The Elite Eight kicks off Saturday evening and the Final Four will be set by Sunday evening. Here’s how you should bet on those games.
And then there were eight. The Elite Eight is set and now important decisions are to be made. How do you bet on the two games on Saturday and the two on Sunday? Do you roll with the favorites? Are you sniffing another big upset or two?
Below you can find betting advice for the Elite Eight games and predictions for who makes the Final Four.
3. Texas Tech vs. 1. Gonzaga
- Spread: Gonzaga- 4.5
If defense wins championships, one of these two teams could be cutting the nets down. Gonzaga and Texas Tech play stifling defense so this game could come down to which team gets hot and knocks down a few shots. Gonzaga has the nation’s most efficient offense while Texas Tech counters with the red-hot Jarrett Culver who is rising up NBA Draft boards. Gonzaga is a 4.5-point favorite and I’d lay those points and take Gonzaga to win.
3. Purdue vs. 1. Virginia
- Virginia -4.5
Purdue is coming off a 99-point outburst in the Sweet 16 win vs. Tennessee when Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline were on fire, especially from 3 in the case of Cline. Virginia scored 53 in their win vs. Oregon, but it was enough to grind out another game. As much as Virginia would love to slow this game down and minimize the number of possessions, Purdue can get out and run behind Edwards. If Purdue’s shots are falling like they were vs. Tennessee, the Boilermakers will be tough to stop. Take the points but Virginia wins straight up.
5. Auburn vs. 2. Kentucky
- Kentucky -2.5
Auburn might be the hottest team still alive after knocking off North Carolina when they hit 17 of the 27 3’s attempted en route to 97 points. Auburn is the underdog but don’t tell them that. However, they will miss Chuma Okeke who suffered a non-contact knee injury late vs. UNC. Meanwhile, Kentucky is getting healthier with the return of PJ Washington who scored 16 off the bench vs. Houston after missing the first two rounds. Tyler Herro has also been one of the underappreciated stars of the Tournament. Lay the points and take Kentucky straight up. The shots won’t be falling for Auburn this time and they’ll miss Okeke’s presence which helps with their court spacing.
2. Michigan State vs. 1. Duke
- Duke -2.5
Duke is the No. 1 overall seed but they haven’t looked like it. The Blue Devils escaped at the buzzer the last two games vs. Virginia Tech and UCF, so they’ve been a little lucky. But championship teams need a little luck on their side. Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Tre Jones have been outstanding but the injury to Cam Reddish could prove costly. Michigan State has gotten better with each round, including a dominating showing Friday night vs. LSU. Aaron Henry is coming off his best game but now he’ll be going against Duke’s impressive freshmen. Duke’s played teams close but take the Blue Devils to cover the spread and win with a little breathing room.