Of the 16 Second Round games in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, only two featured lower-seeded teams as the favorite: One day after (6) Texas Tech failed to reach a third straight Sweet 16 with a loss to (3) Arkansas, (6) USC is seeking its first Sweet 16 since 2007 with a win over (3) Kansas.
In their first meeting with USC since 2011 (and 16th all-time), Kansas is a 1.5-point underdog in March Madness odds. If the Jayhawks fail to cover and lose, it'll be their second straight Second Exit after advancing to two Elite Eights and one Final Four in the three previous seasons. They hovered around .500 against the spread this entire season while USC, at 17-13, tied for the 15th-most ATS wins. And, unlike higher-seeded Arkansas against Texas tech, bettors like Kansas to cover.
As of Monday morning, 58 percent of spread tickets and 67 percent of the spread handle are on the Jayhawks. Here's the ticket and handle breakdown for Monday's Second Round games:
(2) Iowa vs. (7) Oregon
Bet
Ticket
Handle
Spread
64% on Iowa
69% on Iowa
Total
70% on Over
76% on Over
(1) Gonzaga vs. (8) Oklahoma
Bet
Ticket
Handle
Spread
67% on Gonzaga
77% on Gonzaga
Total
60% on Over
73% on Over
(11) UCLA vs. (14) Abilene Christian
Bet
Ticket
Handle
Spread
68% on UCLA
72% on UCLA
Total
82% on Over
84% on Over
(5) Creighton vs. (13) Ohio
Bet
Ticket
Handle
Spread
68% on Ohio
73% on Ohio
Total
51% on Over
50% on Over
(1) Michigan vs. (8) LSU
Bet
Ticket
Handle
Spread
55% on Michigan
58% on Michigan
Total
55% on Over
52% on Under
(4) Florida State vs. (5) Colorado
Bet
Ticket
Handle
Spread
52% on Colorado
63% on Colorado
Total
76% on Over
87% on Over
(2) Alabama vs. (10) Maryland
Bet
Ticket
Handle
Spread
73% on Alabama
78% on Alabama
Total
72% on Over
78% on Over
(3) Kansas vs. (6) USC
Bet
Ticket
Handle
Spread
58% on Kansas
67% on Kansas
Total
67% on Over
68% on Over
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Andrew Doughty is a writer for BetMGM and host of High Motor by BetMGM, an NFL and college football podcast available on Apple Podcasts and everywhere else. He has written for Sports Illustrated, HERO Sports, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter: @DoughtyBetMGM
Andrew Doughty is a writer for BetMGM with a focus on college football, NFL, college basketball, and NASCAR. A graduate of the University of Kansas, he previously wrote for Sports Illustrated and HERO Sports.
Andrew Doughty is a writer for BetMGM with a focus on college football, NFL, college basketball, and NASCAR. A graduate of the University of Kansas, he previously wrote for Sports Illustrated and HERO Sports.
