A Look Back at Last Year's March Madness Point Spreads

Looking at March Madness point spreads from a sportsbook's perspective, here are some key stats and betting results from the 2006 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Championship (*based on closing lines):

Favorites straight up were 45-17 (one Pick’em)

Round 1 favs were 23-8 (one Pick’em)
Round 2 favs were 11-5
Sweet 16 favs were 7-1
Elite 8 favs were 2-2
Final 4 favs were 2-1

Favorites against the spread were 26-35-1 (one game closed at Pick’em)

Round 1 favs were 14-16-1 (one Pick’em)
Round 2 favs were 6-10
Sweet 16 favs were 3-5
Elite 8 favs were 1-3
Final Four favs were 2-1

Bettors really had a tough time last year, with favorites failing to live up to oddsmaker expectations in all but the Final Four. That said, those who hopped aboard the Florida bandwagon made out extremely well. The Gators went 6-0 against the spread on the way to the title. They were 4-0 as favorites and 2-0 as underdogs. Also interesting, they were 1-5 over/under.

Point spread betting on March Madness games at Bodog Sportsbook

Best games for the sportsbook were:

Round 1 – George Mason (+5.5) over Michigan State
Round 1 – Bradley (+7) over Kansas
Round 1 – Texas A&M (Pick) over Syracuse
Round 2 – Bradley (+5.5) over Pittsburgh
Final Four – UCLA (+2.5) over LSU

Best games for bettors were:

Round 1 – Illinois (-9) over Air Force
Round 1 – Memphis (-11) over Oral Roberts
Round 2 - Gonzaga (-3.5) over Indiana
Final Four – Florida (-1) over UCLA

More articles from the March Madness Betting Guide: