March Madness Betting Info

[New York Knight]

Purdue is seeking its first Elite 8 appearance since 2000.

The Boilermakers have lost all three Sweet 16 games under Matt Painter, including a 32-point loss last year to Kansas, the largest tournament loss in Purdue history.

[New York Knight]

Since 2007 NCAA tourney, the Big Ten is 8-18-3 (31%) ATS in the Sweet16 - least profitable conference in the Bet Labs database

Purdue -2 vs. Texas Tech

[New York Knight]

The Greek Sportsbook‏ ...

Sharp Action

SYR / DUKE under

[New York Knight]

STEAM ...


UNDER WV / VILL (1st Half)
UNDER SYR / DUKE (1st Half)
OVER TT / PUR
OVER CLEM / KAN

[New York Knight]

No. 5 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks

Open: -4 / Move: -4.5 / Move: -5 / Move: -4.5 / Move: -5


Kansas is one of two No. 1 seeds remaining in the NCAA Tourney. The Jayhawks (29-7 SU, 19-15-1 ATS) topped a pesky Pennsylvania squad in the opening round, then fended off a late Seton Hall run Saturday for an 83-79 win as a 4.5-point favorite.

Clemson posted a pair of double-digit wins to reach this 7:07 p.m. ET tip in the Midwest Region. On Sunday, the Tigers (25-9 SU, 19-12 ATS) hammered Auburn 84-53 as a 2-point underdog Sunday.


“Finally, a game where the smart money seems to be aligned on one side,” Fields said (D.J. Fields, odds consultant for offshore sportsbook Bookmaker)

“We have watched money coming in on the Jayhawks ever since we opened up Kansas as a 4-point favorite. We have smart money holding Kansas -4 and -4.5, and it wasn't until we went to 5 that we started to see some buyback on Clemson. Thankfully, a small contingency of gamblers has seen Kansas as overvalued at that line, to help keep us balanced.”

[New York Knight]

No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Villanova Wildcats

Open: -5.5 / Move: -5 / Move: -5.5 / Move: -5 / Move: -5.5 / Move: -5 / Move: -4.5 / Move: -5 / Move: -5.5 / Move: -5 / Move: -5.5 / Move: -5 / Move: -5.5 / Move: -5


Villanova is the other No. 1 seed that survived the NCAA Tourney’s opening weekend. The Wildcats (32-4 SU, 24-12 ATS) easily won and cashed in both their games last week, including an 81-58 rout of Alabama as an 11-point chalk Saturday.

Likewise, West Virginia twice went off as a double-digit fave and cashed in the first two rounds of East Region play. On Sunday against Marshall, the Mountaineers (26-10 SU, 17-15 ATS) rolled to a 94-71 victory laying 13 points to reach tonight’s 7:37 p.m. meeting.

“March Madness is not a time for drastic line movement. The smart gambler may see some value early. However, due to the public's interest, the tightness of lines and the sheer volume written on each game, you just don't see significant decisions against smart money, and you don’t see late line movement,” Fields said. “Villanova vs. West Virginia is indicative of this. We opened Villanova as a 5.5-point favorite, but have since dropped the line down to 5. Every time we see smart money come in on Villanova (at -5), we see someone else we respect coming back on West Virginia (at +5.5). Will West Virginia’s press defense rattle ‘Nova, or will ‘Nova just take advantage and rain 3-pointers all night?”

[New York Knight]

No. 11 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 2 Duke Blue Devils

Open: -11.5 / Move: -11


There’s already one No. 11 seed in the Elite Eight, with Loyola-Chicago advancing Thursday night, and Syracuse hopes to join the Ramblers. The Orange (23-13 SU, 17-17 ATS) – already winners of three tourney games, since they had to get through a play-in game – knocked out No. 3 seed Michigan State 55-53 as a 10-point pup Sunday.

Duke had very little trouble last weekend, pounding out two wins of more than 20 points. The Blue Devils (28-7 SU, 22-11 ATS) roasted Rhode Island 87-62 giving 9 points Saturday to reach tonight’s 9:37 p.m. ET tip in the Midwest Region.

