2021 NCAA Tournament South Region reset, odds: No. 1 seed Baylor remains betting favorite; 15th-seeded Oral Roberts can make March Madness history

This writer picked top-seeded Baylor to win the South Region entering the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and we have seen nothing to change our minds as the Big 12's Bears won each of their first two games by at least 13 points. They are the -130 favorites at William Hill Sportsbook to win the South Region entering Sweet 16 play this weekend. However, the storyline of the South is No. 15 Oral Roberts.

The Golden Eagles, champions of the Summit League Tournament and in their first NCAA Tournament since 2008, shocked No. 2 Ohio State by three points in OT in Round 1 and then knocked off No. 7 Florida by three points in the Round of 32 to become the second-ever No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 (no seed worse than 11th has reached Final Four). The other was that "Dunk City" Florida Gulf Coast squad in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

FGCU's run, though, ended in the Sweet 16 against a third seed from the SEC: Florida. Oral Roberts faces a third seed from the SEC in Arkansas on Saturday with the Hogs as 11-point favorites. Arkansas beat Oral Roberts by exactly 11 in Fayetteville on Dec. 20 despite the Golden Eagles leading by 10 at the half.

Oral Roberts is led by the dynamic duo of national scoring leader Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor. They have become the third pair of teammates in NCAA Tournament history to each score 25 points in consecutive games. The others were Bryant Stith and Richard Morgan in 1989 for Virginia, and Gail Goodrich and Keith Erickson in 1965 for UCLA.

ORU is both the South Region long shot (+2500) and also overall NCAA Tournament long shot (+12500) at William Hill. The SportsLine Projection Model gives ORU only a 0.01 percent chance of winning it all.

Arkansas will be a formidable opponent led by Justin Smith. His 49 points in the first two games of this tournament are the most ever by an Arkansas player through his first two career Big Dance games. Eric Musselman is the third coach to take Arkansas to the Sweet 16, joining Nolan Richardson and Eddie Sutton. Could Musselman be the next coach at Indiana?

Baylor, meanwhile, is a 7.5-point favorite for Saturday's matchup vs. No. 5 Villanova, which was left for dead after losing star guard Collin Gillespie to a season-ending injury early this month. The Wildcats lost their first two full games without him but have knocked off Winthrop and No. 13 North Texas in the Dance – arguably the easiest route to the Sweet 16 of any team. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has been carrying the team in this tournament, averaging 20.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

Free pick to win region: Baylor

William Hill odds to win South Region

Baylor -130

Arkansas +175

Villanova +575

Oral Roberts +2500

WH odds to win national title (SL model percentage)

Baylor +400 (18.2 percent – only behind Gonzaga)

Arkansas +2000 (3.1 percent)

Villanova +3000 (3.4 percent)

Oral Roberts +12500 (0.01 percent)

Who wins and covers every NCAA Tournament game? And which teams should be on upset alert? Join SportsLine now to see which team to back in every matchup, all from the model that's up $2,600 for $100 players.