March Madness Sweet 16 betting notes - North Carolina comfortable as underdog?

Entering the Sweet 16, favorites have gone 24-26 ATS in the 2022 men's basketball championship (two games closed at pick'em). Overs are 28-24.

Gonzaga entered as the pre-tournament favorite and remains the favorite. Seven of the past 16 national champions entered as the title favorites. However, Gonzaga has not covered either of its first two NCAA tournament games. No eventual champion has started 0-2 ATS in the NCAA tournament since Arizona in 1997.

If Gonzaga beats Arkansas, it will face the winner of 3-seed Texas Tech and 2-seed Duke in the Elite 8. Duke is currently an underdog against Texas Tech. Duke has only been an underdog against a lower-seeded team one time since NCAA tournament expansion in 1985. Back in the 2004 national semifinals, Duke lost by one as a two-point underdog to UConn. Duke famously covered that spread on a Chris Duhon 38-footer at the buzzer.

4 Arkansas vs 1 Gonzaga (-8.5)

Arkansas is 4-1 ATS as an underdog this season. Arkansas' largest underdog spot this season is +6.5 at LSU on Jan. 15, a game Arkansas won outright.

This is just the sixth time this season Gonzaga has been a single-digit favorite. Gonzaga is 3-2 ATS as a single-digit favorite.

This is the 16th straight NCAA tournament game Gonzaga has been favored in, tied with Arizona for the longest active streak. UNC's streak of 19 straight games as an NCAA tournament favorite ended in the round of 32 against Baylor.

Gonzaga and Arkansas are two of three teams to reach the Sweet 16 despite not covering either of its first two games (Arizona). Teams that have failed to cover its first two NCAA tournament games are .500 ATS in the Sweet 16. The only team since 1985 to start an NCAA tournament 0-2 ATS and go on to win the NCAA tournament