise as one of the final two teams on the Super Bowl 56 odds board. Second-year quarterback Joe Burrow has the Bengals (13-7 SU and ATS) on the brink of their first championship. And Cincy did it the hard way, narrowly winning all three of its playoff games (the last two on the road) to land a spot at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13.

Cincinnati entered Sunday’s AFC Championship Game as a 7-point road underdog against No. 2 seed and two-time defending conference champ Kansas City. Then Burrow and Co. fell into a 21-3 first-half hole. But the Bengals rallied to take a 24-21 lead before the Chiefs forced overtime on a final-seconds field goal.

K.C. won the coin toss and took the ball, but Patrick Mahomes threw an interception on third-and-long. The Bengals subsequently drove their way to a 31-yard field goal to win 27-24. All three of Cincinnati’s postseason wins came down to the final play: a defensive stop at the goal line against the Raiders on Super Wild Card Weekend; a 52-yard field goal as time expired at the Titans in the divisional round; and Sunday’s OT triumph in Kansas City.

The Bengals enter the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history — and first time since the 1988 season — having cashed in seven consecutive games, while going 6-1 SU.

In the NFC Championship Game, Los Angeles rallied from a 17-7 fourth-quarter deficit to notch a 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. However, L.A. came up just short as a 3.5-point home chalk. The Rams (15-5 SU, 10-10 ATS) went ahead on a field goal with 1:46 remaining, then picked off Jimmy Garoppolo with less than a minute to play to seal the win.

The Rams are making their fifth Super Bowl appearance, including the second in the last four years.

“We saw one book open at Rams -5. We thought that was a little high. We’re gonna stay at -3.5 for now and see what happens,” Murray said minutes after the NFC Championship Game ended and The SuperBook posted its Super Bowl 56 odds.

What happened about 15 minutes after The SuperBook posted its opening number: The Rams moved to -4.

“We had board-cleaner players laying 3.5, because the market was higher, so we went with it,” Murray said of players looking to scoop up a perceived advantageous number. “We did take some big bets from house players on Bengals +4, but we are holding there for now.”

The Bengals are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games away from Cincinnati, including 4-0 ATS in their last four. And although the Rams didn’t cover tonight, they are still 8-1 SU/6-3 ATS in their last nine contests.[/accordion]

Super Bowl Over/Under

Opening Total: 51

UPDATE 5:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: The total opened at 49.5 and spent pretty much all of the past two weeks at 48.5 at PointsBet USA. Shortly before kickoff, this market is getting two-way action as well, with 56% of bets on the Over and money running almost dead even.

UPDATE 4:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: TwinSpires Sportsbook has hung firm at 48.5 much of the past two weeks, after opening the total at 49. Ticket count is 2/1 on the Over, but money is running 2/1 on the Under.

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: DraftKings opened the total at 49.5 (Over -115) on its Super Bowl odds board two weeks ago. On Jan. 31, the total was down to 48.5, and it bottomed out at 48 on Feb. 1. The number returned to 48.5 on Feb. 2 and has fairly stable there since, with the exception of about 12 hours last weekend. The Over is netting 58% of tickets and money.

UPDATE 10:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY, FEB. 12: The SuperBook had one of the higher opening totals, posting 51 back on Jan. 30, but it dropped to 48.5 by the afternoon of Jan. 31. The total didn’t move again until this morning, going to 49 for about four hours, then returning to 48.5. SuperBook executive director John Murray didn’t have splits available, but assured that the book is going to need Under, which is no surprise in the Super Bowl.

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET FRIDAY, FEB. 11: The total remained pinned at 48.5 today at Caesars Sports, with 54% of bets on the Over and 61% of money on the Under. Don’t be surprised if that stagnant line finally moves come Saturday, as business really starts to pick up with public bettors gearing up for the Big Game.

