The Tennessee Vols’ March Madness story came to a screeching halt last Friday – one round into the tournament.
Now, only eight matchups remain, and bettors are tasked with the challenge of finding a new team to cheer on to the finish.
For many, there is a lot of fun to be had rooting for the remaining underdogs.
Betting on March Madness without the Vols
Sweet Sixteen play kicks off this Saturday, March 28.
Even with the Vols out of the picture, Tennesseans still have plenty of March Madness betting action to take advantage of.
There are some restrictions as to what can and can’t be wagered on in Tennessee. For example, no in game prop betting is permitted.
Similarly, bettors are unable to wager on individual player props. Only wagers pertaining to the team as a whole are allowed.
As a result, sportsbooks are doubling down on the promos where they can.
At DraftKings, bettors can get a daily 25% live profit boost on any NCAA tournament game. Users can also opt in to receive their bet back if their team loses.
BetMGM offers Buzzer Beater Insurance where a bettor can receive their stake back up to $20 if their team loses at the buzzer.
BetMGM’s March Matchups Parlay Boost tokens provide bettors with a 10% parlay boost every day of the tournament.
If you like rooting for the underdog, there a quite a few you can use those March Madness betting promos on.
Getting creative with NCAA Tournament betting
This year’s NCAA Tournament has born witness to many unexpected early takedowns and overall upsets, making betting on the Cinderella teams a perfect way to keep tournament play interesting.
Four double-digit seeds secured their spots in the Sweet Sixteen this year:
- Oral Roberts
- Oregon State
- Syracuse
- UCLA
The record for the most double-digit seeds to make the Sweet Sixteen was five back in 1999.
Oral Roberts vs. Ohio State odds
No. 15 Oral Roberts is the Cinderella story of this tournament. They knocked No. 2 Ohio State out early on in Round 1, then took out No. 7 Florida on their road to the Sweet Sixteen.
Oral Roberts is an 11-point underdog at DraftKings with +410 odds of winning the matchup on Saturday against No. 3 Arkansas. Here’s how the team sits at other sportsbooks in Tennessee:
Creighton vs. Gonzaga
No. 5 Creighton faces an even larger point spread of +13.5. Odds of the team winning against No. 1 Gonzaga sit at +700.
UCLA vs. Alabama
No. 11 UCLA faces off against No. 2 Alabama in its next matchup. The Pac-12 is having a very strong showing at this year’s March Madness tournament, but the Bruins will have to work hard to keep that trend going.
Here are the odds for the game at local Tennessee sportsbooks:
Loyola Chicago vs. Oregon State
Pac-12 Tournament winner No. 12 Oregon State took out the Volunteer State’s beloved No. 5 Tennessee, then overturned No. 4 Oklahoma State. Oregon State faces off against No. 8 Loyola Chicago on Saturday as a +6.5-point underdog.
With so many underdogs still in the race, plenty of value bets remain on the table.
Those feeling especially eager can double down with a parlay or two.
