We're making our Sweet 16 expert picks, based on the best odds from our best March Madness betting sites.
Two rounds into the NCAA Tournament, there's just 16 teams left alive with many March Madness upset picks leading to busted March Madness bracket predictions. It's been one of the most chalky NCAA Tournaments in recent memory with 12 of the remaining teams being a top-four seed.
As we prepare for the Sweet 16, our experts take a look at their favorite bets for each game and analyze the matchups to make their predictions based on the March Madness odds from our best sports betting sites.
Don't forget to check out our Sweet 16 odds and betting lines and our March Madness survivor picks.
Sweet 16 expert picks
Picks made by C Jackson Cowart and Rob Paul; pick c onfidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.
| Matchup | When | Cowart | Paul |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson vs. Arizona | Thursday at 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS) | Clemson +7.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ???? | Oumar Ballo Over 10.5 rebounds (+102 via FanDuel) ???? |
| San Diego State vs. UConn | Thursday at 7:39 p.m. ET (TBS) | UConn -10.5 (-110 via Caesars) ??? | Donovan Clingan Over 1.5 blocks (+125 via DraftKings) ???? |
| Alabama vs. North Carolina | Thursday at 9:39 p.m. ET (CBS) | UNC -3.5 (-120 via FanDuel) ???? | RJ Davis Over 23.5 points (-105 via DraftKings) ??? |
| Illinois vs. Iowa State | Thursday at 10:09 p.m. ET (TBS) | Iowa State -1.5 (-108 via DraftKings) ???? | Tamin Lipsey Over 1.5 made 3-pointers (+160 via bet365) ??? |
| NC State vs. Marquette | Friday at 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS) | Marquette -6 (-110 via Caesars) ??? | Kam Jones Over 2.5 made 3-pointers (+100 via FanDuel) ???? |
| G onzaga vs. Purdue | Friday at 7:39 p.m. ET (TBS) | Gonzaga +5.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ???? | Graham Ike Under 7.5 rebounds (-114 via FanDuel) ??? |
| Duke vs. Houston | Friday at 9:39 p.m. ET (CBS) | Duke +4.5 (-118 via FanDuel) ??? | Jamal Shead Over 6.5 assists (+100 via FanDuel) ???? |
| Creighton vs. Tennessee | Friday at 10:09 p.m. ET (TBS) | Creighton +2.5 (-108 via FanDuel) ????? | Dalton Knecht Over 20.5 points (-113 via FanDuel) ??? |
Not intended for use in MA
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Sweet 16 predictions: Thursday
Nobody expected Clemson to make it this far, and its win over No. 3 seed Baylor was one of the biggest upsets of the Round of 32. However, the fun stops now for the Tigers with Arizona being one of just two teams left in the NCAA Tournament to rank top 10 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom – the only other team is UConn, the March Madness odds favorite.
The Tigers don't have the defense to stop All-American Caleb Love and it will be be hard for them to keep up. Clemson leans heavily on forward PJ Hall and guard Joseph Girard, who are both undersized in comparison to Arizona's Oumar Ballo and Pelle Larsson, two trusted defenders for the Wildcats.