UPDATE 7 P.M. ET THURSDAY, FEB. 10: Caesars books opened the total at 50 and, like pretty much every other shop, quickly got down to 48.5, with the number stuck there since Jan. 31. The Over is seeing 53% of tickets, while 63% of cash is on the Under. With the weekend on deck, the public will start firing on the Over, though. So don’t be surprised to see this number tick up.

UPDATE 1:30 P.M. ET THURSDAY, FEB. 10: PointsBet USA dropped the total from 49.5 to 48.5 within a day, on Jan. 31, and bottomed out at 48 on Friday morning. On Friday night, the total returned to 48.5, where it held until rising to 49.5 late Tuesday afternoon. that lasted about three hours before PointsBet dialed back to 48.5.

“Significant action on the Over in the last 24 hours,” PointsBet’s Wyatt Yearout said. “Handle was split 50/50 [Wednesday], and now, 60% of handle is on the Over. Tickets are at 57% on the Over.”

UPDATE 7:45 P.M. ET TUESDAY, FEB. 8: The total nudged down a half-point early last week, from 49 to 48.5, and it hasn’t moved since at TwinSpires. The Over is attracting 69% of tickets thus far, but 63% of cash is on the Under. “It’s Pros vs. Joes on the total,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said, noting sharp play on the Under.

UPDATE 9 P.M. ET MONDAY, FEB. 7: It’s been six days since any movement at WynnBet, where the total opened at 49.5, dipped to 48.5 by Tuesday evening and stuck there. The Over is netting 56% of tickets, while the Under is seeing 67% of money.

UPDATE 8 P.M. ET SATURDAY, FEB. 5: WynnBet’s opening total of 49.5 lasted about 12 hours, falling to 49 Monday morning. On Tuesday evening, the total dropped another notch to 48.5, where it’s been stuck ever since. The Over is seeing 55% of tickets, while 67% of money is on the Under.

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET FRIDAY, FEB. 4: After opening at 49.5, PointsBet USA lowered the total to 48.5 Monday and stuck there all week. Then this morning, the total took another dip down to 48 (Over -115) before returning to 48.5 tonight. Much like the Super Bowl spread, the total is seeing two-way play: 52% of bets on the Over, 58% of money on the Under.

UPDATE 1:30 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2: DraftKings opened the Super Bowl total at 49.5 (Over -115), went to 49 Monday morning, then to 48.5 Monday afternoon. The Over/Under remains at 48.5 today, with 55% of tickets and money on the Over.

UPDATE 11:30 P.M. ET MONDAY, JAN. 31: The total is already down 1.5 points at Caesars books, opening at 50, dipping to 49 by midmorning  today, then to 48.5 late this afternoon. Caesars hasn’t yet released betting splits, but 48.5 is the consensus total, with several books currently offering that number.

UPDATE 9:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY, JAN. 30: The SuperBook opened the total for Super Bowl 56 at 51 and almost immediately dipped to 50.5, then to 50 a few minutes later. Both the AFC Championship Game and NFC Championship Game totals stayed Under, with the numbers closing at 54.5 in the AFC and 45.5 in the AFC.

“We moved the total down to get in line with the market,” Murray said.

Los Angeles will play the Super Bowl on its home field, where the Under is 6-1 in the Rams’ last seven outings. The Under is also 8-2 in the Bengals’ last 10 away from Cincy.

Additionally, after five of the six Super Wild Card Weekend games went Over the total, four of the last six playoff contests have stayed low.[/accordion]

Super Bowl Moneyline

Opening Moneyline: Rams -185/Bengals +165

UPDATE 5:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: After two full weeks of action, the moneyline at PointsBet USA is right where it started: Rams -200/Bengals +165. The low point of L.A. -180/Cincy +150 occurred three times, most recently late Friday night. Like the spread and total, it’s two-way action on the moneyline, with 53% of bets on the Bengals and 52% of money on the Rams.

UPDATE 4:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: TwinSpires opened the moneyline at Los Angeles -180/Cincinnati +150 and spent much of the past week at Rams -200/Bengals +165. This afternoon, the moneyline rose to Rams -210/Bengals +170. Similar to the spread, Cincinnati is taking 57% of tickets and 67% of money.

