The 2022 NCAA Tournament continues on Friday with only 12 teams left after Thursday’s Sweet 16 games, with four more to be eliminated before we head to the Elite Eight on Saturday and Sunday. The four-game tablet is filled with storylines and stars ranging from rivals to Cinderellas.
Speaking of the Cinderellas, the highlight of the tournament remains the No. 15 seeded St. Peters, who started Friday at 7:09 pm ET on CBS against the No. 3 seeded Purdue. The Peacocks broke into the Sweet 16 and captured the hearts of people around the world , and on Friday they hope to make history as the first No. 15 seed to ever earn a spot in the Elite Eight.
The Outsiders will also end the night with two double-figure seeds — No. 10 in Miami and No. 11 in Iowa — ending the night against each other in the highest combined seed of any Sweet 16 game this year. Between those two games will be Kansas-Providence – the only game on the list with the No. 1 seed – and UCLA-North Carolina. There are 20 NCAA championships between those two games.
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 Friday’s final round three games.
odds through bookmaker Caesars | All Eastern Times
NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16 pick
(3) Purdue vs. (15) Saint Peter’s
Friday, 19:09 | CBS, March Madness Live: St. Peters managed to pass Kentucky (as a double-digit dog) and Murray State (as a nearly double-digit dog) en route to his first Sweet 16. Why not cover that number? The Purdue staff is without a doubt a problematic matchup for the Peacocks and I expect the Boilermakers to win. But the history of the tournament with Cinderella has shown that he has the strength to keep the competition. Pick: St. Peters +12.5
Spreading | SPU +12.5 | PUR-12.5 | PUR-12.5 | SPU +12.5 | SPU +12.5 | PUR-12.5 |
straight up | PUR | PUR | PUR | PUR | PUR | PUR |
(1) Kansas vs. (4) Providence
Friday, 19:29 | TBS March Madness Live: I ended up choosing against Providence. Never ever. Ed Cooley is a wizard whose physical monks are as finely tuned as any team left on the battlefield. It may not be a winning formula against a malleable KU team that can win in many different ways, but I think it’s a formula that can help them make up the difference. Choice: Providence +7.5
Spreading | PROV +7.5 | PROV +7.5 | CH -7.5 | PROV +7.5 | PROV +7.5 | PROV +7.5 |
straight up | CAN | CAN | CAN | CAN | CAN | PROV |
(4) UCLA vs. (8) North Carolina
Friday, 21:39 | CBS, March Madness Live: Jaime Jaquez’s health seems less precarious than it was a few days ago – everything points to him playing – which allows me to feel comfortable with two points with the Bruins. Their skill and experience in the backcourt is an undeniable advantage and I expect Mick Cronin to have some sort of response to the slow Brady Manek who is in constant rift in this tournament. Selected: UCLA -2
Spreading | UKLA-2 | UNK +2 | UKLA-2 | UKLA-2 | UKLA-2 | UKLA-2 |
straight up | University of California at Los Angeles | UNC | University of California at Los Angeles | University of California at Los Angeles | University of California at Los Angeles | University of California at Los Angeles |
(10) Miami, Florida vs. (11) Iowa State
Friday, 21:59 | TBS March Madness Live: Miami’s Jim Larranaga’s team is old, experienced, and brash, just in time, thanks to a heated tournament by Isaiah Wong and the confident hands of Cam McGasty and Charlie Moore. I’ll just take a team with the best veterans and put points on the Hurricanes. Pick: Miami -2.5
Spreading | Ministry of Internal Affairs -2.5 | Ministry of Internal Affairs -2.5 | Ministry of Internal Affairs -2.5 | Ministry of Internal Affairs -2.5 | Ministry of Internal Affairs -2.5 | Ministry of Internal Affairs -2.5 |
straight up | MIA | MIA | MIA | MIA | MIA | MIA |
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