2023 Sweet 16 Best Bets & Predictions
Find out our favorite March Madness Sweet 16 Futures
Matthew Horner - Mar 14, 2023, 3:17pm EDTCheck out Our Favorite Sweet 16 Bets for 2023 NCAA Tournament
One of the most profitable ways to bet on the NCAA Tournament is to bet futures, like which teams will make the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and the Final Four. One of our favorite way to cash March Madness Futures is Sweet 16 bets, all we need is two little wins to be able to cash.
Below are the Sweet 16 odds for our favorite bets across three different sportsbooks and then we have a deep dive for each team and their path to cashing some Sweet 16 bets.
Don't forget that you can keep up with our model's college basketball picks for every single game in March. If there is a college basketball game being played, we have a pick from our model waiting for you!
Our Favorite Sweet 16 Odds for 2023 March Madness
Our Favorite Sweet 16 Bets for 2023 March Madness
Indiana Hoosiers +152 (DraftKings)
Indiana is a team that has the potential to cut down the nets at the end of the Tournament, but also has the potential to bow out in the Round of 64. Trayce Jackson-Davis is a superstar playmaker that is averaging 20.5 points per game and challenging Purdue's Zach Edey for the Wooden Award. When he and projected first-round NBA draft pick Jalen Hood-Schifino are on the same page, this team can be next to impossible to beat. However, that is unfortunately not always the case with this Hoosiers team.
Indiana has a great nonconference win over Xavier, and it swept both Purdue and Illinois this year in the Big 10. However, winning back-to-back games was a struggle for them for a majority of the season. Before the Big 10 tournament, Indiana went just 3-3 in their last six regular-season games. That type of Jekyll and Hyde performance is what is scary for this team, and what they need to overcome to make a run.
Duke Blue Devils +170 (DraftKings)
Duke got off to one of the slowest starts in program history when they sat at 5-4, but that quickly would change. Injuries were a big part of why they struggled early, with guys like Jeremy Roach, Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead all missing key games. Once they managed to get healthy, they didn't look back. Freshman Kyle Filipowski has been the lifeblood of the team, guiding them to some huge wins this season over teams like Xavier, Miami and Iowa. Oh, and they also won the ACC tournament championship after an eight-game winning streak. Can't forget that.
This is a team that seemingly is getting their momentum at just the right time. When the Blue Devils are in their groove, they can be hard beat, and they are certainly in that right now. Perhaps the Duke team that was overlooked all season is the one that brings them another CBB championship. Jon Scheyer would already start his tenure out in legendary fashion.
San Diego State +154 (FanDuel)
For the Aztecs, a run for them may come down on the shoulders of their star player, Matt Bradley. He started the season off ice cold, shooting just 26% from deep during nonconference play, but boy did he start catching fire during conference play. The San Diego State star hit a ridiculous 43% from three during Mountain West play, leading the Aztecs to a league title and secure their NCAA tournament spot. How he goes, so go the Aztecs, and they will need him in order to make a run here.
From January 14 to March 4, the Aztecs lost just twice. We haven't even talked about their defense, which is one of the best in college basketball every year. This is a very talented and confident group that is led by veterans, so they certainly can make a run at this thing.
Texas Christian +225 (BetRivers)
The biggest downfall for TCU could be their three-point shooting, which is one of the worst in the country at just 30% from beyond the arc. Not only that, but they are also terrible from the free-throw line, shooting just 70% for the stripe. So why are they a best bet? Look no further than the incredible Mike Miles Jr. He shot 58% from inside the arc before his injury which caused him to miss five games. He has since returned, but he still seems to be getting his groove back after shooting just 40% over his last five games.
If Miles Jr. can find that shooting touch he had before his injury, this is one of the hardest teams to take down in the tourney. They also would ideally like to have Eddie Lampkin back, who is out for personal reasons. A fully-healthy TCU is as dangerous as any team in the country.
UConn -105 (FanDuel)
It's hard to believe that UConn lost seven games this season in league play, but they had a really cold stretch in the middle of their schedule. The good news is that they had that at the right time, and now they are back to being one of the favorites. Wins over Alabama, Oregon, Iowa State, Creighton and Marquette mean that this team can compete with any in the field. They have the talent to win it all as well. Adama Sanogo is an absolute beast, averaging 16.9 points per game and 7.2 rebounds.
UConn owns the nation's top offensive rebounding rate, and also is ranked top-15 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency according to KenPom. There is a reason they are laying money to make the Sweet-16, they are likely to do so.
