Madness March 2022 Predictions: NCAA grid expert picks spread and odds for Saturday’s Round 2 games

The March Madness Marathon continues until the weekend. Round 1 action will wrap up on Friday night, with second round play of the 2022 NCAA Tournament kicking off on Saturday with a field half the size it had before Round 1. Over the next few days, the net will drop out again. half the field as he goes from 32 to Sweet 16, setting up the tournament’s second weekend of the year.

If this tournament has taught us anything, it’s that Saturday’s table should give us some drama. We’ve already had a few overtimes, we’ve had a few Cinderella candidates and so far there’s been a lot of disappointments. The action of the second round includes six single digit spreads from eight games, so as the grid continues to unfold, bookmakers expect closer competition to continue.

To prepare you for the first day of Round 2, I called on our experts to do a straight up and against the spread together to help you choose your group (and hopefully do some cheddar along the way). You can also check out our expert brackets.

Be sure to stay on CBS Sports until the end of the month for coverage of the NCAA Tournament until the end of the Final Four. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for Saturday’s second round final playlist.

odds through bookmaker Caesars | All Eastern Times

NCAA Tournament: Round 2 Selection

(1) Baylor vs. (8) North Carolina

Saturday, 12:10 | CBS, March Madness Live: Baylor is arguably the most vulnerable of all the No. 11 seeds in this year’s tournament – he’s left without lead scorer LJ Cryer and glue Jonathan Chamwa Chachua through injury – but I’m still scoring points here with the Bears. . They have the staff to confine Brady Manek and Armando Bakota and are playing well in the backcourt thanks to a group of veterans led by Adam Flagler and James Akinjo. Choice: Baylor -5.5

(1) Kansas vs. (9) Creighton

Saturday, 14:40 | CBS, March Madness Live: Creighton was lucky to escape in the first round in overtime against a San Diego State team that had been in the lead for almost the entire game. However, he won’t have the luxury of playing with fire against Kansas and I don’t think he will have the chance to do so. KU kicks into high gear with Remy Martin playing a key role next to star Ochai Agbaji in the backcourt. The Jayhawks should win by a landslide. Pick: Kansas -11.5

(3) Tennessee vs. (11) Michigan

Saturday, 17:15 | CBS, March Madness Live: After a crushing loss to the Kentucky on Jan. 15, Tennessee ranks second on defense and 25th on offense, according to Bart Torvik. Since then, the Volunteers have won 16 of 18 and are picking up steam after a crushing 29-point victory over Longwood in the first round. A six-point spread is achievable for them to cover a Michigan team that had some problems in the first round against Colorado State. Pick: Tennessee -6

(4) Providence vs. (12) Richmond

Saturday, 18:10 | TNT, March Madness live: Providence made a statement in their first round victory over South Dakota State, the nation’s top 3-point dunking team, lifting the game with physical strength and limiting the strength of the Jackrabbits. The monks know how to play with an intelligence report. So this game should favor them a bit, but I’m taking points from Richmond, who are in tears after winning four games in four days in the Atlantic 10 and just eliminated arguably the hottest team in the sport in Iowa. This team of Spiders is riding the heater with Jacob Gilyard, and I’m ready to ride the wave with them. Choice: Richmond +3

(4) UCLA vs. (5) St. Mary’s

Saturday, 19:10 | TBS March Madness Live: UCLA played slightly against Akron in the first round after uncharacteristically inefficient outings by Jaime Jaques Jr. and Johnny Juzang. I’m expecting a rebound from both in this one to cover the points. The Gaels have what it takes to stick this close together and I expect they will, but UCLA talent and tournament experience will eventually prevail. Choice: UCLA -2.5

(7) Murray State vs. (15) St. Peters

Saturday, 19:45 | CBS, March Madness Live: Call me a sucker for a good story – I’m a writer, sue me! – but I love it when the St. Peters Peacocks cover the game against Murray State, and maybe even repeat their magic from the first round when they knock out No. 2 seeded Kentucky. Maybe not, but scoring a shot from Daryl Banks III and Doug Edert in the backcourt is enough to keep him in line even against a Murray State team that hasn’t lost since Dec. 22. Pick: St. Peters +8

(4) Arkansas vs. (12) New Mexico State

Saturday, 20:40 | TNT, March Madness live: Teddy Allen’s 37 points make New Mexico State beat UConn in the first round, but after a two-day rest after 39 minutes out of 40, can he play the superhero again? I’m skeptical that Aggie’s underdogs are doing this in a row. This Arkansas team has a respectable defense that will strategically try to get the ball out of Allen’s hands and throw enough defenders at him to make it really work. New Mexico State holds within the number, but Arkansas wins something like 71-66. Pick: New Mexico State +6.5

(1) Gonzaga vs. (9) Memphis

Saturday, 21:40 | TBS March Madness Live: The combination of Gonzaga’s early 1st-round struggles and Memphis’ late-season surge, culminating in a cozy 1st-round victory over Boise State, should make the Zags-Tigers final game a must-see on Saturday. But the No. 1 overall got a new pass in the second half of the first round, and thanks to the star power of Chet Holmgren and Drew Timm, I put points here, expecting him to pick up where he left off on Thursday. Choice: Gonzaga -10.5

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