Here’s hoping that prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament, some bettors out there looked at the NCAA East Region odds and said: Yeah, I’m gonna ride St. Peter’s moneyline as far as it’ll take me. Because the unheralded and 15th-seeded Peacocks are now in the Elite Eight.
The only thing standing between Cinderella St. Peter’s and a Final Four berth is revitalized blueblood North Carolina. The eighth-seeded Tar Heels will meet the Peacocks on Sunday in Philadelphia.
Props.com breaks down this matchup, with insights from multiple oddsmakers on March Madness East Region odds and action. Check back for updates through Sunday evening’s tipoff.
NCAA East Region Odds and Betting Action
| Matchup | Time | Spread | Over/Under |
| No. 15 St. Peter’s vs No. 8 North Carolina | 6:05 p.m. ET Sunday | North Carolina -8.5 | 138 |
Odds via Caesars Sports and updated as of 4:15 p.m. ET on March 27.
No. 15 St. Peter’s vs No. 8 North Carolina
UPDATE 4:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: About an hour ahead of game time, North Carolina is an 8.5-point favorite at TwinSpires Sportsbook, after opening at -7.5 and spending time at -8. Point-spread ticket count is almost 2/1 on St. Peter’s, but spread money is 2/1 on the Tar Heels.
“The public is siding with St. Peter’s, and sharp play is on UNC. It’s Pros vs. Joes,” TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said.
However, Lucas noted that on the moneyline, bettors are taking the +320 underdog Peacocks, with ticket count and money both in the 3/1 range.
“UNC by less than 8 would be ideal,” Lucas said.
The total opened at 137 and is out to 138.5, with 59% of tickets/65% of money on the Over.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY: A few hours before tipoff, Caesars Sports’ NCAA East Region odds market has North Carolina an 8.5-point favorite, up a tick from the -8 opener. However, St. Peter’s is attracting 71% of bets and 62% of money on the spread. And at +320, the Peacocks are drawing an even heavier percentage of moneyline action, at 89% of bets/64% of cash. The total opened at 137 and is now 138, with ticket count 2/1 and money 4/1 on the Over.
UPDATE 10:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: North Carolina opened as an 8-point chalk in WynnBet’s NCAA East Region odds market, advanced to -8.5 today and is now out to -9. However, point-spread tickets and dollars are running 3/1 on trendy underdog St. Peter’s.
Interestingly, at least at WynnBet, customers aren’t jumping on the St. Peter’s moneyline train. Rather, the Tar Heels are landing 58% of moneyline tickets and 77% of moneyline dollars, while initially dipping from -380 to -350, then returning to -380. The Peacocks opened +290 on the moneyline, shortened to +275 and are now +300.
The total opened at 136.5 and rose to 137.5, with 57% of tickets/74% of cash on the Over.
UPDATE 12:30 A.M. ET SATURDAY: The incredible flight of the Peacocks now makes its way to the Elite Eight. St. Peter’s closed as a 13-point Sweet 16 underdog against No. 3 seed Purdue and notched a 67-64 victory Friday night — and they did so, ironically, on National Peacock Day. The Peacocks (22-11 SU, 22-9-1 ATS) are 6-0 SU and ATS in this postseason and are on a 10-0 SU and ATS firestorm overall.
That run includes two huge NCAA Tournament upsets: 85-69 in overtime against No. 2 seed Kentucky as an 18-point first-round underdog; and the win over the Boilermakers, surviving a last-second 25-foot shot from Purdue star Jayden Ivey that could’ve sent the game to overtime. The Peacocks, who went 19-for-21 from the free-throw line Friday night, were just the third No. 15 seed to ever reach the Sweet 16. They are the first to advance into the Round of 8.
Since failing to cash in five of its first seven lined games this season, St. Peter’s is 20-6-1 ATS. The Peacocks, whose last SU or ATS loss was on Feb. 20 at Siena, also have covered in eight straight games as an underdog and 14 of 17 at neutral sites.
Meanwhile, North Carolina (27-9 SU, 19-16-1 ATS) continued the resurrection of a season that was all but dead in mid-February. Friday night, the Tar Heels rallied late and toppled No. 4 seed UCLA 73-66 as a 2.5-point underdog to join St. Peter’s in the East Region final.
Since a stunning Feb. 16 home loss to ACC bottom-feeder Pittsburgh, North Carolina is 9-1 SU/8-2 ATS. Along with the modest upset of UCLA, the Tar Heels also knocked out defending national champion and East No. 1 seed Baylor 93-86 in overtime as 5.5-point pups in the second round.
As was the case with seven of eight Sweet 16 games, the Under hit in the St. Peter’s-Purdue contest (total 135) and is 6-3 in the Peacocks’ last nine games. North Carolina-UCLA fell just shy of the 141 total, but the Over is still 11-5 in the Tar Heels’ last 16 overall and 4-1 in NCAA Tournament play.
Carolina opened as an 8-point chalk late tonight in The SuperBook’s NCAA East Region odds market, with a total of 137. Check back Saturday for updates on line moves, action, and betting splits.