March Madness 1 vs 16 seed

March Madness Matchups: 1 vs 16 Betting History & Trends

Though upsets of a No. 1 seed at the hand of the No. 16 seed have been more prevalent in recent years, don’t expect that to be the case in 2024. After all, No.16 seeds have just a 1.32 winning percentage in the NCAA Tournament. Until last year, those underdog number 16s had been in trouble. Fairleigh Dickinson’s unfathomable upset over the Purdue Boilermakers wasn’t the only 16 seed success last year. Though the other three matchups all ended in at least a double-digit defeat, three of the four 16 seeds covered the spread.

They’ve historically been overmatched, but No.16 seeds have covered the spread in seven of the past 12 opening round matchups with No. 1 seeds. But keep in mind, the No.16 has finished within 10 points of a top seed on only 10 occasions since 2001. Though they have little hope of victory, an ATS wager on the No.16 isn’t always a bad play.

Predictably, as the top four teams in the college basketball AP Poll, Houston, UConn, Purdue and North Carolina are the one seeds in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, and are near the top of the National Championship odds.

2024 1 vs 16 Seed Matchups

Check out our analysis of all the 1 v 16 seed matchups.

South: No. 1 Houston vs No. 16 Longwood
East: No. 1 UConn  vs No. 16 Stetson
West: No. 1 North Carolina vs No. 16 Wagner

Midwest: No. 1 Purdue vs No. 16 Grambling

Seed vs Seed Stats: 1 vs 16 | 2 vs 15 | 3 vs 14 | 4 vs 13 | 5 vs 12 | 6 vs 11 | 7 vs 10 | 8 vs 9

#1 Seed vs #16 Seed
#1 SeedScore#16 SeedScoreDateATS WinWin SeedATS Seed
Houston86Longwood462024-03-22Houston11
UConn91Stetson522024-03-22UConn11
North Carolina90Wagner622024-03-21North Carolina11
Purdue78Grambling502024-03-22Purdue11
Alabama96TAMU-CC752023-03-16TAMU-CC116
Purdue58FDU632023-03-17FDU1616
Kansas96Howard682023-03-16Kansas11
Houston63Northern Kentucky522023-03-17Northern Kentucky116
Gonzaga93Georgia State722022-03-17Georgia State116
Baylor85Norfolk State492022-03-17Baylor11
Arizona87Wright State702022-03-18Wright State116
Kansas83Texas Southern562022-03-17Kansas11
Illinois78Drexel492021-03-19Illinois11
Baylor79Hartford552021-03-19Hartford116
Michigan82Texas Southern662021-03-20Texas Southern116
Gonzaga98Norfolk State552021-03-20Gonzaga11
Gonzaga87Fairleigh Dickinson492019-03-21Gonzaga11
North Carolina88Iona732019-03-22Iona116
Duke85North Dakota State622019-03-22Iona116
Virginia71Gardner-Webb562019-03-22Gardner-Webb116
Villanova87Radford612018-03-15Villanova11
Kansas76Penn602018-03-15Kansas11
Virginia54UMBC742018-03-16UMBC1616
Xavier102Texas Southern832018-03-16Texas Southern116
Villanova76Mount St. Mary’s562017-03-16Villanova11
Kansas100UC Davis622017-03-17Kansas11
Gonzaga66South Dakota State462017-03-16South Dakota State116
North Carolina103Texas Southern642017-03-16North Carolina11
Virginia81Hampton452016-03-17Virginia11
Oregon91Holy Cross522016-03-18Oregon11
North Carolina83Florida Gulf Coast672016-03-17Florida Gulf Coast116
Kansas105Austin Peay792016-03-17Kansas11
Kentucky79Hampton562015-03-19Hampton116
Wisconsin86Coastal Carolina722015-03-20Coastal Carolina116
Villanova93Lafayette522015-03-19Villanova11
Duke85Robert Morris562015-03-20Duke11
Virginia70Coastal Carolina592014-03-21Coastal Carolina116
Wichita State64Cal Poly372014-03-21Wichita State11
Arizona68Weber State592014-03-21Weber State116
Florida67Albany552014-03-20Albany116
Kansas64Western Kentucky572013-03-22Western Kentucky116
Indiana83James Madison622013-03-22James Madison116
Louisville79North Carolina A&T482013-03-21Louisville11
Gonzaga64Southern582013-03-21Southern116
Michigan State89Long Island672012-03-16Michigan State11
North Carolina77Vermont582012-03-16North Carolina11
Kentucky81Western Kentucky662012-03-15Western Kentucky116
Syracuse72UNC Asheville652012-03-15UNC Asheville116
Kansas72Boston University532011-03-18Boston University116
Ohio State75Texas-San Antonio462011-03-18Ohio State11
Duke87Hampton452011-03-18Duke11
Pittsburgh74UNC Asheville512011-03-17Pittsburgh11
Syracuse79Vermont562010-03-19Syracuse11
Duke73Arkansas-Pine Bluff442010-03-19Duke11
Kansas90Lehigh742010-03-18Lehigh116
Kentucky100East Tennessee State712010-03-18Kentucky11
Louisville74Morehead State542009-03-20Morehead State116
Pittsburgh72East Tennessee State622009-03-20East Tennessee State116
Connecticut103Chattanooga472009-03-19Connecticut11
North Carolina101Radford582009-03-19North Carolina11
Memphis87Texas-Arlington632008-03-21Texas-Arlington116
North Carolina113Mount St. Mary’s742008-03-21North Carolina11
UCLA70Miss Valley State292008-03-20UCLA11
Kansas85Portland State612008-03-20Kansas11
Florida112Jackson State692007-03-16Florida11
Kansas107Niagara672007-03-16Kansas11
North Carolina86Eastern Kentucky652007-03-15Eastern Kentucky116
Ohio State78Cent Conn State572007-03-15Ohio State11
Connecticut72Albany592006-03-17Albany116
Villanova58Monmouth452006-03-17Monmouth116
Memphis94Oral Roberts782006-03-17Memphis11
Duke70Southern542006-03-16Southern116
Duke57Delaware State462005-03-18Delaware State116
North Carolina96Oakland682005-03-18PUSH1 
Illinois67Fairleigh Dickinson552005-03-17Fairleigh Dickinson116
Washington88Montana772005-03-17Montana116
Kentucky96Florida A&M762004-03-19Florida A&M116
Duke96Alabama State612004-03-18Duke11
Stanford71Texas-San Antonio452004-03-18Stanford11
Saint Joseph’s82Liberty632004-03-18Liberty116
Kentucky95IUPUI642003-03-21Kentucky11
Texas82UNC Asheville612003-03-21UNC Asheville116
Arizona80Vermont512003-03-20Arizona11
Oklahoma71South Carolina State542003-03-20South Carolina State116
Cincinnati90Boston University522002-03-15Cincinnati11
Maryland85Siena702002-03-15Siena116
Duke84Winthrop372002-03-14Duke11
Kansas70Holy Cross592002-03-14Holy Cross116
Illinois96Northwestern State542001-03-16Illinois11
Michigan State69Alabama State352001-03-16Michigan State11
Stanford89UNC Greensboro602001-03-15Stanford11
Duke95Monmouth522001-03-15Duke11
Duke82Lamar552000-03-17Lamar116
Stanford84South Carolina State652000-03-17South Carolina State116
Arizona71Jackson State472000-03-16Jackson State116
Michigan State65Valparaiso382000-03-16Michigan State11
Michigan State76Mount St. Mary’s531999-03-12Mount St. Mary’s116
Duke99Florida A&M581999-03-12Florida A&M116
Auburn80Winthrop411999-03-11Auburn11
Connecticut91Texas-San Antonio661999-03-11Texas-San Antonio116
Kansas110Prairie View A&M521998-03-13Kansas11
Duke99Radford631998-03-13Duke11
North Carolina88Navy521998-03-12North Carolina11
Arizona99Nicholls State601998-03-12Arizona11
Minnesota78Texas State461997-03-14Minnesota11
Kentucky92Montana541997-03-13Kentucky11
Kansas78Jackson State641997-03-13Jackson State116
North Carolina82Fairfield741997-03-13Fairfield116
Connecticut68Colgate591996-03-14Colgate116
Massachusetts92Central Florida701996-03-14Central Florida116
Kentucky110San Jose State721996-03-14Kentucky11
Purdue73Western Carolina711996-03-14Western Carolina116

