A frenzied first weekend of this year's NCAA Tournament helped make up for the lost postseason of last year as a No. 15 seed topped a No. 2 seed, a No. 1 seed got sent packing in the second round and a number of other developments injected pure, unadulterated chaos into this year's bracket.
And there's still 15 games left before we can crown a champ.
The madness resumes Saturday with one wild slate as three double-digit seeds will be in action, highlighting just how wacky the first weekend was. Can No. 15 seed Oral Roberts unseat No. 3 seed Arkansas and become the first No. 15 seed ever to reach the Elite Eight? Can No. 11 seed Syracuse keep its Cinderella run rolling? And who will win in the Saturday opener between No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago and No. 12 seed Oregon State?
Sweet 16 picks and previews for all eight games this weekend. Listen to the latest episode of Eye on College Basketball below.
Our team did their best to try and answer all those questions and more with picks below against the spread and straight up for every single game on the docket. Odds via William Hill Sportsbook
Who will win and cover every game, and which teams should be on upset alert? Visit SportsLine now to see which team to back in every matchup, all from the model that's up $2,600 for $100 players.
(12) Oregon State vs. (8) Loyola Chicago
Time: 2:40 p.m. ET | Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
TV: CBS | Live stream: March Madness Live
After seeing how dominant and destructive Loyola Chicago's defense was against Illinois and its top-10 offense, most of our team, outside of David Cobb, who has come down with a concerning case of the Beaver Fever, is taking Loyola to win. Led by the top-rated defense in adjusted efficiency according to KenPom metrics, the Ramblers have the goods inside and out to stunt the Beavers' biggest strengths. I'm laying the points with Loyola. Prediction: Loyola Chicago 75, Oregon State 60 -- Boone
Time: 5:15 p.m. ET | Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse
TV: CBS | Live stream: March Madness Live
With blowout wins in its first and second-round games, Villanova is defying logic by bashing opponents without leading scorer Collin Gillespie. But this is where reality sets in. The Bears have the best 3-point shooting attack in college hoops and draw a matchup against Villanova, which statistically is the worst team remaining in the field in 3-point percentage defense. Baylor can drown even good 3-point defenses with its lethal outside attack, but against Nova it has a great matchup that makes me lean towards laying the points with the Bears. Prediction: Baylor 74, Villanova 65 -- Boone
(15) Oral Roberts vs. (3) Arkansas
Time: 7:25 p.m. ET | Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
TV: TBS | Live stream: March Madness Live
Wins by a combined six points in the first and second rounds propelled ORU to become the second-ever No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16, but the jig is up. Arkansas should be able to win pretty handily here. Now, because the spread is so wide, I'm taking the points with ORU and its prolific offense. But this is a game I'm projecting the Razorbacks have firmly in their grasp in the final few minutes. Prediction: Arkansas 78, Oral Roberts 69 -- Boone
(11) Syracuse vs. (2) Houston
Time: 9:55 p.m. ET | Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse
TV: TBS | Live stream: March Madness Live
Houston grinded out an ugly win over Rutgers in the second round with a dinged-up DeJon Jarreau. But entering Saturday's showdown with Syracuse and its vaunted zone, Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson estimated Jarreau would be at around 70 or 75% of his usual self. So without a full-strength starting point guard, this is my favorite underdog pick of Saturday. The Syracuse defense has been tough as nails and when you combine that with Buddy Boeheim's recent star turn, the Orange have a real shot at pulling this upset off. Prediction: Syracuse 72, Houston 70 -- Boone
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March 27, 2021 at 02:34AM
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2021 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions: March Madness picks, odds, lines for Sweet 16 games Saturday - CBS Sports
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