Thanks to @OddsShark for the assist.

Sweet Sixteen notes

weet 16 Trends

* Kentucky is favored by 13.5 points over West Virginia which is a big spread for the Sweet 16. But Florida closed at -14.5 vs Florida Gulf State in 2012 and Duke was favored by 13.5 over Indiana in 2002.

* But it’s only half as big as the largest Sweet 16 spread in the history of the Odds Shark database (1996 to present). On March 19, 1999, Duke was favored by 26.5 points over Southwest Missouri State, the MVC champions coached by Steve Alford, who made it into the round as an unheralded 12 seed.

* They upset Wisconsin and Tennessee before losing 78-61 to Duke, easily covering that huge spread.

* Underdogs are 21-10-1 ATS since 2011 in the Sweet 16

* Last year, OVERs went 6-2 (18-14 since 2011)

* Higher seeds are 16-8 SU past three seasons

West Virginia (5) vs Kentucky (1), -13.5, 138 o/u

* 5 seeds just 6-19 SU vs top seeds since 1996, but 2-1 past three times

* West Virginia beat top-seeded Kentucky in 2010

* West Virginia 7-2 ATS past nine games, 4-1 ATS in Sweet 16 round

* West Virginia just fourth time since 2004 as underdog of 13 or more

* Kentucky 8-2-1 ATS past 11 as double-digit favorite

* Kentucky is 10-2 SU, 9-3 ATS in Sweet 16 since 1996

* West Virginia 9-2 ATS as Madness underdog