NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 odds and TV schedule: Will chalk continue?

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 23: RJ Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates a three-point basket during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 23, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

By Andrew DeWitt

Mar 25, 2024

If you’re a fan of upsets and Cinderella stories, the 2024 version of March Madness hasn’t been your favorite version of the annual tournament. The only double-digit seed to advance to the Sweet 16 is North Carolina State. Besides the Wolfpack, the next highest seed is No. 6 Clemson in the West Regional and all four No. 1 seeds and all four No. 2 seeds advanced past the tournament’s first weekend.

NC State is its own Cinderella story. It needed to win five games in five days to win the ACC tournament and get into the NCAA Tournament, and now it has beaten No. 6 Texas Tech and No. 14 Oakland to advance to face Marquette in the South Regional semifinal.

What does the abundance of chalk give the 2024 NCAA Tournament? The eight games scheduled for Thursday and Friday feature some great matchups. Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas and Detroit will host the four regions. Maybe the Sweet 16 will deliver the upsets that the first two rounds didn’t.

Favorites went 15-1 in the second round and are now 36-12 in the tournament. UConn is the biggest favorite in the Sweet 16, with the Huskies being favored by 10.5 points against San Diego State.

If you’re looking for scoring, North Carolina vs. Alabama is the game you want to watch on Thursday. The total is set in the 170s, and both teams could easily score in the 90s as they both feature up-tempo, high-scoring offenses.

Odds are from BetMGM and update live. Find the best ticket deals on StubHub.

GO DEEPER

Will Caitlin Clark and Iowa's second-round struggles be the key to a Sweet 16 victory?

Thursday games

Clemson Tigers vs. Arizona Wildcats

7:09 p.m. ET on CBS

San Diego State Aztecs vs. Connecticut Huskies

7:39 p.m. ET on TBS/TRU

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. North Carolina Tar Heels

9:39 p.m. ET on CBS

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Iowa State Cyclones

10:09 p.m. ET on TBS/TRU

Friday games

North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Marquette Golden Eagles

7:09 p.m. ET on CBS

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