The March Madness and the 2022 NCAA Tournament Marathon moves to a 16-team Sunday, with just eight spots left in the Sweet 16 this year. The grid is slowly taking shape after a hectic Saturday that saw eight teams secure spots in the second weekend. Sunday marks the last day of this season’s opening weekend, with a busy slate kicking off on the East Coast just after noon.
Each game has a single digit bet spread, which means the entire list should be filled with close games. This includes Arizona – the only No. 1 seed in action on Sunday – although it is 9.5 more than the No. 9 seed’s TCU due to the largest spread of the day.
Other competitions on paper are expected to be much closer. Headlining the day between No. 2 seed Duke and No. 7 seed Michigan State will be a Hall of Fame coaching battle between Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo. The odds provided a closer-than-expected spread. The ACC regular season champion Blue Devils lead the Spartans by 6.5 points despite Coach K’s all-time record of 12–3 against Izzo, as well as a clear talent advantage.
To prepare you for the final day of Round 2, I called on our experts to do a straight and anti-scatter pick 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 Sunday’s second round final playlist.
odds through bookmaker Caesars | All Eastern Times
NCAA Tournament: Round 2 Selection
(4) Illinois vs. (5) Houston
Sunday, 12:10 | CBS, March Madness Live: Illinois had to work double digits behind Chattanooga in the first round and pulled out despite losing all but 25 seconds of the game. It’s a stark contrast to Houston and its boring 14-point UAB cruise. But the Illini couldn’t play much worse on offense, and Houston, with all its injuries, should return to the average for a bit against a very talented team coached by Brad Underwood. It’s like the wrong team is being favored, so I’ll take points from Illinois. Pick: Illinois +4.5
Spreading | PL +4.5 | PL +4.5 | PL +4.5 | PL +4.5 | HOW -4.5 | PL +4.5 |
straight up | SICK | SICK | SICK | SICK | SICK | SICK |
(2) Villanova v. (7) Ohio State
Sunday, 2:40 pm | CBS, March Madness Live: What Ohio State did defensively with the Loyola-Chicago veterans in the first round cannot be ignored. The Buckeyes have the qualities to be a force on this end of the floor when they are healthy and they finally get to it. Combined with a top 15 offense led by rising freshman Malachi Branham and star E.J. Liddell, I love that they cover the numbers against Villanova’s explosive offense that looked surprisingly out of the ordinary in the first round against Delaware. Pick: Ohio State +5.5
Spreading | OSU +5.5 | OSU +5.5 | NOVA -5.5 | OSU +5.5 | OSU +5.5 | NOVA -5.5 |
straight up | NEW STAR | OSU | NEW STAR | NEW STAR | NEW STAR | NEW STAR |
(2) Duke v. (7) State of Michigan
Sunday, 17:15 | CBS, March Madness Live: Duke’s defense throughout the season left a lot to be desired and played a key role in losing two of his first five games in early March. That said, this Blue Devils team has a ton of talent, and with five potential first round players, I’m counting on the points and trust that Coach K’s dominance over Izzo in an all-time head-to-head series prevails with some comfort. Sparty can keep it close but not sure if they have the horses to go the distance and keep it within the number. Choice: Duke -6.5
Spreading | Moscow State University +6.5 | DUC -6.5 | DUC -6.5 | DUC -6.5 | Moscow State University +6.5 | Moscow State University +6.5 |
straight up | DUKE | DUKE | DUKE | DUKE | DUKE | Moscow State University |
(3) Wisconsin vs. (11) Iowa State
Sunday, 18:10 | TNT, March Madness live: Questions about the health of Badgers star Johnny Davis were not immediately answered in the first round as Wisconsin struggled with 14th-seeded Colgate as he opened the game 3-of-11 shots. But in the second half, Davis returned to his old habits, finishing with 25 points in the win and knocking down big shots as the game progressed. The advantage he gives Wisconsin, along with the inconsistent offensive scoring of Iowa State, makes me lean towards the Badgers in this spot. Choice: Wisconsin-3
Spreading | VISK-3 | VISK-3 | VISK-3 | VISK-3 | VISK-3 | ISU +3 |
straight up | WISC | WISC | WISC | WISC | WISC | ISU |
(3) Texas Tech University vs. (11) Notre Dame
Sunday, 19:10 | TBS March Madness Live: Texas Tech’s defensive division coming out on top wasn’t the most impressive part of his first-round victory over Montana State. This distinction belonged to his crime. The Red Raiders scored 97 points in this win and six players, led by 20 Terrence Shannon Jr. and 20 Bryson Williams, finished with at least 10 points while the team made 12 of 20 3-point attempts. I don’t expect them to keep shooting as hot, but I do expect Tech’s defense and rising offense to cover against the ND team who played a lot of basketball on the opening weekend. Pick: Texas Tech -7.5
Spreading | TTU -7.5 | NO +7.5 | TTU -7.5 | TTU -7.5 | TTU -7.5 | NO +7.5 |
straight up | TTU | TTU | TTU | TTU | TTU | TTU |
(2) Auburn vs. (10) Miami (FL)
Sunday, 19:45 | TruTV, March Madness Live: Auburn lost four of the last nine games leading up to the NCAA Tournament but looked back on his old methods in the first round when he beat Jacksonville State 80-61 and dominated defense led by Walker Kessler with nine blocks. It’s like the Tigers team that was once #1 in all college hoops. I’m bringing them here against a team from Miami who are pretty brash but not quite equipped to beat the Tigers. Choice: Auburn -7.5
Spreading | Ministry of Internal Affairs +7.5 | Ministry of Internal Affairs +7.5 | AUB -7.5 | AUB -7.5 | Ministry of Internal Affairs +7.5 | Ministry of Internal Affairs +7.5 |
straight up | AUB | AUB | AUB | AUB | AUB | AUB |
(3) Purdue vs. (6) Texas
Sunday, 20:40 | TNT, March Madness live: The top teams in Texas this season were really impressive and were reminiscent of some of Chris Beard’s top Texas Tech teams. It’s just that the team hasn’t been consistently good all year. Purdue has the staff that will make the Longhorns pay the price if they don’t bring their best game and the duo of Jaden Ivey and Zach Edie are coming out of the big games and I like the Boilermakers. Choice: Purdue -3.5
Spreading | PUR -3.5 | PUR -3.5 | TEX +3.5 | PUR -3.5 | TEX +3.5 | PUR -3.5 |
straight up | PUR | PUR | TEX | PUR | TEX | PUR |
(1) Arizona vs. (9) TCU
Sunday, 21:40 | TBS March Madness Live: TCU crushed the lifeless Seton Hall team in the first round, leaving the Pirates with the third-biggest NCAA Tournament loss in program history. This team of Horned Frogs can hold their own in and out with just about anyone and I expect them to do so against a really dangerous Arizona team that plays with speed and can control the court from both sides. This is very similar to a comfortable win for the Wildcats with TCU’s late cover in the game. Choice: TCU +9.5
Spreading | TCU +9.5 | TCU +9.5 | ARIZ -9.5 | TCU +9.5 | ARIZ -9.5 | TCU +9.5 |
straight up | ARIZ | ARIZ | ARIZ | ARIZ | ARIZ | ARIZ |
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