Cinderella Watch: Bettors Flocking to Back Saint Peter's

Following impressive upset wins over the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats and No. 7 Murray State Racers, the No. 15 Saint Peter’s Peacocks are a popular pick among BetMGM bettors in their matchup against the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers on Friday.

Even with the Boilermakers set as 12.5-point favorites, the Peacocks have received 71 percent of spread bets and 65 percent of the money wagered. Saint Peter’s is an even more popular moneyline bet with 92 percent of wagers and 77 percent of the betting handle.

RELATED: Kentucky’s Loss to Saint Peter’s a Gigantic Win for Sportsbooks

In fact, the Peacocks have the highest moneyline ticket percentage of any remaining team in the Sweet Sixteen.

A popular storyline leading into NCAA March Madness every year is which team will make a Cinderella run and advance far past expectations in the tournament and bust brackets. There’s no doubt Saint Peter’s is the 2022 Cinderella team, and the Peacocks now have the potential to make history.

The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles were the first 15th seed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in 2013, and then the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles followed suit last year. Neither team advanced to the Elite Eight, though.

RELATED: March Madness Sweet 16 Picks Roundup

The Peacocks can not only be the first 15th seed to advance to the Elite Eight with a win over the Boilermakers, but the highest previous seed to accomplish the feat were the 12th seeded Missouri Tigers in 2002 and Oregon State Beavers last year.

With Saint Peter’s looking to make history and pull off a massive upset for their backers, bettors have to be thrilled that their Cinderella team will have plenty of time to pull off another magical win before midnight.

After all, the Boilermakers and Peacocks hit the dancefloor at 7:09 p.m. ET on Friday. 

Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.