The final 16 college basketball teams will play to advance to the Elite Eight for a chance to win the National Championship.
Duke (1) barely defeated UCF 77-76 in a thriller to advance to the Sweet 16. Duke showed vulnerability but the odds still favor them to win the National Championship. The Sweet 16, or the last 16 teams left in the NCAA tournament, will play on Thursday March 28 and Friday March 29 to determine the final field of eight teams aka “The Elite Eight.”
THE SWEET 16 SCHEDULE
MARCH 28
7:09pm EDT on CBS
Florida State (4) vs. Gonzaga (1)
7:29pm EDT on TBS
Purdue (3) vs. Tennessee (2)
9:39pm EDT on CBS
Texas Tech (3) vs. Michigan (2)
9:57pm EDT on TBS
Oregon (12) vs. Virginia (1)
MARCH 29
7:09pm EDT on CBS
LSU (3) vs. Michigan State (2)
7:29pm EDT on TBS
Auburn (5) vs North Carolina (1)
9:39pm EDT on CBS
Virginia Tech (4) vs. Duke (1)
9:57pm EDT on TBS
Houston (3) vs. Kentucky (5)
BRACKETS: WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Download the 5Dimes March Madness app to purchase a Sweet 16 bracket, make your picks, and enter the contest where winners are determined by a weighted points system. The more correct picks, the more points you get with later round correct picks earning more points. The most points by the National Championship wins. This year, there weren’t many Cinderella stories in the First and Second Rounds, as all four number one seeds advanced to the Sweet 16. The lowest seed to advance was Oregon, the number 12 seed, who is the longshot to win the tournament.
At this point in the tournament, you have to pick a betting strategy: keep going with the favorites who have been continuously winning, take a chance and pick a longshot like LSU, Oregon or Florida State, or pick a number two or three seed like Michigan, Michigan State or Tennessee to win the entire tournament. You also may want to explore Duke prop bets (specific outcomes for Duke in the tournament) or pick the final two teams to win. It’s hard to bet against the four number 1 seeds that just won but it’s also unlikely that two number 1 seeds will play in the National Championship. Something has to give!
The Elite 8 Teams will play Saturday, March 30 and Sunday March 31. The Final Four is on April 6 and the National Championship is April 8. Therefore, this Thursday-Sunday really puts the “Mad” in March Madness with an entire four-day weekend of action. Yes, that means checking out from responsibilities on Thursday to shift your attention to the games for the weekend. Remember, the National Championship is on a Monday so this is one of two weekends left to gather the crew for some basketball, sports books, and bar food. Cheers!
