March Madness odds favor Syracuse by 7-points on Thursday as they play Butler in the Sweet Sixteen. The Orange are the top seed in the West and they have looked very impressive in March Madness betting wins over Vermont and Gonzaga. Here is a look at this matchup on Thursday that begins Sweet Sixteen play.
March Madness odds on Butler may have them as underdogs but the Bulldogs come into this contest having won 22 in a row overall. They have not faced a team like Syracuse though. In the win over Gonzaga, Syracuse was so impressive that Gonzaga head coach Mark Few was raving about them. “If they shoot it like they did today, nobody will beat them,” Few said.
Butler has had to face top teams in the past in March Madness odds. They lost to top-seeded Florida in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Two years ago they lost to second-ranked Tennessee. The winner of this game between Syracuse and Butler will face the winner of the Kansas State-Xavier game on Saturday.
Butler defeated UTEP in the first round and just got by Murray State in the second round. Syracuse routed Vermont and Gonzaga to reach the Sweet Sixteen. The Orange are led by future NBA star Wesley Johnson and a number of talented players. They should also get Arinze Onuaku back on Thursday. The front line of Syracuse should be able to dominate the smaller Bulldogs.
March Madness betting trends indicate that the Bulldogs are 21-7 ATS in their last 28 games as an underdog. They are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games.
Syracuse has been a solid favorite recently in the Tournament. The Orange are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite. Syracuse has also been a good team in neutral site games, covering the spread in five of their last six. They are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games. There is just a lot to like about Syracuse overall as they are 30-11 ATS in their last 41 games.
Looking at the total in this game, four of the last five Butler tourney games have gone over. 11 of their last 14 neutral site games have gone over the total. Syracuse has gone over in six of their last eight games. 17 of their last 22 neutral site games have gone over.