The final eight spots in the regional semifinals for the NCAA Tournament are up for grabs on Sunday, March 22. With every favorite winning in Friday’s first-round action, today features high-level matchups with heavyweights facing off.
Let’s look at Sunday’s eight-game schedule, which includes two 4-5, one 3-6, three 2-7, and two 1-9 matchups. 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 the remaining matchups in the bracket for the best Sunday NCAA Tournament picks in the second round of play.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Sunday’s Best NCAA Tournament Picks for Second Round Games
Today’s games begin with No. 7 Miami (FL) facing No. 2 Purdue at 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS. Following a slate with three blue bloods in action (Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA), No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 4 Alabama will finish the night with a 9:45 p.m. ET tip-off on TBS.
Keep tabs on the Playbook’s college basketball coverage for predictions for all of Sunday’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. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 4 Kansas Pick on Over/Under for NCAA Tournament
Over/Under Pick: Over 144.5 (1.92x payout) | Under 144.5 (1.88x)
Time: 5:15 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
- Bart Torvik ranks St. John’s in the 82nd percentile and Kansas in the 55th percentile for the quickest adjusted tempos.
- Neither team leans on the 3-point line, with both squads attempting 21.0 triples per game (32nd percentile).
- The Jayhawks tout concerning shot distributions across the board, ranking in the 25th percentile for close-2 shot distribution and the 30th percentile for 3-pointers.
- EvanMiya gives Kansas F Flory Bidunga (5.32) the fourth-best Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR) in college basketball.
- The Red Storm could struggle in the paint vs. an elite rim protector, and they are in the 92nd percentile of close-2 shot distribution.
- The under is 9-1 for St. John’s and 7-3 for Kansas in the last 10 games.
No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Virginia Pick on Spread for NCAA Tournament
CBB Spread Pick: Virginia +1.5 (1.85x) | Tennessee -1.5 (1.96x)
Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
- As the No. 3 seed, Virginia is the underdog vs. No. 6 Tennessee with a 1.96x payout if it wins, per PrizePicks Team Picks.
- The Volunteers are 5-5 against the spread (ATS) over the last 10 games, and they’re 3-4 in their past seven games as the favorite.
- While the Cavaliers failed to cover the 18.5-point spread vs. No. 14 Wright State, they still carry a 3-1 ATS mark over the last four matchups.
- Tennessee ranks 12th in adjusted defensive efficiency, but it surrenders 25.6 3-point shots per game (17th percentile) and a 44.7% shot distribution from deep (10th percentile).
- Virginia posts 28.1 attempted treys per contest (92nd percentile), and it averaged 11.0 made triples per game while shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc over the last four games.
- The glass could be another key, with the Vols boasting college basketball’s best offensive rebounding rate. The Cavaliers could match that thanks to their 36.9% offensive rebounding rate (98th percentile).
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 2 UConn Pick on Spread for NCAA Tournament
CBB Spread Pick: UCLA +4.5 (1.88x payout) | UConn -4.5 (1.88x)
Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
- After missing the last two games, UCLA F Tyler Bilodeau (knee) is questionable for tonight’s bout. He leads the team with 17.6 PPG.
- The Huskies are in the 92nd and 83rd percentiles of offensive and defensive rebounding percentages. The Bruins, meanwhile, sit in the 57th and 18th percentiles.
- UCLA leans on an elite 37.9% 3-point percentage (95th percentile), but Connecticut cedes only 19.7 attempted triples per contest (89th percentile).
- UConn C Tarris Reed Jr. (14.3 PPG) and G Solo Ball (13.4 PPG) find most of their success around the rim, while the Huskies shoot 57.4% on 2-pointers (93rd percentile).
- Bilodeau’s 5.6 rebounds per game also rank second on the Bruins. UCLA could stumble if the 6’9” forward is out of the lineup.
Make Sunday NCAA Tournament Picks on PrizePicks
Perhaps we do not have the usual Cinderella stories. In fact, we officially have one double-digit seed in the regional semifinals, and that’s a major program in No. 11 Texas. Sunday’s schedule may be exclusive to big brands, but that could also mean high-level basketball.
Five of today’s eight games have point spreads under five points on PrizePicks Team Picks. Upsets are still in the cards, including No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 2 UConn.
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.
