Sweet 16 College Basketball Spreads - 2026

Below are the current spreads for the eight Sweet 16 matchups, including line changes, courtesy of BetOnline.ag.

The higher seed is favored in every game.

Sweet 16

• St. John’s vs Duke (-7)
  • Note: Line opened Duke -6.5
• Michigan State vs UConn (-1)
  • Note: Line opened as a pick ’em.
• Iowa vs Nebraska (-2.5)
  • Note: Line opened Nebraska -2.
• Illinois vs Houston (-2.5)
  • Note: Line opened Houston -1.5.
• Arkansas vs Arizona (-8.5)
  • Note: Line opened Arizona -9
• Texas vs Purdue (-7.5)
  • Note: Line opened Purdue -8.
• Alabama vs Michigan (-10)
  • Note: Line is same as opening.
• Tennessee vs Iowa State (-4)
  • Note: Line opened Iowa State -4.5

Interestingly, there are no teams listed here that have never made a Sweet 16 appearance.  Nevertheless, there are some notable stretches of time between the last time some of these schools advanced to the Sweet 16. 

• St. John’s – first Sweet 16 since 1999
• Iowa – first Sweet 16 since 2015
   

Then there is Texas, which promises as much as a $40,000 payout for every $100 bet should they actually go on to win the championship. 

• Texas (11-seed) – unique run from the First Four to the Sweet 16 (rare, but not first-ever)

"Well, we’re obviously thrilled to advance, be a part of the Sweet 16," Texas head coach Sean Miller said after beating Gonzaga Saturday night.  "It’s just, it doesn’t matter how many times you have been there or not, it’s just, it’s a huge difference between being in that round and just entering the Tournament. Having the opportunity to play through another week, be a part of a field that only includes 15 other teams, and obviously it’s that next four-team tournament you’re playing to get to the Final Four."

• Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com