Men’s College Basketball Best Bets:
We’re down to just eight teams remaining in the NCAA tournament, with Iowa/Illinois and Arizona/Purdue facing off Saturday, which I wrote about at VSiN.com yesterday. Michigan/Tennessee and Duke/UConn will take place on Sunday. I will continue to post the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament projections here on VSiN ahead of time, so be sure to check back daily for projections and bets. As always, be sure to follow me on X @TShoeIndex for all the latest tidbits and analysis, as well as women’s best bets as they come throughout the tournament as well.
Men’s Projections for the Elite Eight
Michigan (-7.5) vs Tennessee, O/U 146.5
Everyone probably expected Michigan to be here; they were a consensus top-3 team all season and have looked the part so far in March Madness. Tennessee, on the other hand, was in the play-in game, and their game with Miami (OH) feels like a lifetime ago at this point. TSI projects Michigan -3 with a total of 154.5. The market disagrees on the side, as Michigan has moved from -7 to -7.5, so this will be an interesting TSI vs market case study.
Bet: Tennessee +7.5
Duke (-5) vs UConn, O/U 134
I really thought Michigan State would find a way to upend UConn, but a hot start by the Huskies proved too much for the Spartans in what was ultimately a three-point game. Duke held on against St. John’s to win another close game, so pick your narrative between “they’re battle tested and can win close games” or “they’ve struggled and are going to get bitten eventually”. TSI projects Duke -2.5 with a total of 137. There’s another market disagreement here, with Duke moving from -4.5 to -5. I do think Coach Hurley is one I’m not afraid to back in a big game like this, so I’m backing the Huskies.
Lean: UConn +5
