The first night of Sweet 16 action was pretty epic for college basketball fans. Four teams have already booked their tickets for the Elite Eight, and we’re ready with 100s of bets available on every game. On the road to the Final Four and eventually the National Championship game, there are some familiar names still in the game (Duke) along with two teams (Texas Tech and Alabama) that have each had only two Elite Eight appearances in their team’s history before the 2025 March Madness tournament started.
Who’s going to San Antonio for the Final Four in April? What are the Elite Eight odds sitting at right now? Read on for the Elite Eight betting preview and see who’s got the edge.
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Texas Tech vs Florida
Can the Red Raiders repeat the magic they just produced on Thursday night?
Texas Tech erased a 13-point deficit with just over 4 minutes remaining to defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks in overtime. If they have any energy left for the weekend, they’ll need it against the Florida Gators.
Darrion Williams was ultra clutch for Texas Tech, nailing a trey with just nine seconds left to tie the score and force OT. He was one of three Red Raiders to score 20 or more points in the game, along with superstar JT Toppin and Christian Anderson. If the trio stays hot this weekend, the Gators could end up being the prey.
For their Sweet 16 battle, Florida had an easier time. A 16-point margin of victory over #4 Maryland put the #1 Gators into the Elite Eight.
One sign of potential trouble and a possible upset? Florida (currently -290 heading into the Elite Eight) had 17 turnovers in their Sweet 16 win. They likely won’t get away with that against an aggressive and opportunistic Texas Tech team.
The Totals for the game are sitting at 156 currently. A hot Texas Tech crew could make the Over a solid play. Just remember that Florida can put up points in a hurry too. At 85.4 points per game in the regular season, they were 3rd in NCAA men’s basketball.
At +280, the Red Raiders’ Elite Eight odds might look pretty tempting. Especially since Florida’s big man, Alex Condon, is nursing a tender ankle.
Duke vs Alabama
This huge #1 vs #2 game is what the Elite Eight is all about. Power vs power, strength vs strength, Flagg vs…
That’s the issue facing the Crimson Tide. They simply don’t have the best player in college basketball on their side, and Duke does. Cooper Flagg put up 30 points in Duke’s Sweet 16 win over Arizona, and he can simply go off any night he chooses, it seems.
Then again, Alabama did just set the NCAA Tournament record for 3-pointers in a single game in their Sweet 16 win. They drained an incredible 25 treys and put up 113 points in total.
Alabama’s All-American Mark Sears may have something to say about the attention Flagg is receiving. After scoring 34 points and adding 8 assists against BYU on Thursday, he’s more than capable of getting the Tide rolling.
If he stays hot against Duke this weekend, their March Madness Elite Eight odds could improve by the minute. Bama is currently the underdog though at +250.
Both teams hit over 100 points in their Sweet 16 games, so betting fans might be tempted to look at the Over. The current O/U of 175 points is already sky-high though, for a college basketball game. You’d be counting on both sides to stay red-hot.
With Flagg and Sears both likely to deliver big numbers, this game could hinge on which team has the stronger, more experienced supporting cast.. Alabama might have the edge here, with 19+ points in their last game from two other players, and the fact that they made it to the Final Four just one year ago.
Then again, under Jon Scheyer, the Blue Devils made it to the Round of 32 two years ago and the Elite Eight last year. If you think they’ll improve again this year, a Final Four appearance is next.
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