The sweet 16 game in the NCAA tournament wraps up Friday night with a blockbuster show in the East and Midwest regions. The list includes St. John’s vs. Duke, Alabama vs. Michigan, Michigan State vs. Conn, and Tennessee vs. Iowa State. Who will join Arizona, Iowa, Purdue, and Illinois in the Elite Eight?
Here are my predictions for St. John’s vs. Duke and Michigan State vs. Conn.
St. John’s Red Storm vs. Duke Blue Devils odds
Money line: St. John’s +240 / Duke -300
Spread: St. John’s +6.5 (-106) / Duke -6.5 (-114)
Total: Over 140.5 (-115) / Under 140.5 (-105)
St. John’s Red Storm vs. Duke Blue Devils best bet: St. John’s +6.5 (-106)
St. John’s is hot. Head coach Rick Pitino’s team has won 21 of its last 22 games after eliminating Kansas in the second round, improving to 30-6 on the season. Unlike Duke, St. John’s is outstanding on both ends of the court. The Red Storm are scoring 81.1 points per game and allowing just 69.4 while coming up with 7.8 steals per contest. They are among the best in college basketball in turnover margin, too. Senior forward Zuby Ejiofor (16.3 ppg) is the frontcourt leader who can match up with anyone in the country – including Blue Devils star Cameron Boozer. Duke is certainly a legitimate contender for the title, but it fell to Siena in the first round and struggled against TCU in the half last weekend. Also, don’t forget that Pitino is an unbelievable 12-1 all-time in 16 Sweet games.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Conn Huskies odds
Money line: Michigan State +105 / Conn -125
Spread: Michigan State +1.5 (-105) / Conn -1.5 (-115)
Total: Over 135.5 (-105) / Under 135.5 (-115)
Michigan State Spartans vs. Conn. Huskies best bet: Michigan State ML (+105)
Bet against Michigan State in March Madness at your own risk. Granted, doing the same for UConn is equally risky — but this year’s UConn team isn’t quite as juggernaut as those who cut down the nets in 2023 and 2024. The Huskies also haven’t been playing at their best in recent weeks. After starting the season 22-1, head coach Dan Hurley’s squad went 7-4 in its last 11 games before the NCAA Tournament – including a 20-point loss to St. John’s in the Big East Tournament championship game. This sounds like a toss-up game between two blue bloods. Head coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State – led by Jeremy Fears Jr., Jaxon Kohler – have good value as small underdogs.
