12:15 p.m. ET: Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (25-7) vs Ohio St Buckeyes (19-11)
Spread: Loyola -1
Total: 133.5
The Ramblers could pull off an upset but this Loyola team is nowhere near as good as the 2021 or 2018 teams. The Ramblers also aren’t coached by Porter Moser anymore and this will be Valentine’s first NCAA Tournament game as a head coach. Loyola has only 1 win over a team that made it to this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes will have a big “home” advantage with Pittsburgh being just 3 hours away from Ohio State. The Buckeyes didn’t play well down the stretch because they were dealing with injuries but Buckeyes Coach has said they will be at full strength with Meechie Johnson, Kyle Young, and Zed Key all expected to play. Ohio State will also have the best player on the floor in EJ Liddell who is averaging 19.6 ppg and 7.9 RPG. If Ohio State is knocking down threes they will roll here. Ohio State is 10-1 when shooting better than 41% from the outside and Loyola has allowed teams to hit 41% or better from three 10 times this season. Ohio State is the better and more talented team, especially at full strength. Take the Buckeyes.
3:10 p.m. ET: Miami Hurricanes (23-10) vs USC Trojans (26-7)
Spread: USC -2
Total: 140.5
The Trojans have a major height advantage and are a great rebounding team that will get plenty of second chances against a Miami team that ranks 267th in giving up offensive rebounds. USC has 4 or 5 starters that are 6’9” or taller. The Hurricanes start 4 guards and they don’t rebound the ball well. Miami will look to win this game from the outside but they only shoot 35% from deep while USC holds teams to only 33% from three. Moore and Wong can go off but unless they are putting up 40 points, they don’t have a good chance in this spot. Yea, USC has lost 3 of the last 4 games but those were to Arizona and UCLA. USC plays good D and with the rebounding advantage should have no problem getting the win here.
7:20 p.m. ET: Iowa State Cyclones (20-12) vs LSU Tigers (22-11)
Spread: LSU -4
Total: 128.5
The Cyclones probably don’t deserve to be here and LSU just fired their Coach. The firing of the coach has made a bigger difference on the public perception and they are jumping on Iowa State with over 55% of the tickets coming in on the dog. Both teams are great on the defensive end. This LSU team ranks 6th in the nation in defensive turnover ratio, forcing turnovers on over 25% of plays. The Tigers are also ranking 15th in the nation in shot defense. Both teams also struggle to score at times except Iowa State averages 66 ppg and LSU averages 73 ppg. Iowa State is on a 3-game losing streak and has lost 7 of its last 11 games because they just can’t score. LSU has had some struggles this season and has dealt with some injuries but with the exception of the coach, they are at full strength. LSU’s defense will take care of the business and their offense will get the job done. Look for LSU to roll here.
9:40 p.m. ET: Davidson Wildcats (27-6) vs Michigan St Spartans (22-12)
Spread: Michigan St. -1
Total: 141
The Spartans didn’t do well down the stretch, losing 7 of their last 10 regular-season games. They gained some traction in the Big Ten tournament by beating Maryland and Wisconsin before losing to Purdue 75-70 in the tournament semifinals. This is another game that we are seeing all the experts on Davidson because of Michigan State’s disappointing season and the fact they don’t have a star player like past teams. Davidson is a good basketball team and they’ve had a great season but what they don’t have is Tom Izzo. If you have been watching the tournament for the many years he has been it, he finds ways to motivate his boys to victory. He wills them to win, one way or another. It will take a lot of losses in the tournament to change that perspective so until we see otherwise, you almost always play Izzo in March. Take the Spartans to get the big win.
9:57 p.m. ET: TCU Horned Frogs (20-12) vs Seton Hall Pirates (21-10)
Spread: Seton Hall -1
Total: 128.5
TCU made its way into the dance with upsets over Texas Tech, Kansas, and Texas down the stretch. Seton Hall worked its way back from a 3-6 start in the Big East by winning 8 of the last 10 games in the regular season. These teams are both strong defensively with TCU at #24 and Seton Hall at #26 in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom. The Horned Frogs allowed 65 ppg this season and the Pirates allowed 66 ppg. The Pirates are #21 in the country averaging 36 rebounds per game. The Horned Frogs are ranking #2 in offensive rebounding. This game is going to be a grind on both ends of the court and free throws could be a big factor down the stretch. TCU is shooting 67% from the foul line and Seton Hall shoots 76%. Seton Hall averages 74 ppg compared to TCU’s 68 and has more talent on the offensive end with Rhoden and big man Obiagu. Look for Seton Hall to cover the spread.