March Madness predictions: Which NCAA Tournament games on Monday are best bets?
After the second day of the second round, the men's NCAA Tournament will be down from 68 to the Sweet 16. But before then, there's eight games left Monday with half of the berths waiting to be won.
There's a little bit of everything on tap for fans. High seeds from power leagues will face off. Unlikely first-round winners are hoping to keep their tournament lives alive for another week. And there's a matchup of double-digits seeds that hope the clock doesn't strike 12 on their Cinderella runs.
Ranking the best of the games from Monday's action from Indianapolis:
No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 7 Oregon
Time/TV:12:10 p.m. ET, CBS
It's the first opportunity to see the Ducks after their first-round game against Virginia Commonwealth was called off. The Pac-12 regular-season champs will immediately be challenged by Hawkeyes big man Luke Garza, the third-leading scorer in the country. The danger is focusing too much on Garza opens up the floor for Iowa's shooters Joe Wieskamp and Jordan Bohannon. Can Oregon keep pace with Chris Duarte matching the shooters from Iowa?
Prediction: Iowa 75-72.
***
NCAA TOURNAMENT CATCH UP:
- SIX TAKEAWAYS:Sunday's games taught us plenty
- WINNERS & LOSERS:They may be smaller, but they got clout
- MONDAY SCHEDULE:TV, time, announcer info for every matchup
- GET TO KNOW: Just the second No. 15 seed to reach Sweet 16
- BIG MISTAKE?:Did Chris Beard do Texas Tech wrong at end of loss
***
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 8 LSU
Time/TV:7:10 p.m., CBS
One Big Ten team seeded No. 1 already has fallen. It wouldn't be a shocker if the Wolverines were the second victim of a No. 8 seed. The Wolverines are without second-leading scorer Isaiah Livers. It didn't matter against Texas Southern in the first round, but the Tigers have the athletic ability to test them. Cameron Thomas and Trendon Watford are prolific scorers capable of taking the game over. It's up to Michigan center Hunter Dickinson to carry the scoring load. That's a lot to ask for a freshman.
Prediction: LSU 71-68.
No. 3 Kansas vs. No. 6 Southern California
Time/TV:9:40 p.m., CBS
There were some scary moments in the first round for the short-handed Jayhawks as they trailed No. 14 seed Eastern Washington midway through the second half. David McCormack, who had been sidelined for more than a week due to COVID-19 protocols, came up big to keep them alive. McCormack now must face the challenge of the deep frontline of the Trojans, led by Pac-12 player of the year Evan Mobley. This one boils down to if the Kansas shooters can keep the USC defense honest or it is going to be a tough grind for the higher seed.
Prediction: USC 70-68.
No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 5 Colorado
Time/TV: 7:45 p.m., TBS
The Buffaloesâ performance in the first round was an eye-opener for fans in the countryâs eastern half who havenât been able to catch much Pac-12 basketball. While it seems unlikely theyâll be able to duplicate their three-point accuracy against the Seminoles, the playmaking ability of McKinley Wright IV will have FSU coach Leonard Hamiltonâs attention. Florida State had a slightly harder time putting away a pesky UNC-Greensboro squad, and the ball security issues that plagued the âNoles in the ACC tournament havenât completely gone away. The Buffs will need more key contributions from their bench to match FSUâs depth, but if they get it, this will come down to the wire.
Prediction: Colorado 75-73.
No. 5 Creighton vs. No. 13 Ohio
Time/TV: 6:10 p.m., TNT
A first-round giant killer will often find itself at a size disadvantage in subsequent rounds of the tournament. That wonât be the case here for the Bobcats. Creighton doesnât have a true post presence, relying on its three-point shooting which, until recently, has been quite accurate. The Bluejays made just enough shots to squeak past UC-Santa Barbara, and this one should also be tight. Ohioâs Jason Preston has been one of the tournamentâs early stars, but heâll need his teammates to keep knocking down their open shots. The bet here is they will, but Creightonâs Marcus Zegarowski seems due for a breakout game.
Prediction: Creighton 73-69.
No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 14 Abilene Christian
Time/TV: 5:15 p.m., TBS
This might be the game with the highest combined seeds, but that doesn't mean this game should be at the bottom. The Bruins have already won twice in the tournament with Johnny Juzang scoring 50 total points. Based on name value, this would seem to be their easiest game. Don't tell that to the Wildcats, who already have taken down Texas. Their pressure defense can unsettle any team as evidenced by the Longhorns committing 23 turnovers. Neither team pulls too far away in this nail-biter.
Prediction: UCLA 62-58.
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 10 Maryland
Time/TV: 8:45 p.m., TNT
The Terrapins have turned in some excellent defensive efforts this season. Their first-round victory against Connecticut might have been the best of the lot. They could have a harder time shutting down the Crimson Tide, who make no secret about what they want to do but still put up 79.2 points a game. Maryland will have to do a better job cleaning the defensive glass, as the Tide average over 12 offensive rebounds a game.
Prediction: Alabama 76-67.
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
Time/TV: 2:40 p.m., CBS
The Bulldogs very much looked the part of the tournamentâs overall top seed as they made short work of Norfolk State. They might have a slightly harder time putting away the Sooners, who have a few more scoring options but still not much in the way of bench help. The continued absence of DeâVion Harmon due to a positive COVID-19 test wonât help, either. OU will do its best to manage the tempo, but slowing Gonzaga has been easier said than done all year.
Prediction: Gonzaga 88-70.
Follow colleges reporters Erick Smith and Eddie Timanus on Twitter.