A breakdown of the most wagered-on games and largest payouts at BetRivers and SugarHouse during the previous two stages of March Madness.
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The Final Four is all set, and for the first time in NCAA Tournament history, all four schools are located west of the Mississippi River. Undefeated Gonzaga opened -14 against UCLA in the second National Semifinal, which ties the record for the biggest spread in Final Four history since the field expanded in 1985. But before the Final Four tips off this weekend, read below for a breakdown of how BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com bettors wagered on the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
The No. 1 seeds provided some of the biggest public wins of the second weekend, with the Baylor Bears again leading the way. The public backed Baylor -7.5 vs. Villanova and -8.5 vs. Arkansas with more money than any other bets of the second weekend. Both times, the Bears covered. On top of that, Baylor ML -325 vs. Villanova in the Sweet 16 was the largest winning ML handle of the entire weekend.
The final game of the second weekend saw No. 11 seed UCLA advance from the First Four to the Final Four with a win over No. 1 seed Michigan in the most wagered-on game of the entire 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Most Wagered-On Games:
1. #1 Michigan vs. #11 UCLA (Elite Eight)
2. #1 Baylor vs. #5 Villanova (Sweet 16)
3. #2 Alabama vs. #11 UCLA (Sweet 16)
4. #1 Baylor vs. #3 Arkansas (Elite Eight)
5. #1 Gonzaga vs. #6 USC (Elite Eight)
Most Wagered-On Winning Bets:
1. #1 Baylor -7.5 vs. #5 Villanova (Sweet 16)
2. #1 Baylor -8 vs. #3 Arkansas (Elite Eight)
3. #1 Gonzaga -8.5 vs. #6 USC (Elite Eight)
4. #1 Gonzaga -13.5 vs. #5 Creighton (Sweet 16)
5. #1 Michigan -2.5 vs. #4 Florida State (Sweet 16)
Strongest Winning Bets by % of Total Handle:
1. 87%: Gonzaga ML vs. #5 Creighton (Sweet 16)
2. 86%: Gonzaga ML vs. #6 USC (Elite Eight)
3. 81%: Baylor ML vs. #5 Villanova (Sweet 16)
4. 76%: Baylor ML vs. #5 Villanova (Sweet 16)
5. 75%: Baylor ML vs. #3 Arkansas (Elite Eight)
Largest Payouts
1. $38,200: $20K wager on #1 Gonzaga -8.5 (-110) vs. #6 USC (Elite Eight)
2. $23,850: $9K wager on #12 Oregon State +14.5 Live (+165) vs. #2 Houston (Elite Eight)
3. $22,400: $8K wager on #11 UCLA 1H ML (+180) vs. #1 Michigan (Elite Eight)
4. $21,600: $12K wager on #1 Baylor -4 (-122) vs. #3 Arkansas (Elite Eight)
5. $19,300: $10K wager on #1 Michigan -2.5 (-108) vs. #4 Florida State (Sweet 16)
