Thursday saw one No. 1 seed and two No. 2 seeds go down in the men’s NCAA tournament. The madness continues Friday as the Sweet 16 wraps up with four games.
So what are the bets to make? And what should you avoid?
Here are our experts Dalen Cuff, Jeff Borzello, Tyler Fulghum to explain which games they’re making their picks on.
Which underdog has the best chance to pull off an upset?
Creighton ML (+125) vs. Tennessee. The Bluejays had the wherewithal to outlast a white-hot Oregon team in double OT despite shooting just 39% from the field. So far the Volunteers have played well, but Creighton is miles better than Saint Peter’s and Texas. — Fulghum
Creighton ML (+125) vs. Tennessee. Tennessee has become increasingly Dalton Knecht-reliant on the offensive end, and while there are far worse players to rely on offensively, the Vols are going to need more to keep up with Creighton’s elite offense. If Steven Ashworth can take care of the ball and get the Bluejays into their sets against Zakai Zeigler, Creighton wins. I also like Illinois ML (+105) and Alabama ML (+160). — Borzello
What’s your favorite pick against the total?
Duke vs. Houston OVER 133.5 (-115). This is a bet that the officials won’t allow Houston to manhandle the Blue Devils and this game can get into the high 60s for both teams. Playing a Houston over can always be aggressive but Duke has pros that can score and the Cougars always generate additional opportunities on the offensive glass (11th nationally Offensive Rebound percentage). — Cuff
Tennessee vs. Creighton UNDER 144.5 (-115). Creighton will slow this game down a bit and both teams can play tremendous defense. Just one of the four games played between these two has gone over this threshold, but that game required double OT. — Fulghum
Which game are you avoiding entirely?
Duke vs. Houston -4.5. Houston has looked like a dominant team all season long, but Duke seems to be playing loose and free after their early loss in the ACC Tournament. The Cougars are coming off an OT game where Texas A&M pushed them to the brink. — Fulghum