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET SUNDAY, FEB. 13: DraftKings’ Super Bowl moneyline market opened at Rams -190/Bengals +160 and peaked Feb. 4 at Rams -210/Bengals +175. Later that same day, the moneyline hit its low of Rams -180/Bengals +155, and it’s currently at the opener of -190/+160. Cincinnati is attracting 63% of tickets and 64% of cash to post the outright win.

UPDATE 10:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY, FEB. 12: As with the spread, The SuperBook has special moneyline pricing through Sunday’s kickoff, with a 15-cent straddle. Tonight, Los Angeles is -190 and Cincinnati +175, up from the -185/+165 opener two weeks ago, but shy of the -200/+175 high point.

“We need the Rams on the moneyline,” SuperBook executive director John Murray said, noting the book would take that, even though the futures book isn’t good to L.A. “We do really bad on the Rams in the futures, and great on the Bengals. But that won’t be factored into the way we book the game. There’s nothing we can do about that.”

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET FRIDAY, FEB. 11: While Caesars was able to acquire more Rams spread money over the last day or so, it also took another massive bet on Bengals moneyline. And again, it came from Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, who plowed $5 million onto Cincy +170. Last week, McIngvale put $4.5 million on the Bengals at +170.

So all told, the Houston furniture magnate — looking to hedge against a promotion he’s offering customers — has $9.5 million on Cincinnati moneyline, to win $16.2 million. Even with those millions coming in on Cincy, Los Angeles is still taking 52% of moneyline dollars, while the Bengals are getting 74% of moneyline tickets.

UPDATE 7 P.M. ET THURSDAY, FEB. 10: As noted above, Caesars took a $4.5 million dollar moneyline play on Cincinnati +170 last week, courtesy of Houston furniture magnate Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale. So that’s certainly helping skew moneyline splits, with the Bengals taking 77% of tickets/70% of money. Caesars opened the moneyline at Rams -185/Bengals +165 and peaked at Rams -200/Bengals +175 Jan. 31. Very early today, the price dropped substantially, from -190/+160 to -170/+150, in line with Caesars’ move to Rams -3.5 on the spread. The moneyline briefly nudged up to -180/+155 midmorning, then moved to -175/+150.

UPDATE 6:30 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9: PointsBet USA pegged the moneyline Rams -200/Bengals +165 at the Jan. 30 outset and has since made multiple trips to Rams -190/Bengals +160. This evening, it’s back at the opener of L.A. -200/Bengals +165. Interestingly, while other books are seeing more ‘dog action on the moneyline, the trend differs at PointsBet.

“It’s the Bengals with the slight edge in tickets, at 53%, but bigger bets have come in on the Rams, including a $240,000 bet [at -200]. Right now, handle is 72% Rams. Last Friday, it was nearly 80%,” PointsBet’s Wyatt Yearout said.

Of course, futures wagers placed early in the season on Rams and Bengals play into this market, too. Added PointsBet sports analyst Mike Korn: “Our futures book would benefit from a Bengals win, as we have more action on Rams futures. Overall, though, the book will be in a good spot come Sunday, with fairly balanced action all around.”

UPDATE 7:45 P.M. ET TUESDAY, FEB. 8: TwinSpires opened the moneyline at Rams -180/Bengals +150, and it’s now sitting at Rams -200/Bengals +163. Cincinnati is getting 58% of moneyline bets/64% of moneyline dollars. “The Bengals are a trendy ‘dog. It’s shaping up to be a big liability for us, but a lot could change this weekend,” TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. “Regardless of who wins, we’re a winner in the futures market, but we’d prefer the Rams to win.”

UPDATE 9 P.M. ET MONDAY, FEB. 7: The moneyline has been stable since Thursday morning at WynnBet, sitting at Rams -200/Bengals +165. Cincinnati is drawing 66% of moneyline bets and 53% of moneyline dollars. WynnBet junior trader Anthony Smock noted that at the moment, the ideal outcome is in line with the need on the spread (see above).

