Opening Lines, Odds for March Madness Second-Round Games

Eight teams will punch their tickets to the Sweet 16 on Saturday. Here are the opening lines for Saturday’s eight second-round games.

Are you having fun yet? Welcome to March.

It was certainly “madness” Thursday as we saw No. 2 Kentucky, No. 5 Iowa, and No. 5 UConn all go down in the first round. Cinderella team No. 15 St. Peter’s stole Thursday’s spotlight in the biggest upset, but can it continue the magic?

Here are the current odds from SI Sportsbook for Saturday’s second-games:

Check the Latest NCAA Tournament Odds and Lines from SI Sportsbook

LM Otero/AP

No. 1 Baylor (27-6) vs. No. 8 North Carolina (25-9)

Time: 12:10 p.m. ET | CBS
Spread: Baylor -5.5 (-110) | North Carolina +5.5 (-118)
Moneyline: Baylor (-250) | North Carolina (+195)
Over/Under: Under 148.5 (-110) | Over 148.5 (-118)

Both the Bears and the Tar Heels easily covered Thursday. North Carolina went over the game total in its win over Marquette, while Baylor made winners of those who bet the under in its blowout victory against No. 16 Norfolk State.

No. 1 Kansas (29-6) vs. No. 9 Creighton (23-11)

Time: 2:40 p.m. ET | CBS
Spread: Kansas -11.5 (-118) | Creighton +11.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Kansas (-699) | Creighton (+475)
Over/Under: Under 139.5 (-118) | Over 139.5 (-110)

Creighton rallied to upset No. 8 San Diego State on Thursday, making winners of those who bet the Bluejays on the moneyline at +115. Top-seeded Kansas dispensed of No. 16 Texas Southern, easily covering the 21.5-point spread.

Michigan center Hunter Dickinson (1) celebrates with teammate Frankie Collins, right, during the second half of a college basketball game against Colorado State in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 17, 2022.
Michael Conroy/AP

No. 3 Tennessee (27-7) vs. No. 11 Michigan (18-14)

Time: 5:15 p.m. ET | CBS
Spread: Tennessee -6.5 (-125) | Michigan +6.5 (-125)
Moneyline: Tennessee (-275) | Michigan (+215)
Over/Under: Under 133.5 (+115) | Over 133.5 (-150)

Michigan took down No. 6 Colorado State on Thursday as a favorite—despite being the 11-seed—and the game total of 138 tipped in favor of the over from the 137.5 line. Tennessee easily covered and hit the over in its win over No. 14 Longwood.

No. 4 Providence (26-5) vs. No. 12 Richmond (24-12)

Time: 6:10 p.m. ET | TNT
Spread: Providence -2.5 (-125) | Richmond +2.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Providence (-163) | Richmond (+130)
Over/Under: Under 134.5 (-118) | Over 134.5 (-110)

Providence defeated South Dakota State and covered the 2.5-point spread, despite a strong early effort by the Jackrabbit and strong public support for the 13-seed. In the first major upset of the tournament, Richmond upset No. 5 Iowa, richly rewarding those who took the Spiders on the moneyline at +400 odds.

Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4 UCLA (26-7) vs. No. 5 Saint Mary’s (26-7)

Time: 7:10 p.m. ET | TBS
Spread: UCLA -2.5 (-118) | Saint Mary’s +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: UCLA (-150) | Saint Mary’s (+120)
Over/Under: Under 126.5 (-110) | Over 126.5 (-118)

Saint Mary’s easily covered the 2.5-point spread vs. No. 12 Indiana. UCLA bettors won on the moneyline, but the Bruins failed to cover the 13.5-point spread against Akron.

No. 7 Murray State (31-2) vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s (20-11)

Time: 7:45 p.m. ET | CBS
Spread: Murray State -8.5 (-110) | Saint Peter’s +8.5 (-118)
Moneyline: Murray State (-400) | Saint Peter’s (+290)
Over/Under: Under 129.5 (-110) | Over 129.5 (-118)

Saint Peter’s completed one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history, ousting No. 2 Kentucky in the first round and busting brackets everywhere. Those who backed St. Peter’s on the moneyline laughed all the way to the bank at a +1400 payout. Murray State needed overtime to covered two-point spread vs. San Francisco.

Frank Franklin II/AP

No. 4 Arkansas (26-8) vs. No. 12 New Mexico State (27-6)

Time: 8:40 p.m. ET | TNT
Spread: Arkansas -6.5 (-110) | New Mexico State +6.5 (-118)
Moneyline: Arkansas (-300) | New Mexico State (+230)
Over/Under: Under 138 (-110) | Over 138 (-118)

New Mexico State upset No. 5 UConn as a 6.5-point underdog thanks to 37 points from Teddy Allen. Those who bet the Aggies on the moneyline profited at +220 odds. Arkansas defeated No. 13 Vermont, but failed to cover the 4.5-point spread.

No. 1 Gonzaga (27-3) vs. No. 9 Memphis (22-10)

Time: 9:40 p.m. ET | TBS
Spread: Gonzaga -10 (-118) | Memphis +10 (-110)
Moneyline: Gonzaga (-699) | Memphis (+475)
Over/Under: Under 154.5 (-118) | Over 154.5 (-110)

Memphis took down No. 9 Boise State and the game total of 141 made easy winners of those who bet the over on the line of 121. Gonzaga had just a two-point halftime lead against No. 16 Georgia State before pulling away to win, 93-72. However, the Bulldogs failed to cover the 23 point spread despite leading by 26 in the final minute.

Check the Latest Odds at SI Sportsbook

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Jennifer Piacenti
JENNIFER PIACENTI

Jennifer Piacenti is a fantasy sports and betting analyst for Sports Illustrated. She serves as a host for Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio and has her own podcast, “Waiver Wired,” on the Extra Points podcast network. Piacenti is also a featured expert on MLB Network’s “Bettor’s Eye” and is a member of the esteemed Tout Wars, the fantasy baseball battle of the experts. She is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and is a 2020 Scott Fish Bowl finalist.