College Basketball

NCAA Tournament 2021: Elite Eight gambling recap

Updated Mar. 31, 2021 1:14 a.m. ET

As the 2021 NCAA Tournament nears its championship, the number of opportunities to bet on college basketball is dwindling – but there's still plenty of drama to be had.

To keep you updated on all the madness, here are the results of the point spread, moneyline and total over/under for each Elite Eight game and the tournament-wide trends so far (with all odds via FOX Bet).

TRENDS THROUGH FIRST 59 GAMES PLAYED*
Point spread: Favorites are 30-28 against the spread, with one "pick 'em" (the spread was 0).
Moneyline: Favorites are 37-18 outright, with one "pick 'em" and three games not on the board.
Total over/under: 35 games have gone "Under" the scoring total, 23 games have gone "Over," and there has been one "Push" (the final score landed exactly on the over/under).
*VCU vs. Oregon in the first round was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols, with Oregon advancing.

No. 2 Houston 67, No. 12 Oregon State 61
Point spread: Oregon State (+8 at FOX Bet) covered by losing by fewer than 8 points (6).
Moneylines: Houston (-400 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 wager on Houston to win would have won $2.50, plus your $10 back. Oregon State was a +280 underdog (bet $10 to win $28, plus your $10 back).
Total scoring over/under: Under 130 total points scored (128 combined points)

Call it the sweatiest game of the tournament. With both the spread and the over/under hanging in the balance until the very last whistle, Houston's victory over Oregon State was the whole thrilling betting experience in a nutshell.

No. 1 Baylor 81, No. 3 Arkansas 72
Point spread: Baylor (-8 at FOX Bet) covered by winning by more than 8 points (9).
Moneylines: Baylor (-400 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 wager on Baylor to win would have won $2.50, plus your $10 back. Arkansas was a +280 underdog (bet $10 to win $28, plus your $10 back).
Total scoring over/under: Over 148 total points scored (153 combined points)

It seemed like Baylor might cruise to a double-digit victory after the Bears took a 29-11 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the first half.

Instead, four Arkansas starters scored in double figures to make this one competitive as Baylor barely held on for the cover.

No. 1 Gonzaga 85, No. 6 USC 66
Point spread: Gonzaga (-9 at FOX Bet) covered by winning by more than 9 points (19).
Moneylines: Gonzaga (-500 at FOX Bet ) won outright; a $10 bet on Gonzaga to win would have won $2, plus your $10 back. USC was a +300 underdog (bet $10 to win $30, plus your $10 back).
Total scoring over/under: Under 154 total points scored (151 combined points)

The Pac-12 has had quite a run this tournament, but even the conference's magic didn't stand a chance against the indestructible buzzsaw that is Gonzaga.

Mark Few's crew won its 27th straight game by double digits, the longest such streak by any team in the past 60 years.

No. 11 UCLA 51, No. 1 Michigan 49
Point spread: UCLA (+6.5 at FOX Bet) covered by winning outright and also would have covered by losing by fewer than 6.5 points.
Moneylines: UCLA (+220 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 bet on UCLA would have won $22, plus your $10 back. Michigan was a -300 favorite (bet $10 to win $3.33, plus your $10 back).
Total scoring over/under: Under 136.5 total points scored (100 combined points)

The Elite Eight concluded with an absolute nail-biter, as Michigan was unable to capitalize on a decent look on its final possession.

Johnny Juzang (28 points, nine rebounds, two assists) scored more than half of the Bruins' points in a game that never came close to reaching the over/under.

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