Sweet Sixteen 2022 Picks: Saint Peter’s, Michigan, North Carolina Are Popular Upset Bets

After watching some major upsets in the first weekend of March Madness 2022, college basketball bettors seem to believe more surprising results are on the way. Some of the biggest underdogs are being picked to win in the Sweet Sixteen.

No. 15 Saints Peter’s has received the overwhelming majority of moneyline bets for the team’s upcoming matchup with No. 3 Purdue, according to BetMGM. Most of the wagers for the Sweet Sixteen game between No. 11 Michigan and No. 2 Villanova have been placed on the Wolverines. No. 8 North Carolina has been picked to beat No. 4 UCLA by most bettors.

A victory for Saint Peter’s would count as a historic upset. A No. 15 seed has never reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

Only 6% of the bets have been placed on Purdue to win outright. Saint Peter’s received 94% of moneyline bets, and 71% of the money wagered has been bet on Saint Peter’s to pull off the upset.

The Peacocks have +625 odds to beat the Boilermakers at BetMGM. As a -1000 favorite, Purdue isn’t a very attractive moneyline bet.

Michigan isn’t nearly as much of a long shot with +180 odds to beat Villanova in the Sweet Sixteen. The Wolverines have received 75% of the moneyline bets, and 57% of the money wagered has been placed on Michigan to beat Villanova outright.

The Wolverines only narrowly made the NCAA Tournament with a 17-14 record. Michigan was ranked sixth in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, and it has looked like a top-10 team during March Madness. Center Hunter Dickinson is averaging 24 points and 8.5 rebounds in wins over No. 6 Colorado State and No. 3 Tennessee.

Michigan is playing in its fifth straight Sweet Sixteen.

North Carolina is the only team that has knocked off a top seed, defeating No. 1 Baylor in the Round of 32. After upsetting the reigning national champs, North Carolina has received 85% of the moneyline bets against UCLA.

The Tar Heels are only slight underdogs with +120 odds to reach the Elite Eight. Only 16% of the handle is on UCLA +145.

If North Carolina and Saint Peter's win, they'll meet in the Elite Eight with a trip to the Final Four on the line.