Kansas State +152 (FanDuel)
In Jerome Tang's first season leading the Wildcats, the former Baylor associate head coach has brought in a new era of Kansas State basketball. They finished the regular season with 23 wins and one of the best records in program history. They have wins over Kansas, Texas and managed to beat Baylor twice. Indeed, this is not your fathers Wildcat team. Keyontae Johnson has been the biggest reason for that success, averaging 17.8 points per game and dominating each and every night. We also can't forget Markquis Nowell, who has been almost as good at 17 PPG. Both players have been named to the all-Big 12 first team.
Their biggest problem has been turnovers. Kansas State committed turnovers on 21.3% of its possessions, for a ranking of 340 out of 363 Division I teams.
Iowa State +198 (FanDuel)
Another team that has a problem with the Jekyll and Hyde disorder, Iowa State doesn't know what it is. ISU started the season off by taking down No. 1 seeded North Carolina early, and started off their Big-12 schedule 4-0. Then, it all came crashing down. The Cyclones went 5-10 in their next 15 games. Entering the Big 12 tournament, they'd lost seven of their previous eight road games. Caleb Grill has since been dismissed from the team, and it seems as though Iowa State has been on a downward spiral for a while.
This is a team that seemingly peaked early, but they do have wins over Kansas, Texas, Kansas State and beat Baylor twice to get to where they are. They have a top-10 defense in the country, and they just need to learn what winning feels like again. If they can catch that fire on offense, they can be a surprise team to make a run.
Tail our 2023 Sweet 16 Picks with Bonus Funds from our Favorite Sportsbooks
What is the Sweet 16 for March Madness?
The Sweet 16 refers to the round of 16 teams remaining in the tournament.
The March Madness tournament begins with 68 teams and is divided into four regions, with each region having 16 teams. The first four days of the tournament, known as the First Four, involve the lowest-seeded teams competing for the final spots in the field of 64. The remaining 64 teams then play in the first and second rounds, with the winners advancing to the Sweet 16.
The Sweet 16 round is typically held in late March or early April and is one of the most exciting and highly-anticipated stages of the tournament. The teams play in a single-elimination format until the Final Four, which features the last four teams remaining in the tournament. The winners of the Final Four games then play in the championship game to determine the national champion.
How do Teams make it to the Sweet 16?
In college basketball, teams earn their place in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament by winning their first two games in the tournament. Here's a general overview of how a team qualifies for the Sweet 16:
- Selection Sunday: The selection committee, made up of representatives from various conferences, meets to determine the 68 teams that will participate in the tournament. The teams are ranked and divided into four regions, with 16 teams in each region.
- First Four: The four lowest-ranked teams play in the First Four, which takes place before the first round of the tournament. The two winning teams from the First Four move on to the first round.
- First and Second Rounds: The first and second rounds are held over the course of the first four days of the tournament. In the first round, the top-ranked team in each region plays the lowest-ranked team, while the second-highest ranked team plays the second-lowest-ranked team, and so on. The winners of the first round games advance to the second round, where they play against another winning team from the first round.
- Sweet 16: The winners of the second round games move on to the Sweet 16, where they play against another winning team from the tournament. The Sweet 16 is the third round of the tournament and consists of 16 teams, four from each region.
- Regional Finals: After the Sweet 16, the winning teams play in the regional finals, also known as the Elite Eight. The winners of the regional finals move on to the Final Four, which is the semifinal round of the tournament.
- National Championship: The two winning teams from the Final Four play in the national championship game to determine the NCAA Division I Men's or Women's Basketball Champion.
Can You Bet on a Team to Make the Sweet 16?
Yes, it is possible to bet on a college basketball team to make the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships. Sportsbooks and betting sites offer a variety of betting options for the tournament, including futures bets that allow you to bet on a team to make it to a certain stage of the tournament.
For example, before the tournament starts, you may be able to place a futures bet on a particular team to make the Sweet 16 or any other stage of the tournament. If the team makes it to the Sweet 16, your bet will be a winner, and you will receive a payout based on the odds at the time you placed the bet.
However, it's important to note that sports betting laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction, so you should check the laws in your area before placing any bets. Additionally, sports betting can be risky, and you should only bet with money that you can afford to lose.
Which Teams have made the Sweet 16 the Most?
Several college basketball teams have made the Sweet 16 the most in the history of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. Here are the top five teams with the most Sweet 16 appearances:
- Kentucky Wildcats - 48 appearances in the Sweet 16
- North Carolina Tar Heels - 32 appearances in the Sweet 16
- UCLA Bruins - 31 appearances in the Sweet 16
- Duke Blue Devils - 30 appearances in the Sweet 16
- Kansas Jayhawks - 30 appearances in the Sweet 16
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