“We will need the Rams, both for the game’s moneyline and from a futures standpoint,” Smock said. “I feel like with that position, we are in a good spot, because the Rams match up well against the Bengals with their pass rush, and they have a good secondary. This is also [coach Sean] McVay’s second trip to the Super Bowl, which helps them, as well.”

UPDATE 8 P.M. ET SATURDAY, FEB 5: Los Angeles opened as a -190 moneyline favorite on WynnBet’s Super Bowl odds board, with Cincinnati +155 on the buyback. On Tuesday evening, the Rams drifted to -195, and by Thursday morning, L.A. reached -200, with Cincy +165. That’s where the moneyline remains tonight. The Bengals are netting 65% of tickets and 55% of cash.

Keep in mind that the Super Bowl moneyline is ostensibly the evolution of the championship futures market. As such, WynnBet said the Rams are the better result in the futures book, which to a degree is in line with the book’s need on the spread: A Rams win and a Bengals cover.

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET FRIDAY, FEB. 4: The moneyline opened at Rams -200/Bengals +165 in PointsBet’s Super Bowl odds market and initially dipped to Rams -190/Bengals +160 early this week. However, on Tuesday morning, the pricing returned to L.A. -200/Cincinnati +165, and it’s been unchanged since. Cincy is seeing 54% of moneyline bets, but 79% of moneyline dollars are on Los Angeles.

UPDATE 1:30 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2: The Rams opened at -190, with the Bengals at +160 in DraftKings’ Super Bowl odds moneyline market. Early Monday, the moneyline peaked at Rams -210/Bengals +175, and late Tuesday night, it hit a low of L.A. +180/Cincy +155. The pricing is now at Los Angeles -200/Cincinnati +170, with the underdog Bengals nabbing 70% of bets/63% of dollars.

UPDATE 11:30 P.M. ET MONDAY, JAN. 31: To reiterate, the Super Bowl moneyline is basically the evolution of Super Bowl futures odds. And with the Bengals having much longer odds preseason/early season, it’s not surprising that a few flier tickets are out there, with bettors hoping to cash out big.

Cincinnati is currently +170 on the moneyline at Caesars books. But in the Super Bowl futures market, the Bengals opened +12,500 (125/1) and went to +15,000 (150/1) after a Week 2 loss to the Bears. Caesars didn’t take any significant bets at either price, but did take a $3,400 bet at +10,000 (100/1) in mid-September, which would pay out $340,000. In late October, a bettor put $13,440 on Cincy at +3,500, to win $470,400.

Conversely, L.A. had relatively short odds all season long. The most noteworthy futures bet was for $5,000 at +1,200 in late September, for a potential $60,000 win. However, on Sunday night, Caesars took a $180,000 Rams moneyline -180 bet, to potentially win $100,000.

UPDATE 9:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY, JAN. 30: At this stage, the Super Bowl futures odds market ostensibly merges into the moneyline for the Big Game. The Rams opened -185 in the Super Bowl odds moneyline market, with the Bengals a +165 underdog. There was no movement tonight.

The SuperBook has a very cut-and-dry position on Super Bowl futures/moneyline.

“That’s an easy one,” Murray said. “The Bengals are a big winner for us, and the Rams are a big loser.”

For what it’s worth: Favorites went 5-1 SU and ATS during Super Wild Card Weekend of the 2021-22 NFL playoffs. However, in the last two weeks, underdogs are 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS.

The straight-up winner is 11-1 ATS in the postseason. The lone exception: The 49ers covering in their loss at Los Angeles.[/accordion]

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UFC 271 odds are on the board and getting attention for a big Saturday night card in Houston. For those who can’t wait until Super Bowl Sunday for hard hits — and don’t want to see penalty flags when such hits are delivered —  well, this should be your kind of night.

