NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Opening Odds for Every Game: UConn, Houston Favored in Marquee Matchups

The Sweet 16 field is set in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and there are a few days for teams, coaches, fans and bettors to decompress after a wild four-day stretch of games that saw the defending national champion ousted in the second round.

Todd Golden's Florida Gators were upset by the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday night, leaving three No. 1 seeds, four No. 2 seeds and two No. 3 seeds in the NCAA Tournament heading into Thursday's Sweet 16 action.

There are some terrific matchups set for Thursday and Friday, including a pair of No. 3 vs. No. 2 battles: Michigan State vs. UConn and Illinois vs. Houston. Oddsmakers at the best betting sites have set one-possession spreads in both of those games with a spot in the Elite 8 on the line.

The SI Betting team has already taken a look at the latest odds to win the NCAA Tournament as well as each team's odds to make the Final Four after Florida's upset loss. While the top seeds (Duke, Michigan and Arizona) are all odds-on favorites to make the Final Four, the path gets even tougher starting on Thursday.

Here's a look at the opening odds for every Sweet 16 matchup.

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Texas vs. Purdue Odds and Total for Sweet 16

Spread: Purdue -7.5 (-120)
Total: 148.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Purdue is riding high after winning the Big Ten Tournament, knocking off Miami (FL) in the second round on Sunday. The Boilermakers are heavily favored against the only double-digit seed left in the NCAA Tournament (Texas) on Thursday. The Longhorns are attempting to make a run from the First Four to the Final Four, and they've already knocked off No. 6 BYU and No. 3 Gonzaga.

Iowa vs. Nebraska Odds and Total for Sweet 16

Spread: Nebraska -2.5 (-110)
Total: 134.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Nebraska now has two wins in the NCAA Tournament in program history, and it's looking to add a third against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Sweet 16. Nebraska is favored in this matchup, but it split the two meetings between these teams in the regular season.

Arkansas vs. Arizona Odds and Total for Sweet 16

Spread: Arizona -8.5 (-110)
Total: 166.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

This may be the best matchup of the weekend, even if the spread suggests a comfortable win for Arizona. The Wildcats have the second-best odds to win the NCAA Tournament, but they'll have their hands full with an elite Arkansas offense led by potential lottery pick Darius Acuff.

Illinois vs. Houston Odds and Total for Sweet 16

Spread: Houston -2.5 (-114)
Total: 140.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Houston and Illinois both saw a path to the Final Four open with Florida's loss on Sunday, but who will take this matchup? Both teams have dominated in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and they're the No. 4 (Houston) and No. 6 (Illinois) teams in KenPom's latest rankings.

St. John’s vs. Duke Odds and Total for Sweet 16

Spread: Duke -6.5 (-115)
Total: 142.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Duke survived a scare in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Siena, and it turned things on in the second half of a blowout win over TCU. Now, the Blue Devils take on Rick Pitino's St. John's club, that won the Big East Tournament and has been one of the hottest teams in collge basketball for months. St. John's knocked off Kansas in the second round and is about as battle-tested as anyone left in the NCAA Tournament.

Alabama vs. Michigan Odds and Total for Sweet 16

Spread: Michigan -10.5 (-110)
Total: 175.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Nate Oats keeps leading Alabama to the Sweet 16, but the task gets a lot tougher against the Michigan Wolverines, who are favored to win the national championship. Michigan is the biggest favorite on the boards in the Sweet 16 even though this is a No. 4 vs. No. 1 matchup.

Michigan State vs. UConn Odds and Total for Sweet 16

Spread: UConn -1.5 (+100)
Total: 135.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

The closest spread in the Sweet 16 belongs to the battle between Tom Izzo and Dan Hurley. UConn is a slight favorite after knocking off UCLA in the Round of 32, but this game could end up closing as a pick'em. Michigan State rode a huge game from Jeremy Fears in the second round to a win, and both of these teams are in the top 10 in KenPom's latest rankings.

Tennessee vs. Iowa State Odds and Total for Sweet 16

Spread: Iowa State -3.5 (-120)
Total: 138.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Iowa State lost second-leading scorer Joshua Jefferson for the second round against Kentucky, but it still dominated the second half of that game in a blowout win. Now, the Cyclones take on a tough Tennessee team that knocked off Virginia in the Round of 32 to advance to yet another Sweet 16 under Rick Barnes.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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