Just eight games remain on Sunday in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament until the Sweet 16 will be set. It’s an exciting slate of games on Sunday with some very intriguing matchups. Here’s what I’m looking to back on Sunday.
No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 7 Miami (Sunday 12:10pm ET in Saint Louis, MO)
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Kentucky (Sunday 2:45pm ET in Saint Louis, MO)
Purdue seems to be returning to form at the right time this season. After dominating the Big Ten Tournament, the Boilermakers should be fresh for an early Sunday tip against Miami. That’s a big disadvantage for the Hurricanes to try and stop the nation’s top offense on an extremely quick turnaround. The Canes defeated Missouri well past midnight on Friday night, and now have less than 36 hours until tipoff. Miami is also one of the worst 3-point defenses in the country, while Purdue is one of the best teams at knocking down triples at over 35%.
Even thought Iowa State will be without Joshua Jefferson, the Cyclones still hold edges all over the court against Kentucky. The Wildcats got the win over Santa Clara by using their size and athleticism, but made plenty of mistakes along the way. Otega Oweh also went bonkers in the win for Kentucky, which ISU’s top-five defense simply won’t allow.
CBB Pick: Purdue/Iowa State ML Parlay (-115)
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 5 Saint John’s (Sunday 5:15pm ET in San Diego, CA)
This game should be a war between two legendary coaches and two very scrappy teams. Both Kansas and Saint John’s are led by their defenses, and I expect that to play out in this game. The Red Storm and Jayhawks both finished top-10 in defensive efficiency this season, per KenPom. While the Jayhawks remained consistent on defense all season, the Johnnie’s improved and rank No. 1 in defensive efficiency since February 1st.
KenPom rankings have St. John’s at 39th in offensive efficiency and Kansas at 57th, with both trending down. That said, it’s again Kansas that has the more concerning trend, ranking 123rd in offensive efficiency since February 1st. Both teams have been playing consistently towards the under for long stretches now, with the Jayhawks cashing the under at a 13-5 clip over their last 18. The Red Storm are on an even stronger run, at 10-1 to the under over the last 11.
The Red Storm just held UNI and UConn to a combined 105 points over the last two games. Kansas has held Cal Baptist and Houston to a combined 129 points over its last two. This is going to be a hell of a game, and I’ll back it with the feeling that points will be at a premium.
CBB Pick: UNDER 144.5 (-112)
No. 2 UCONN vs. No. 7 UCLA (Sunday 8:45pm ET in Philadelphia, PA)
Get my full analysis on the Huskies vs. the Bruins right here on DraftKings Network!
CBB Pick: UCLA +5 (-110)
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 5 Texas Tech (Sunday 9:45pm ET in Tampa, FL)
I am on Texas Tech to the Sweet 16 at +105, so I’ll be riding that ticket on Sunday night. If you don’t have a position in the game, I still feel strongly about the Red Raiders as the side. The most impressive number on Texas Tech is that it has remained elite without JT Toppin — 13th in offensive efficiency and 23rd in defensive efficiency since he went down.
The Red Raiders hold a significant rebounding advantage, and Bama ranks just 109th in defensive efficiency since February 1st. Still without Aden Holloway, his scoring will be missed much more in this matchup than against Hofstra.