The main event at the Toyota Center is a rematch pitting middleweight champion Israel Adesanya against Robert Whittaker.

Nick Kalikas, MMA oddsmaker for Circa Sports, provided insights and intel on opening/current UFC 271 betting odds and action. Check back through Saturday evening for updates.

UFC 271 Odds

Odds via Circa Sports and updated as of 10 p.m. ET on Feb. 12.

Adesanya vs Whittaker Odds and Betting Action

UPDATE MIDNIGHT ET SATURDAY: With the main event on deck, Adesanya is a -275 chalk and Whittaker a +235 ‘dog at The SuperBook. “We are a few dimes out to Whittaker, but there is parlay exposure to Adesanya, and one limit bet on him would basically even out our position,” SuperBook risk manager Rex Beyers said. “I’m slightly disappointed in the volume, to be frank.”

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET SATURDAY: As the five-bout main card gets underway, BetMGM Nevada has Adesanya -330/Whittaker +260, after opening at Adesanya -275/Whittaker +225. “Tickets are about 60% on Whittaker, money is about the opposite, 60% on Adesanya,” BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton said. “It’s not a big decision. Good two-way action. All these [main-card] fights are pretty heavily bet, but not big decisions.”

UPDATE 1 P.M. ET SATURDAY: BetMGM opened Adesanya -275/Whittaker +200, and that’s where the prices sat this morning. However, the defending champion is now up to -300, with Whittaker a +240 underdog. Whittaker is actually taking 65% of tickets on tonight’s main event, but 57% of money is on Adesanya.

UPDATE 9:30 P.M. ET THURSDAY: Back in October 2019, which seems like forever ago thanks to the pandemic, Adesanya scored a third-round knockout of then-champion Whittaker in UFC 243. Since then, Adesanya (21-1) has gone 3-1 in four title bouts. Most recently, he posted a unanimous decision over Marvin Vettori at UFC 263 in June 2021.

Whittaker (24-5) rebounded from the Adesanya loss by winning his next three fights to earn another title shot. Whittaker last fought in April 2021, claiming a unanimous decision over Kelvin Gastelum while headlining a UFC Fight Night card.

Circa Sports opened this fight on Feb. 2 at Adesanya -265/Whittaker +225, then moved a nickel to -270/+230, and is now back at the opener.

“There hasn’t been any significant action yet, even though it’s an ultra-popular fight — a rematch, with Whittaker the former champ, and a high-stakes bout,” Kalikas said. “The line has been pretty steady. It just seems like the price is fair, not a lot of wiggle room. I expect on fight day, we’ll see some line movement, maybe some ‘dog action on Whittaker. I think people will respect him, and fans kind of want him to complete this comeback.

“We’ll probably need Adesanya, but not for a super-big decision. We’ll see more Adesanya action on parlays, more straight bets on Whittaker.”[/accordion]

Lewis vs Tuivasa Odds and Betting Action

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Tonight’s co-main has seen very little movement on the UFC 271 odds board at BetMGM Nevada. Derrick Lewis opened -195 and is down to -190, with Tai Tuivasa a +160 underdog. “Again, really good two-way as far as the money is concerned, a few thousand more dollars on Lewis. Tickets are 2/1 in favor of Tuivasa,” BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton said.

UPDATE 1 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Derrick Lewis opened as a -200 chalk at BetMGM, with Tai Tuivasa correspondingly a +165 ‘dog. Currently, that moneyline is down slightly to Lewis -190/Tuivasa +155. Early bettors definitely like the underdog price for tonight’s co-main event, with ticket count 2/1 and money 4/1 on Tuivasa.

UPDATE 9:30 P.M. ET THURSDAY: Derrick Lewis landed on Circa’s UFC 271 odds board as a -185 chalk Feb. 2, with Tai Tuivasa a +160 underdog. Lewis got as low as -165, and this heavyweight fight is currently priced at Lewis -173/Tuivasa +153.

