March has arrived with a surge of excitement in college basketball, as the regular seasons for major men’s conferences wrapped up with thrilling conclusions this past weekend. This week, the conference tournaments are set to commence, igniting even more fervor among fans as they await the unveiling of the March Madness brackets on Sunday night.
At the start of the week, Auburn is sitting at the forefront with the most favorable odds to claim the men’s national championship title, boasting odds of +325 as per the BetMGM online sportsbook. Trailing closely behind are Duke at +350, followed by Florida at +600, Houston at +800, and Alabama rounding off the top five with +1200.
Highlighting the Trends of the Week, Saturday saw an exhilarating face-off between St. John’s and Marquette, with the Red Storm narrowly clinching an 86-84 victory in overtime. St. John’s defied odds as a 3.5-point underdog, garnering the majority’s attention with 71% of spread bets backing them.
Meanwhile, the intensity of the historic rivalry between North Carolina and Duke continued in Chapel Hill, where Duke emerged victorious, securing an 82-69 win. Duke had garnered considerable backing among bettors, posing as a 9.5-point favorite and drawing in 70% of the bets.
Turning to the NBA, a significant clash unfolded at TD Garden, where the Boston Celtics triumphed over the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing with a 111-101 score. Boston exceeded expectations as a 7.5-point favorite, successfully covering the spread. Nonetheless, the Lakers attracted substantial attention, with 74% of bets and 64% of the money going towards their spread.
The weekend also marked notable shifts within the NFL, as major transactions transpired. Davante Adams joined the Los Angeles Rams, DK Metcalf moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. These strategic changes influenced Super Bowl odds, elevating the Raiders from +15000 to +12500, enhancing the Steelers from +8000 to +5000, and improving the Rams from +2500 to +2200.
In terms of Upsets of the Week, a standout moment was Alabama’s buzzer-beating victory over Auburn, overcoming a 7.5-point disadvantage and securing a 93-91 road win. Alabama’s triumph resonated with the public, drawing in 70% of the bets and 74% of the money.
On the PGA Tour at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Russell Henley achieved a remarkable comeback to surpass Collin Morikawa. Morikawa led by one shot entering the 16th hole, but Henley’s eagle shot flipped the game. Henley, initially a +4000 contender, attracted 1.7% of the bets and 1.2% of the money in pretournament wagers.
Looking ahead, NFL free agency is likely to stir further fluctuations in Super Bowl odds. Entering the week, leading teams include the Philadelphia Eagles (+650), Baltimore Ravens (+700), Buffalo Bills (+750), Kansas City Chiefs (+750), and the Detroit Lions (+800). The Lions are drawing the largest share of bets at 11.7%, while the Eagles account for the majority of the money at 17.6%.
