NCAA Tournament Second Round Day Two Betting Tips

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Eight betting tips for the NCAA Tournament Second Round Day Two.

A 6-3-1 record on day two of the NCAA tournament brings us to 10-7-1 overall.

It’s been pretty wild to see how close some of these lines have been. Friday we had two wins by a point and a push. I’d always rather be lucky than good, but be careful out there. These sportsbooks are on their game.

We get some time off after this round of games. Checking the March Sports Betting Calendar sees the Sweet 16 taking place from the 24th to the 25th. I will probably do NBA on Tuesday then get back to NCAA for the weekend.

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#4 Illinois vs. #5 Houston Betting Tips:

This is the closest match-up of the day, but I expect a lot of people to be on Houston for this one. They dominated their first round match-up while Illinois barely got by Chattanooga. Looking at the stats it’s easy to see why as they shot an abysmal 3-for-17 from three and 13-for-22 from the free throw line.

If those numbers continue here Illinois is down for, but both numbers were so far below their season averages that I can’t see them continuing here. This looks like a game that will come down to the wire and in that case, I’m taking the points.

Pick: Bet Illinois +4.5

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(Odds correct as of 2022/03/19 12:31:04 PM EST but are subject to change.)

#2 Villanova vs. #7 Ohio State Betting Tips:

Ohio State got the win in the first round, but they are running into a buzzsaw here. Villanova have won 11 of their last 12 games, 20 of their last 23 games, and just had an impressive win in round one. They are a top-heavy team that can score from every position on the floor and are a team that often goes deep into the tournament under head coach Jay Wright.

Ohio State got us the win in round one, but I’m not liking their chances here. They lost four of five to end the season and simply seem overmatched here. Villanova has the better Offensive and Defensive Efficiency, and that should show up on the court.

Pick: Bet Villanova -4.5

#2 Duke vs. #7 Michigan State Betting Tips:

It feels like all the Big Ten teams are being underrated today as Michigan State is a -6.5 underdog here. The conference was tough this year and they had a much harder schedule than Duke.

I said before I don’t think Duke is going deep and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them eliminated here. They didn’t cover in their last match-up (although it was very close) and I don’t expect them to here either.

That said, I feel far more confident in the over in this one. Duke’s offense is very good and they’ve went over in six of their last seven games. MSU has also went over in six of the last seven. I believe Michigan State will be able to stick around in this one and get us the over, they averaged 72.1 points per game on the season. Duke averaged 80.1.

Pick: Bet Duke/Michigan State Over 144.5

#3 Wisconsin vs. #11 Iowa State Betting Tips:

Iowa State pulled off the upset against LSU in a game where neither team was looking particularly good heading in. We had that pegged as a loss for LSU with a lame duck coach, struggles, and controversy surrounding the program. This match-up will be much different as Wisconsin is one of the sturdier programs in college basketball.

Things did not end well for Iowa State during the regular season with three straight losses, including one by 17 and one by 31. This team can lose and they can lose bad. I think Wisconsin will cause them to do just that here as they have a much better offense and can control the boards.

Pick: Bet Wisconsin -4.5

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#3 Texas Tech vs. #11 Notre Dame Betting Tips:

At this point, rest has to be a factor for Notre Dame. This will be their third game in five days and they’ve only been running with seven players. They got the win against Alabama in the last round, but Texas Tech is a far different type of team.

Texas Tech had the #2 defense in the nation by defensive efficiency and they did it with the fourth hardest schedule. I can see Notre Dame making a game of it early, but once Texas Tech locks down and fatigue sets in – it’ll be lights out for the Irish. (Sorry, Graeme.)

Pick: Bet Texas Tech -7.5

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#2 Auburn at #10 Miami Betting Tips:

Miami has had a nice little run of late as they are 8-3 over their last eleven. The key number there is the three losses though as all of them were by four points or less. Considering they are getting +7.5 here, that’s something to keep in mind.

Auburn is a very good team, but they haven’t played a quality opponent since February while Miami has faced Duke and USC back-to-back. I can see Auburn winning this one, but the competition should be there in this.

Pick: Bet Miami +7.5

#3 Purdue vs. #6 Texas Betting Tips:

What is it, Big Ten day in the tournament? Five of eight games feature the Big Ten. Of all the teams left, the tournament seems to have saved the best for last as Purdue has the best chance of them all of making the Final Four.

Virginia Tech was a popular pick (myself included) to lose in the first round, but Texas managed to hang on. It was their first win in four games and their first time making it out of the first round in four NCAA tournaments. Was that them finally getting over the hump? Or a lucky night? Considering Texas shot 10-for-19 from three when they only shot 32.9%
for the season, you might guess where I stand.

Shutting down the offense of Virginia Tech was impressive, but things are about to get a lot more difficult with Purdue who ranked third in the nation in Offensive Efficiency. Purdue has the nod in nearly every offensive category here and outrebounds Texas as well.

Pick: Bet Purdue -3.5

#1 Arizona vs. #9 TCU Betting Tips:

The deeper the tournament goes, the less I like to lay big numbers, but Arizona is the exception here. They have won games by an average of 17 points this season and have simply dominated everyone. Nobody won more games this year than the Wildcats and them not making the Sweet 16 would be a huge upset.

Nearly every category you can think of favors Arizona: Offensive Efficiency, Defensive Efficency, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage all favor Arizona. They averaged 16 more points per game than TCU.

Arizona good is what I’m trying to say.

Pick: Bet Arizona -10

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