Sweet 16 Favorites To Feel Safe Betting On: Gonzaga, Arizona, Villanova

• Gonzaga has -480 odds to beat Arkansas in the Sweet 16.
• Arizona has -130 odds to beat the Houston Cougars.
• The Villanova Wildcats have -220 odds to beat Michigan.

SAN ANTONIO, Tx. – March Madness continues on Thursday Night with the Sweet 16. While there are some close matchups to keep in mind, there are still teams that are favored that can be considered safe bets to make.

Ahead of the round starting, online sportsbooks have the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Arizona Wildcats, and Villanova Wildcats all favored to win and are considered strong favorites at that.

#1 Gonzaga Bulldogs Vs. #4 Arkansas Razorbacks Odds

While Gonzaga has struggled against the spread in their recent games, that does not mean their moneyline odds should be ignored. They have covered the spread just two times in their last nine games, however, they won eight of those nine games.

They also outmatch Arkansas in plenty of categories as they are averaging 11 more ppg than the Razorbacks are. The Zags are also putting up more assists, rebounds, and a higher field goal percentage per game.

Public splits are also heavily siding with the Bulldogs to win the game outright with 84% of the moneyline bets and 76% of the handle.

#1 Arizona Wildcats Vs. #5 Houston Cougars Odds

Although the Houston Cougars have been on a tear recently, this Sweet 16 matchup against Arizona marks their toughest matchup of the year. Arizona has been a top-3 scoring offense in the country all season long with 84.6 ppg and that has not changed in March Madness as they have scored 85+ points in both games so far.

As for Houston, they’re averaging 9 less points per game than the Wildcats along with a lower assist total, rebound total, and field goal percentage. It is also worth noting that Houston has not been exposed to the same competition in the American Athletic Conference that Arizona has in the PAC-12.

The Wildcats are seeing heavy action on their March Madness odds with 63% of the bets and 82% of the handle.

#2 Villanova Wildcats Vs. #11 Michigan Wolverines Odds

While many are expecting Michigan to keep things close in this one, Villanova might be too much for them to handle. Not only has Nova gone 2-0 against the spread in the tournament, but they have also won both games by 10+ points and have also won their last seven games.

There is no taking away that the Wolverines have picked things up in March Madness, but they have struggled on the back end of the season going 4-5 in their final nine games. Villanova also has a 9.9-point win margin on the season.

Public splits are seeing 56% of bets and 66% of the handle come on the Wildcats.