NCAA Basketball Sweet 16 predictions

Week one of March Madness gave us Fairleigh Dickinson over Purdue, saw Princeton march to the Sweet 16, and produced a dramatic upset for Furman over Virginia. We also saw blue bloods like Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky bow out of the tournament.

With all of those theatrics in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look ahead to week two. By the end of Sunday night, the field of 64 will have dwindled down to the Final Four.

Rounds one and two could not have been more exciting. What will the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight have in store? Let’s break down the storylines, odds, and best bets to be made as the Big Dance continues.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. San Diego State Aztecs predictions

Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and they are looking every bit the part. Star freshman Brandon Miller did not score a single point in the Crimson Tide’s first-round game, and they still won by 21 points.

Sure, that was against Texas A&M-Corpus Cristi, but Miller also couldn’t throw it in the ocean against Maryland in round two (5-for-17 from the floor), and Alabama still rolled by 22.

Next up for the Tide (31-5, 16-2 SEC) are San Diego State. It probably isn’t safe to give eight points in a game between two outstanding defensive teams that should be low scoring, but there is great value on Alabama to win the South Region and earn a Final Four berth.

Kansas State Wildcats vs. Michigan State Spartans predictions

If you have followed college basketball on an even semi-regular basis over the past few decades, you’ll know that one of the certainties in life is Michigan State making a run in March. Since becoming head coach in 1995, Tom Izzo has taken his Spartans to eight Final Fours and one national title.

Led by Marquette transfer Joey Hauser and Northeastern transfer Tyson Walker, Michigan State were extremely impressive in wins over USC and Marquette in the first two rounds. MSU may be the lower-seeded team again in its next game (No. 10 vs No. 3), but they are favoured for a reason.

The Spartans look like a good bet to cover -2 against Kansas State, and with Purdue, Marquette, and Duke all having exited the East Region, another Final Four spot for Izzo and company is well within reach.

UCLA Bruins vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs predictions

Year after year, expectations are extremely high for Gonzaga. Head coach Mark Few’s team have finished runner-up once (to North Carolina in 2017), but have not yet reached the pinnacle of the sport. Could this season – when expectations have been relatively low by Gonzaga’s standards – finally be the one? It’s not out of the question.

Drew Timme is still dominating, and his supporting cast is good enough to take this team all the way. Moreover, No. 1 seed Kansas are already gone from the West Region, and No. 2 UCLA have had multiple injuries.

The Bulldogs have good value on the money line against UCLA, and look set to secure another victory.

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