2022 NCAA Tournament Friday Sweet 16 betting trends: Bettors hammering underdogs on spread except Miami over Iowa State; rare under lean on total

While bettors at Caesars Sportsbook were pretty much all over the favorites against the spread for Thursday's four Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament games, the opposite is largely true for Friday's action from the East and Midwest Regions with the lone favorite taking a heavy lean being Miami (Fla.) over Iowa State in a matchup of double-digit seeds. We also have our only Under total lean of the entire round.

We told you earlier this week that sportsbooks were hugely exposed on No. 15 seed Saint Peter's to win the national title because the Peacocks were once at such long odds and have taken the fourth-most action of any team left. Saint Peter's is +12.5 for Friday's East Region game from Philadelphia against No. 3 Purdue. The Peacocks are taking 69 percent of spread action on the spread and 62 percent of money.

They even are taking 63 percent of the dollars on the moneyline, which has SPU priced +605. It is the first-ever MAAC school in the Sweet 16 and third-ever 15 seed. The previous two lost. On the total of 134, approximately 77 percent of money and tickets are on the Over. If Purdue gets to 80 points, which would mean this total went way Over, it has won 39 straight games when scoring at least that many.

The other East Region game features No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 4 UCLA in a matchup of bluebloods. While the teams have met 13 times overall and UNC has won the past five (last in 2019), they rather amazingly have only faced off twice in the Big Dance and not since 1989.

The big story here is the status of UCLA second-leading scorer Jaime Jaquez Jr. (14.0 ppg). He sprained his ankle in the Round 2 win over Saint Mary's. In UCLA's past eight games, Jaquez has averaged 20.5 points as the Bruins have gone 7-1. "He's going to want to try and play," Coach Mick Cronin said. "The question is, 'Can he be effective?'"

North Carolina at +2 (was +2.5) is taking 64 percent of the ticket action and 59 percent of money. The Heels also are getting 72 percent of dollars on the moneyline (+115) and 64 percent of tickets. The Over 141.5 points is taking a sizable double-lean.

The first game from the Midwest Region from Chicago is No. 4 Providence vs. No. 1 Kansas, which is -7.5. KU's next win would be No. 2,354 in school history, breaking a tie with Kentucky for the most in NCAA history. Providence was the Big East regular-season champion but was obliterated in the conference tournament by Creighton and many had the Friars going out in Round 1 of the Big Dance, but they have won their two game by 37 points. PC is taking 67 percent of the money on the spread and 63 percent of tickets, although KU is taking a sizable lean on both at -350 on the moneyline. The Over 141.5 points is taking a sizable double-lean.

The outlier game Friday is the late Midwest game between No. 10 Miami and No. 11 Iowa State with the Hurricanes, trying to reach their first-ever Elite Eight, as 3-point favorites after opening at +1. Miami is taking 73 percent of money on the spread and 65 percent of tickets as well as a double-lean at -145 on the moneyline. The total is 133, and 51 percent of tickets are on Over but 77 percent of money on the Under. That's the only Under lean of the entire Sweet 16. 

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