Buckle up because it’s going to be a wild Sunday. The final two games of the Elite Eight are in store and they promise to be pretty exciting. No. 4 Louisville attempts for its third Final Four spot in the past four years. But Tom Izzo and pesky No. 7 Michigan are out to spoil the party. Immediately after, the freshman-powered Duke Blue Devils take on the experienced and dangerous Gonzaga Bulldogs.
All is set for an explosive Sunday afternoon hoops action. Read on for a quick take on the best games to bet on today. For a comprehensive look at these big games, check out our complete previews for Louisville vs. Michigan State and Duke vs. Gonzaga.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]No. 4 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (2:20 PM ET)
Line: No. 4 Louisville Cardinals (+2.5) vs. No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (-2.5); total 128.5 – view these lines
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Louisville had quite a scare against UC Irvine in its tournament opener, but has been on a roll since then. The Cardinals ran through highly-touted teams Northern Iowa (66-53) and NC State (75-65) to make the Elite Eight. The duo of Terry Rozier and Montrezl Harrell has been amazing at the tournament, averaging a combined 33.3 points per game in those games.
But No. 7 Michigan State may be even hotter than Louisville. They have an excellent coach in Tom Izzo, a Final Four regular, calling the shots. Senior guard Travis Trice has been incredible, averaging 18.2 points in his past 14 games. He gets plenty of support from Denzel Valentine and Brandon Dawson who are both averaging over 11 points in the tournament thus far.
The Spartans have also played some excellent defense, limiting opponents to shoot 33 percent from the field at the tournament (second among Elite Eight teams). Michigan State has covered each of its three games in the tournament.
Writer’s Prediction
Izzo and the Spartans (-2.5) advance to the Final Four.
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (5:05 PM ET)
Line: No. 21 Duke Blue Devils (-2.5) vs. No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (+2.5); total 144.5 – view these lines
There was no early flameout this year as Gonzaga dished out double digit losses to its first three tournament opponents. The Zags have covered the spread in their last two games. Leading scorer Kyle Wiltjer has been crazy, scoring 47 on 18-of-24 shooting (6-of-9 from three-point range) in his first two tournament games. But he was held to eight points on 4-of-12 shooting in the Sweet 16.
Wiltjer may struggle again against Duke’s incredible defense, which has limited opponents to 54 points per game at the Big Dance (second among Elite Eight teams). The freshmen trio, Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justice Winslow, has powered Duke to a potential Final Four spot. The three are averaging in double digit points at the tournament. Okafor and Jones have the hotter hands, both shooting over 50 percent.
Writer’s Prediction
Experienced Gonzaga upsets freshmen-powered Duke. Take the Zags at +2.5.
It’s not too late to punch a ticket into the Big Dance. Create a betting account now and catch the hottest games in the NCAA Tournament.
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