March Madness 2021 Odds: Friday’s Betting Action

Friday tips off opening round action for the much anticipated NCAA Tournament. The first big public favorite went down Thursday night in First Four action when Michigan State (-2.5) blew an 11-point halftime lead and another late lead to love in overtime to UCLA. More than 80% of the spread bets were on Michigan State, and more at sportsbooks like FanDuel, which I noted in my March Madness 2021 update at Forbes.

March Madness 2021

Credit: Brian Spurlock -USA TODAY Sports

So which teams are taking the most bets and money in Friday’s games? I outline more as I receive information from Sportsbook contacts for March Madness 2021. Houston (-20) is a popular play as favorite, along with Texas Tech (-4). I didn’t play either, but did lay a much smaller price on Loyola Chicago over Georgia Tech, noting the significant coaching edge and better team that got screwed in their seeding. However, when was the last time you saw an ACC conference tournament champion as a No. 9 seed?

Underdogs gaining support are Ohio (+7), which has dropped sharply against Virginia, and also Liberty (+7) vs Oklahoma State, and Oregon State (+8) against Tennessee. I played Ohio and Liberty earlier.

I played some  other ‘Dogs including Oral Roberts (+16) against Ohio State, who I thought would be a team to avoid and bet against as an overrated Big Ten entrant. I also noted they are not a Final Four or even Elite Eight contender, but are also in a favorable bracket, IMO. I noted such in my update at FanDuel and The Duel Sports.

For more keys to NCAA Tournament success, check out my article and update with proven profiles for success and stats to review. Updated lines for games from William Hill Sportsbook, and note lines are always subject to change and there is some notable line moves including a total move downward of more than 6-points on the Oklahoma State/Liberty game.

https://twitter.com/WilliamHillUS/status/1372921582478315520

More updates as available and information you can bet on.

Author: FairwayJay is a leading national sports betting analyst, writer, handicapper and sports betting insider providing insight and information you can bet on for nearly two decades from Las Vegas. He chips in additional sports betting coverage and reporting on industry news and events for leading media and sports betting sites and companies. Follow him on X (Twitter): @FairwayJay