College Basketball

NCAA Tournament 2021: How to bet Day 2 of the Sweet 16

Updated Jul. 20, 2021 8:12 p.m. ET

By Jason McIntyre
FOX Sports Betting Analyst

The first five days of the NCAA Tournament are in the books, and if you've been gambling with me, you’ve got some extra spring break money in your pocket, via a 30-21 record.

Let’s see if we can stay hot on Day 2 of the Sweet 16, as we once again pick every game agains the spread (with all odds via FOX Bet).

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Overall record this tournament: 30-21 against the spread

WEST REGION

No. 1 Gonzaga (-13) vs. No. 5 Creighton

Gonzaga has now won 25 straight games by double digits. I hate betting on poor foul shooting teams (Creighton is 329th), but this number feels a tad inflated, as the sportsbooks know they’re getting one-way money on this game.

Marcus Zegarowski and Christian Bishop are tough veterans who will have the Bluejays backdoor-cover. Pick: Creighton to lose by fewer than 13 points or win outright (+13 at FOX Bet).

No. 1 Michigan (-2.5) vs. No. 4 Florida State

The Wolverines needed a late push to pull away from LSU, but FSU’s length inside against Hunter Dickinson will be a formidable task.

Playmaking forward Scottie Barnes and scoring wing Raiquan Gray will be difficult challenges for an at-times plodding offense. Pick: Florida State to lose by fewer than 2.5 points or win outright (+2.5 at FOX Bet).

EAST REGION

No. 2 Alabama (-6.5) vs. No. 11 UCLA

The Tide shook off the cobwebs against Iona and blitzed Maryland with a 16-of-33 3-point performance. The Bruins are a young team with exceptional wing talents, but they might struggle against the blur that is the Alabama guard attack.

If this number extends to 6 or higher, I’d look very hard at the Bruins. Pick: UCLA to lose by fewer than 6.5 points or win outright (+6.5 at FOX Bet).

No. 6 USC (-2) vs. No. 7 Oregon

The numbers say USC is the side, with an impenetrable defense that ranks No. 1 in the country against 2-pointers, thanks to the Mobley brothers manning the paint. USC won the earlier meeting handily, jumping to a 17-1 early lead and rolling to a 14-point win in a game in which Isaiah Mobley didn’t play (calf).

Yet in a battle of two of the best coaches left in the tournament, this feels like a coin flip. Pick: Oregon to lose by fewer than 2 points or win outright (+2 at FOX Bet).

Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports gambling analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, "Coming Up Winners," in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010.

Play the FOX Super 6 Tourney Challenge all tournament long for your chance to win thousands of dollars every round! Just download the FOX Super 6 app for free and make your picks now.