“Duke is a better team than Syracuse. The Blue Devils cruised past Iona and Rhode Island, and opened up as 11.5-point favorites over the Orange,” Fields said. “However, double-digit favorites are only 10-8 ATS in this year's tournament, and we have seen enough reluctance from gamblers to lay the high number that we have nudged the line down to 11. The action has been split down the middle here, and we’ll be hoping to knock down the Duke teasers.”

[New York Knight]

No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers

Open: -1.5 / Move: -1 / Move: -1.5 / Move: -2 / Move: -1.5 / Move: -2 / Move: -1.5


This is the only Elite Eight matchup to go precisely according to seeding, though both teams had to pull out tightly contested second-round games. Purdue (30-6 SU, 16-18-1 ATS) outlasted Butler 76-73 as a 4-point favorite Sunday, with the Boilermakers failing to cash for the 12th time in the last 15 games (2-12-1 ATS).

Texas Tech halted an 0-7-1 ATS purge while advancing to this 9:57 p.m. ET tipoff in the East Region. The Red Raiders (26-9 SU, 14-16-1 ATS) edged Florida 69-66 as a 1.5-point chalk Saturday.

“Smart money is seeing value in a Purdue team that would have been a 3- or 4-point favorite if not for the elbow injury to Isaac Haas,” Fields said, pointing to the likely absence of the Boilermakers’ standout center. “The Red Raiders love to score points in the paint, and if Haas isn't cleared to play, Purdue is going to need a big game from Matt Haarms if it wishes to keep its March Madness dreams alive. The line movement here is indicative of the split opinions we’ve been seeing. We opened at -1.5, before dropping down to -1, and then going back to -2 before the number seemed to settle in.”

[New York Knight]

Sports Insights‏ ...


Friday Betting

71% on Nova -5.5 vs WVU
57% on Kansas -5 vs CLEM
55% on Cuse +11 vs DUKE
51% on Texas Tech +2 vs PUR

[New York Knight]

Sports Insights‏ ...

Clemson vs. Kansas


Spread: 58% on Jayhawks -5

ML: 55% on Jayhawks -225

O/U: 64% on Over 144


25,520 total bets

[New York Knight]

Treasure Island ...


Texas Tech the only 'dog really drawing money tonight

Opened Purdue -3, down to -2

[New York Knight]

Over the past 6 seasons, Jay Wright is 104-58 ATS with more than 2 days to prepare.

In the same span, Bob Huggins is 71-73 ATS

[New York Knight]

Pregame Game Center ...


Public heavy on Villanova (71% of bets)

Sharps on Clemson (13% cash/bets differential)

[New York Knight]

Vegas Books Top Public %'s


Villanova -6 (62%)
Texas Tech +2 (59%)
Syracuse +11 (58%)
Kansas -5 (55%)


1-4 Yesterday

[New York Knight]

BetOnline ...


Both sharps and public on Villanova

Only 26% of cash on WVU

Sharps on Nova -4 & -5 (now -5.5 -115)

Sharp $$ also on Under 153.5 & 153 ... now 152.5

[New York Knight]

Sports Insights‏ ...

West Virginia vs. Villanova


Spread: 70% on Nova -5

ML: 60% on Nova -275

O/U: 59% on Over 153


32,886 total bets

[New York Knight]

LV SuperBook ...


Syracuse drawing 75% of pointspread tickets, but Duke landing 60% of ATS money

[New York Knight]

Sports Insights‏ ...

Texas Tech vs. Purdue


Spread: 52% on Red Raiders +2

ML: 58% on Red Raiders +117

O/U: 54% on Over 138


30,083 total bets

[New York Knight]

Michigan rolled past Texas A&M, 99-72, in the Sweet 16

Teams that won their previous tourney game by 20+ points and are popular favorites (getting +50% of bets) like the Wolverines ... the team has gone 32-48 (40%) ATS

[New York Knight]

Late in the tournament, Elite Eight or beyond, betting against the public has been a profitable strategy

The team getting fewer than 50% of spread tickets has gone 51-37-2 (58%) ATS since 2005


36% of bets on Loyola
30% of bets on Noles