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Top seeds Duke, Arizona get solid backing from Proline bettors

Top seeds Duke, Arizona get solid backing from Proline bettors | iNFOnews.ca
Duke forward Maliq Brown (6) dunks the ball against TCU guard Jayden Pierre (1) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Sports bettors were solidly behind top seeds Duke and Arizona in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Duke earned an 81-58 second-round win over ninth-seeded TCU on Saturday while Arizona dispatched Utah State 78-66 on Sunday.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., 94 per cent of Proline players bet on Duke to win while 47 per cent had the Blue Devils at -12.5 on the point spread. Meanwhile 97 per cent of players had Arizona to be victorious while 85 per cent took the Wildcats -11.5 on the spread.

Fifth-seeded St. John’s defeated No. 4 Kansas 67-65 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. Sixty-nine per cent of bets were on St John’s to win while 44 per cent correctly took Kansas +3.5 on the spread.

Second-seeded Iowa State advanced with a 82-63 victory over No. 7 Kentucky. A solid 72 per cent of bettors were behind Iowa State to win while 68 per cent correctly picked the Cyclones -5.5 on the spread.

Third-seeded Michigan State downed No. 6 Louisville 77-69, with 87 per cent of bettors picking the Spartans to win. Seventy-five per cent had them -4.5 on the spread.

Ninth-seeded Iowa’s stunning 73-72 victory over the defending-champion Florida Gators was a huge surprise to most bettors. Just 23 per cent of wagers were on the Hawkeyes to pull off the upset

The top-selling game of the week in the NHL was the Ottawa Senators’ 2-1 win over the New York Rangers on Monday night. Seventy-four per cent of players had the Sens to emerge victorious.

Meanwhile in baseball, Venezuela upset the United States 3-2 to win the World Baseball Classic on March 18. Sixty-five per cent of bettors took the underdogs to win while 40 per cent had the game under 8.5 total runs.

A Proline retail player won $9,479 from a $10 bet on a six-leg soccer parlay while another claimed $1,351.30 from a $5 wager on a seven-leg NHL parlay.

And a digital customer turned a $50 wager into a $3,061 windfall from a six-leg parlay.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.

Top seeds Duke, Arizona get solid backing from Proline bettors | iNFOnews.ca
Arizona forward Koa Peat (10), and Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) celebrate as their team leads Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.

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