Published on: March 24, 2026, 06:40h.
Updated on: March 24, 2026, 06:46h.
- The initial weekend of betting saw high engagement on men’s games
- Sweet 16 action begins Thursday
- Key players and leading teams are attracting substantial interest on the women’s side
March Madness remains one of the premier betting spectacles annually, and this year’s excitement continues with the completion of the initial weekend matches in both men’s and women’s brackets, while the Sweet 16 kicks off on Thursday.
Sweet 16 Matches Announced
For men, Sweet 16 matchups begin Thursday with No. 11 Texas facing No. 2 Purdue at SAP Center in San Jose at 7:10 p.m. EST, followed by No. 9 Iowa playing No. 4 Nebraska at Toyota Center in Houston at 7:30 p.m. EST. Notably, No. 4 Arkansas will go head-to-head with No. 1 Arizona at SAP Center at 9:45 p.m. EST, while No. 3 Illinois takes on No. 2 Houston at Toyota Center at 10:05 p.m. EST.
Successful Weekend for Gamblers
“March Madness consistently ranks as one of the peak betting events, and this year is no exception,” stated Patrick Berbert, College Basketball Trader at Caesars Sportsbook. “The initial weekend saw a tremendous handle on the men’s side, particularly with favorites and well-known programs.
With the favorites going 16-0 on Friday, bettors were able to leverage those victories throughout the weekend, resulting in an impressive handle. When some underdogs began defeating these favorites on Sunday, the outcomes shifted considerably, and the betting volume continued to increase.”
Women’s Tournament Highlights
Starting Friday, the women’s bracket features No. 6 Notre Dame against No. 2 Vanderbilt at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, at 2:30 p.m. EST, followed by No. 4 North Carolina versus No. 1 UConn at 5:00 p.m. EST. Later that day, No. 4 Minnesota will square off against No. 1 UCLA at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento at 7:30 p.m. EST, and No. 3 Duke will face No. 2 LSU at 10:00 p.m. EST.
“Interest in women’s basketball continues to grow each year,” added Berbert. “Prominent players and leading teams are generating significant engagement, and we see more bettors wagering on individual games rather than just future outcomes.
“We noticed a strong initial interest in shorter underdogs on the money line. As tipoff approached, bettors confidently engaged with substantial spreads exceeding 50 points, indicating a growing confidence in their bets.”
Duke’s Popularity Among Bettors
According to a representative from theScore, since the first round commenced Thursday afternoon, Duke has attracted the highest percentage of bets to win the national championship among men’s teams. While five other teams, including Florida, which was eliminated Sunday, accounted for more tickets on tournament winners than Duke, led by Arizona, Michigan, and Houston.
As the weekend concluded, Michigan was favored at +300 odds to claim the national championship at theScore. They had the second-best odds at +375 entering the tournament on Thursday. Arizona held the second-best odds at +325, coming into the tournament with the third-best odds at +390 and had been favored at +320 before their first match on Friday.
Duke possesses the third-best odds at +370 after being a +320 favorite prior to their matchup against Siena on Thursday.
Focus on Future Betting Exposure
Berbert, looking ahead to the Sweet 16, highlighted the emphasis on future betting exposure at Caesars Sportsbook.
“From our standpoint, we’d prefer to see St. John’s eliminated at some point,” he mentioned. “Ideally, we want a balanced mix of outcomes, with some underdogs making it to the later rounds. Given that point spreads have tightened as the tournament progresses, we feel we are in a solid position with some favorites moving forward.
“Teams like Michigan, Duke, and Arizona are among our more favorable outcomes from a futures perspective. Of the eight Sweet 16 matchups, we expect the Illinois versus Houston game to garner the most betting activity, though we anticipate the other seven games will also see significant interest.
Line Movements for UConn
“With 16 Power 5 teams remaining, we are truly witnessing the elite competing at this stage of the tournament. Notably, when matchups feature these strong teams in the Sweet 16, betting interest typically spreads evenly, and we expect the handle to reflect that distribution.”
At BetMGM, the most significant line movements for women’s national championship futures include UConn shifting from +300 to -300 (Open to Current), UCLA from +700 to +475, and South Carolina from +250 to +900. The highest ticket percentages are UCLA at 16.5%, South Carolina at 15.7%, and UConn at 11.3%.
Top Liabilities Remaining
The highest handle percentages are UCLA at 26.7%, UConn at 24.7%, and South Carolina at 11.2%. The notable liabilities at BetMGM include Texas Tech, Michigan, and UCLA.
According to BetMGM, the most significant line shifts for men’s national championship futures are Michigan from +2500 to +300 (Open to Current), Duke from +1000 to +425, and Arizona from +4000 to +325.
“The opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament saw a chalk-heavy outcome, with favorites winning 22 consecutive games from Thursday to Saturday (on the men’s side). The sportsbook is hopeful for a few upsets during the Sweet 16. In terms of futures, St. John’s and Arkansas represent the biggest remaining liabilities, while all the No. 1 seeds are favorable outcomes,” stated Michael Ranftle, Senior Trader at BetMGM.