What Seed Has The Recent ATS Edge?

While 1 vs 16 first-round matchups have primarily been blowouts historically in March Madness, bettors have found little solace in backing the higher seed recently. Since 2014, No. 16 seeds have covered the spread 20 times in 36 games with 2014 and 2023 being banner years for 16 seeds as they covered three of four games.

Close Calls

Prior to Virginia’s 2018 debacle, the closest a No. 1 seed had ever come to being upset by a No. 16 seed came in 1989 when Georgetown edged Princeton 50-49. Two years later, Michigan State topped Murray State 75-71, and Purdue held off Western Carolina 73-71 in 1996. The top seed has captured 25 national titles overall dating back to 1985. Over the past 16 years, a No. 1 seed has won the NCAA championship 12 times, including Kansas’ 2022 triumph.

March Madness 1 vs 16 Betting History

Where can I bet on the 1 vs 16 seed March Madness game?

You can bet on the 1 vs 16 seed matchup of the NCAAB national championship tournament at most popular sites to bet on March Madness. Odds Shark has compiled a comprehensive list of the best March Madness betting sites with in-depth reviews, analysis, and perks of each site for experienced bettors and casual fans.

How do I bet on the 1 vs 16 seed March Madness game?

If you are researching how to bet on the 1 vs 16 seed March Madness matchup, look no further than Odds Shark. We have put together an expert How To Bet on March Madness Guide that outlines how to read odds, the different betting formats available, and some March Madness betting strategy.

When was the last time a 16 seed beat a 1 seed in March Madness?

In 2023, Fairleigh Dickinson beat No. 1 seed Purdue 63-58 to register the second 16 vs 1 upset in March Madness history. The first happened in 2018 when the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) toppled No. 1 seed Virginia 74-54.

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