“Obviously, we’re getting bet a little bit more on Tuivasa,” Kalikas said of early action. “Now, there’s some back-and-forth, respected action on both sides. At this ‘dog price, I expect more people to back Tuivasa. I expect to need Lewis when all is said and done.”[/accordion]

Cannonier vs Brunson Odds and Betting Action

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET SATURDAY: This fight has moved significantly at BetMGM Nevada, opening at Jared Cannonier -195/Derek Brunson +160 and now sitting at Cannonier -150/Brunson +125. “Money and tickets slightly favor the ‘dog Brunson, roughly 1.5/1 on both counts,” BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton said.

UPDATE 1 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Jared Cannonier is a -165 favorite this afternoon at BetMGM, where the buyback on Derek Brunson is +135. This fight opened at Cannonier -175/Brunson +155 and this morning was at -160/+130. Brunson is nabbing a modest majority 53% of tickets, while 67% of money is on Cannonier.

UPDATE 9:30 P.M. ET THURSDAY: In another middleweight clash, in the middle of the five-bout main card, Jared Cannonier opened a -185 favorite to Derek Brunson’s +160 underdog price at Circa.

“We’ve had some sharp play on this fight, for sure,” Kalikas said. “Early action on the ‘dog Brunson, then some buyback on Cannonier, and that was kind of respected action. But then we started getting multiple sharps betting the ‘dog side. We’re all the way down to -147 on Cannonier, +127 on Brunson. We got a flood of sharp money on Brunson, and we’re respecting that.

“I think the buyback will come on Cannonier, but not enough to overtake the Brunson side. We’re gonna need Cannonier on fight night.”

A little action apparently landed on the favorite late this evening, as the price moved to Cannonier -155/Brunson +135.[/accordion]

Other UFC 271 Odds and Betting Action

UPDATE 1 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Odds for the second fight on the five-bout main card have noticeably tightened at BetMGM. Renato Moicano opened as a -175 chalk to Alexander Hernandez’s +140 ‘dog price. Earlier today, the fight was at Moicano -160/Hernandez +130, and it’s now down to -150/+125. Ticket count is 3/1 and money 4/1 on the underdog Hernandez.

Moicano vs. Hernandez was supposed to be in the early prelims, but got bumped all the way up to the main card due to missed weights and a cancellation in other bouts on the card.

In the opening bout on the main card, Bobby Green is -150 and Nasrat Haqparast +125 in BetMGM’s UFC 271 odds market. That’s down slightly from the opener of Green -160/Haqparast +140. Haqparast is landing 54% of bets and 68% of money.

UPDATE 9:30 P.M. ET THURSDAY: A battle between Maxim Grishin vs William Knight opens the four-bout preliminary card. And even though it’s down the ladder a bit, this light heavyweight contest has the attention of Kalikas and his customers. Grishin opened a -195 chalk and Knight a +170 ‘dog in Circa’s UFC 271 odds market.

“We have a significant amount of action on this one. It’s been a popular fight at the betting window,” Kalikas said. “There’s a mix of sharp and public action coming in on Knight, and we’ve dropped to Grishin -165/Knight +145. This is technique vs. power, with Griffin the technique fighter. People are respecting the power of Knight. Knight has been very popular as an underdog, one of the most popular underdogs on this card.

“I’m respecting both sides. I personally know sharps who are waiting to buy back on Grishin when the price is right. But we’ll probably need the favorite small.”[/accordion]

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Super Bowl prop bets are standard fare at every sportsbook now, with the menu growing larger by the year. But there’s something special about the Thursday night following NFL conference championship weekend. Far and wide in sports betting circles, everyone knows what that night means: The SuperBook in Las Vegas is rolling out its massive array of Super Bowl props.

If Jim Nantz were here, he might deem it: “A tradition unlike any other.” And he’d be right.

