2023 March Madness odds: Big futures favorite Kansas ousted by Arkansas
Kansas coach Bill Self has been watching the NCAA Tournament instead of coaching because of undisclosed health issues.
His Jayhawks will join their coach as spectators for the rest of the tournament.
There will be a new champion in men's college basketball this season after No. 8 seed Arkansas took down Kansas 72-71 in a West Region in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday.
Let's get into the upset from a betting perspective.
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The Jayhawks were the third-betting favorite (+1000, bet $10 to win $110 total) entering the tournament at FOX Bet. On the flip side, Eric Musselman's Razorbacks entered the tournament as underdogs, at +8000 to win it all (bet $10 to win $810 total).
Kansas was a popular bracket pick but also one of the most heavily bet teams in the futures market, including at FOX Bet.
FOX Sports betting analyst Patrick Everson spoke to an oddsmaker who had this to say about Saturday's upsets: "This is the most I've ever seen us win in a day. And this tournament, since Thursday, has been the gift that keeps on giving. We haven't had a losing day yet. ..."
Like the patron at the Vegas sportsbook, Arkansas coach Eric Musselman celebrated by working on his tan.
Kansas becomes the second No. 1 seed in this year's tournament to fall, following Purdue's historic exit to FDU on Friday.
Bettors who are, um, living high on the hog were the ones who got the four points and/or played the moneyline (+140 at FOX Bet, bet $10 to win $24 total).
Everson tweeted about a bettor who won $500,000 on a $550,000 wager on the Razorbacks +4 as well as winning $525,000 on the Tennessee Volunteers +4 against Duke, a 65-52 win for the Vols.
The Razorbacks pulled off the stunner by outscoring the Jayhawks in the second half 45-36. Arkansas trailed by 12 with 15 ½ minutes to go.
Junior guard Ricky Council IV made four consecutive free throws in a 13-second span to seal the upset for the Hogs.
This is the fourth time since the NCAA expanded the tournament field in 1985 that multiple No. 1 seeds failed to reach the Sweet 16 (2000, 2004, 2018).
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