Have you caught your breath from the first three days of Men’s NCAA Tournament action? We’ve got one more slate of eight games this Sunday to find our which teams will prevail and reach the Sweet 16.
Sunday’s slate features some usual suspects, like Duke and UConn, as well as some surprises, like James Madison and Grand Canyon.
Here are our experts Dalen Cuff, Jeff Borzello, Anita Marks, and Mackenzie Kraemer to explain which games they’re making their picks on.
Marquette -3.5 vs Colorado, 12:10 p.m. Tyler Kolek showed he is healthy in Marquette’s first-round matchup, and if that’s the case, this line is too low. Colorado could not stop Florida, and they will likely struggled against Marquette’s high-powered offense. -Kraemer
Marquette -3.5 vs. Colorado, 12:10 p.m. Colorado is playing as well as anyone in the country right now, winning 10 of its last 11 games. But I think Marquette’s ball pressure will cause problems for Colorado’s offense and Oso Ighodaro is a tough matchup for Eddie Lampkin. I also don’t hate OVER 147.5 here. -Borzello
Purdue -11.5 vs Utah State, 2:40 p.m. Utah State has struggled to stop teams from scoring inside all season, which is bad news against Zach Edey and company. Purdue exorcised some demons against Grambling, and they should cruise against Utah State. -Kraemer
James Madison +7.5 v Duke, 5:15 p.m. The Blue Devils have not proven they can handle physical, disruptive defenses throughout the year. That’s what JMU presents with veteran guys that also make plays on the other end. Love the points and Moneyline. -Cuff
James Madison +7.5 vs Duke , 5:15 p.m. James Madison is looking to make it to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history, and they have a shot at doing it vs Duke. JMU has won 14 straight, with a lot of veteran leadership, a scoring average of 85 PPG, and a fiesty defense that creates turnovers, and holds opponents to less than 30% from 3. -Marks
Baylor -4.5 vs Clemson and Over 144.5, 6:10 p.m. Clemson’s defense is not stellar. They were fortunate to face a New Mexico team that couldn’t find their mojo early. Baylor is a different animal. They score a lot and drain threes – coming off a game where they put up 13 against Colgate. Clemson has met his match. -Marks
Grand Canyon +5.5 v Alabama, 7:10 p.m. Grand Canyon has legit size, athletes and playmaking ability. If the Antelopes can guard their yard well enough to limit penetration I think they can win this game outright but I’ll take the points. -Cuff
Grand Canyon +5.5 vs Bama, 7:10 p.m. Grand Canyon had a great game plan against St Mary’s, and were able to score 47 points in the second half. Bama will push the pace, but if GCU can limit them to under 40% from the field, they will have a chance for an upset. GCU’s defense is 40th in defense efficiency, and can force turnovers. -Marks
Northwestern +14.5 v UConn, 7:45 p.m. This is just too many points for me. Northwestern doesn’t turn it over, can shoot it and has experienced guys. I think they can play with the Huskies enough to not get blown out. -Cuff
Houston/Texas A&M OVER 133.5, 8:40 p.m. Texas A&M has gone over in six straight games and 12 of its last 14 games, while Houston has gone over in nine of its last 15. Houston is elite defensively, but with the way Wade Taylor is scoring the ball lately and how good both teams are on the offensive glass, I lean over. They combined for 136 in their meeting in December. -Borzello
Texas A&M +9.5 vs Houston, 8:40 p.m. Texas A&M is a different team since Manny Obaseki has emerged as a key player. The Aggies hung with Houston back in December without Tyrese Radford, and they can keep this one close against Houston. -Kraemer
Yale +5.5 vs. San Diego State, 9:40 p.m. San Diego State has only covered one of its past seven games and needed a Herculean effort from Jaedon LeDee to get over the line against UAB. Additionally, the Aztecs’ vaunted defense hasn’t been the same; they rank No. 73 at that end of the floor in their past six games. -Borzello
