Following 32 games in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Saturday begins second-round action with regional semifinal bids on the line.
Let’s look at Saturday’s eight-game schedule, which includes a pair of 1-9 matchups, several double-digit seeds looking to fit Cinderella’s glass slipper, and a high-level 4-5 battle. You can get in on the action with college basketball projections for game winners, point spreads, and the over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
Below, we’ll navigate college basketball projections for the best Saturday NCAA Tournament picks in the second round of play.
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Saturday’s Best NCAA Tournament Picks for Second Round Games
Saturday’s slate begins with No. 9 Saint Louis vs. No. 1 Michigan at 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS, and No. 12 High Point vs. No. 4 Arkansas will cap the day with a 9:45 p.m. ET tip-off on truTV and TBS.
Keep tabs on the Playbook’s college basketball coverage for predictions for all of Saturday’s second-round games. But for now, we’ll focus on our three favorite picks among projections on PrizePicks Team Picks.
All NCAA Tournament spreads and over/unders are via PrizePicks Team Picks. Numbers represent what you will earn if you win — i.e. 2x means a $100 entry pays out $200.
Payouts are live as of publishing. All are subject to change.
No. 9 TCU vs. No. 1 Duke Pick on Spread for NCAA Tournament
CBB Spread Pick: TCU +10.5 (2.08x payout) | Duke -10.5 (1.72x)
Time: 5:15 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
- Without Duke G Caleb Foster (foot) and C Patrick Ngongba II (foot), the Blue Devils escaped No. 16 Siena in a 71-65 win on Thursday.
- Ngongba could return to action on Saturday, but Duke is 1-4 against the spread (ATS) over the last five games.
- TCU sports 7-1 outright and ATS records in its past eight contests.
- Bart Torvik ranks the Horned Frogs 28th in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing 71.8 PPG (73rd percentile).
- Backed by 13.6 forced turnovers per game (91st percentile), TCU hangs its hat on creating chaos. Without starting PG Foster, Duke could be vulnerable.
- The Blue Devils generate 9.0 made triples per game (76th percentile), but they shot only 29.8% from deep over their last five games.
No. 11 VCU vs. No. 3 Illinois Pick on Spread for NCAA Tournament
CBB Spread Pick: VCU +10.5 (2x) | Illinois -10.5 (1.81x)
Time: 7:50 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
- VCU required a 19-point comeback to win and cover vs. North Carolina in the first round.
- The Rams are now 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games, compared to Illinois sitting at 2-4 over the past six contests.
- Ranked second in adjusted offensive efficiency, the Fighting Illini feature an explosive unit with 85.0 PPG (96th percentile).
- Illinois leans on 31.6 3-point shots per game (98th percentile), but VCU may have the answer by surrendering only 20.7 attempts from deep per contest (80th percentile).
- The Rams also love the 3-ball, cashing in 9.4 treys per game (85th percentile). Perimeter defense is a concern, with the Illini ceding 26.8 attempted triples per game (eighth percentile).
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No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 4 Nebraska Pick on Over/Under for NCAA Tournament
Over/Under Pick: Over 147.5 (1.92x payout) | Under 147.5 (1.88x)
Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
- Bart Torvik tabs Vanderbilt sixth in adjusted offensive rating, while Nebraska ranks seventh for defensive rating.
- Nebraska is in the first percentile of 3-point shot distribution allowed, and the Commodores launch 26.7 treys per contest (85th percentile).
- The Cornhuskers can add to the total, too, sporting 30.2 3-point attempts per game (96th percentile).
- Saturday’s bout could be fast-paced, as the Cornhuskers log 59.1 shots per game (62nd percentile) and Vandy records 61.0 field goal attempts per contest (85th percentile).
- The Commodores typically push the pace, ranking in the 73rd percentile for the quickest adjusted tempos
Make Saturday NCAA Tournament Picks on PrizePicks
VCU has the chance to officially earn Cinderella status on Saturday, while TCU could take advantage of a thin Duke rotation. Vanderbilt-Nebraska is tracking to be one of the best second-round games, with the Commodores favored by 2.5 points on PrizePicks Team Picks.
March isn't just about your bracket. You can make your NCAA Tournament picks for every game on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money if you're right.
Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make real-money predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Keep tabs on the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news all the way through the NCAA Tournament.