There was no shortage of traditionalists, primarily in the form of sharp bettors, on hand for The SuperBook’s big-board reveal of 2022 Super Bowl proposition bets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cX8seuewTw

Hundreds Of Bets, Thousands Of Options

Upwards of 500 offerings for Super Bowl 56 hit the board at 7 p.m. PT Thursday. The menu included a dizzying array of two-way bets — Yes/No and Over/Under props — and plenty of index bets offering many more betting options for the Feb. 13 showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams. Such as the ever-popular Player To Score First Touchdown prop, with 20 Bengals and Rams players available to bet on.

The professional money flowed fairly steadily for an hour or so, with plenty of $2,000 max bets and surely countless $500 and $1,000 plays.

“It was better than last year, for sure,” SuperBook risk manager Rex Beyers said after the merry-go-round of bettors finally all jumped off.

And even with hundreds of Super Bowl prop bets available, Beyers said one got attacked repeatedly.

“They wouldn’t leave alone kickoff returns Under 5.5. They won’t stop betting it. They’re betting that every kickoff will be a touchback,” Beyers said. “If these kickers play to their stats, we’ll lose all those bets. If they kick like in last year’s Super Bowl, when everything was returned, we’ll win.”

When the window first opened for Super Bowl 56 prop bets, Over 5.5 kickoff returns was a -140 favorite and Under 5.5 a +120 underdog. By night’s end, the Under shot all the way to -190 chalk, with the Over a +170 ‘dog.

“We’re married to 5.5, and I don’t think we’re gonna get a divorce,” Beyers said. “At some point, someone will see it’s just too much juice and bet it the other way.”

Kicking It Around

Two correlated kickoff props got hit hard, as well.

“They bet the hell out of Yes on both kickers’ first kickoffs resulting in a touchback,” Beyers said.

For Rams kicker Matt Gay, that prop opened Yes -130/No +110 and moved to -150/+130. For Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, Yes/No opened a -110 pick ’em and surged to Yes -150/No +130.

Another prop that got punished by the pros: Rams vs. Bengals total rushing yards. Los Angeles opened a -25.5-yard favorite, then got bet down to -23.5 and -19.5 before finally stopping at -15.5.

“They all bet the Bengals plus-rushing yards. And that’s correlated with all the other Bengals rushing yards props, so we’ll have to decide whether to adjust all of those,” Beyers said.

The pros also played Unders on props involving Rams wideout Cooper Kupp.

“There was some anti-Kupp money, but we didn’t move much. There’ll be enough pro-Kupp money coming that we didn’t need to move too aggressively,” Beyers said.

Professional Opinions

Rufus Peabody, a regular for this annual prop-betting bonanza, noted one of the props that got his attention.

“Joe Mixon to have a touchdown before Cam Akers, at -110. My numbers said it was good,” Peabody said of the Super Bowl prop pitting the Cincy running back against the L.A. running back. A bet that opened pick ’em moved to Mixon -130/Akers +110.

Peabody ultimately ended up with a couple dozen plays Thursday night.

“Definitely worth the trip. There are more unique props here, and they have their own opinion here,” he said. “It’s a unique line set, and it gives me another set of lines to compare my numbers to. There are opportunities [here] to bet some props at a better price than elsewhere. There always is.”

“And there are some props here that aren’t anywhere else. So it helps me diversify.”

Some bettors dropped by just to soak it in a bit and digest some numbers, thinking on what they’ll bet later. Ted Sevransky fell into that category.

“I always like Yes on the three straight scores prop, even in a game where the spread is relatively short,” Sevransky said. “Look at Bengals-Chiefs. Cincy scored three straight times. And Rams-Bucs, both teams had three scores in a row at one point. If you’re expecting a competitive game, you’re expecting momentum swings.”

Since Beyers started with the kicking game, let’s finish there, with a prop on Rams punter John Hekker.

“Longest punt by Hekker opened Over/Under 55.5; it’s down to 53.5,” Beyers said, noting sharp pops on the Under. “That’s a tough number to dodge, because there will be Over money if you go much lower. But we are three limit bets out to it already.”

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