Sweet 16 Friday: Betting Odds and Trends

The second day of the Sweet 16 will hit the court Friday starting with an interesting matchup between the No. 4 Butler Bulldogs and the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels.

At the Bovada sportsbook the Tar Heels check in as a 7-point favorite after going 1-1 against the spread through the first two rounds. Butler has also posted a 1-1 ATS mark through two rounds as they try to continue their mastery over North Carolina.

Butler last faced North Carolina in 2014 when they upset them 74-66 as a 9.5-point underdog. The Bulldogs have won their last two versus the Tar Heels, both as the underdog, and overall they’re a profitable 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as the underdog.

Giant killers No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks get their next test in the Sweet 16 against the No. 3 Baylor Bears as a 3.5-point underdog.

South Carolina shocked the Duke Blue Devils 88-81 as a 6.5-point underdog last round, but they’ve still been rough on bettors lately at 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games. Baylor has won their last three versus South Carolina and they’re 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS in their last six games.

The No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers also delivered a big upset in the last round when they took down the Villanova Wildcats 65-62 as a 5.5-point underdog. They get the No. 4 Florida Gators as a 2-point underdog in the Sweet 16.

Wisconsin is a solid 5-1 SU and ATS in their last six and they sport a 9-3 record SU in their last 12 versus SEC opponents. Florida is only 5-5 ATS in their last 10, but surprisingly deliver when favored by two points or less. The Gators are a perfect 8-0 SU and ATS in their last eight when favored by two points or less.

The last Friday matchup sees the No. 3 UCLA Bruins take on the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats. At Bovada the Bruins are a 1-point favorite.

UCLA snapped a four-game ATS losing streak last round with a 79-67 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats as 4-point chalk. Kentucky enters this one on a 13-game winning streak SU, but they’re only 5-6-2 ATS.

UCLA and Kentucky clashed in December and the Bruins came out on top 97-92 as an 11-point underdog. That fits the trends too, as UCLA is 5-1 ATS in their last six versus the Wildcats.