After giving the Sweet Sixteen winners for the Thursday game, it’s time to tackle the Friday Matchups. There isn’t one bigger than UCLA vs. Kentucky, which will steal all the thunder from the rest of the teams. The Bruins and the Wildcats have NBA-type players fighting for a spot in the Elite Eight.
Not many will see Wisconsin playing Florida, but that’s another matchup to keep an eye on. Both teams are really close regarding playing style. North Carolina and Butler open the night. South Carolina is a dark horse in this tournament. Baylor is up next.
Here ae the March Madness Sweet 16 Picks – Friday Edition:
(4) Butler Bulldogs vs (1) North Carolina Tar Heels
- When: Friday, March 24, 2017
- Game Time: 7:09 PM ET
- Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
- Spread: North Carolina -7
- TV: CBS
North Carolina feels a little lucky to be in the Sweet Sixteen, and that makes them dangerous. They were closed to losing to Arkansas in the second round, but they finished the game with a 12-0 run to finish the deal.
Another shaky start like the one they had against the Razorbacks and they will be out on Friday. Butler is not a joke despite having an easy schedule to get to this point. The Bulldogs eliminated Winthrop and Middle Tennessee without many problems. Of course, the Tar Heels are a different animal. But this is an intriguing matchup. The pph sportsbook made North Carolina 7-points favorites in the March Madness betting odds.
During their tournament run, North Carolina is averaging 87.5 points per game. They are also the best rebounding team in the nation. This gives the Tar Heels second chances to find the basket and improve their shooting percentage.
The Tar Heels are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 Friday games, 5-2 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games, 20-7-2 ATS in their last 29 neutral site games as a favorite and 18-6-2 ATS in their last 26 games as a favorite of 7.0-12.5 points. The Bulldogs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win.
March Madness Predictions: North Carolina -7.5.
(7) South Carolina Gamecocks vs (3) Baylor Bears
- When: Friday, March 24, 2017
- Game Time: 7:29 PM ET
- Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
- Spread: Baylor -3.5
- TV: TBS
South Carolina has two of the most impressive wins in the 2017 March Madness. They slammed Marquette by 20 points in the first round and then sent the hated Duke Blue Devils home with a huge upset.
The Gamecocks have averaged 90.5 points per game in those wins. Senior guard Sindarius Thornwell scored 29 points against Marquette and followed with 24 against Duke. He has been unstoppable this season. But more than that; he’s making a huge statement on his last March Madness tournament.
Baylor got to this point by beating New Mexico State and USC in the first two round. Their 82-78 win over the Trojans was harder than many expected.
The Bears are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games, 2-5 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning % above .600 and 2-5 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
The Gamecocks are 7-2-1 ATS in their last ten neutral site games, 4-1-1 ATS in their last six neutral site games as an underdog and 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5 points, according to the March Madness betting trends.
March Madness Picks: South Carolina +3.5
(3) UCLA Bruins vs (2) Kentucky Wildcats
- When: Friday, March 24, 2017
- Game Time: 9:39 PM ET
- Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
- Spread: Even
- TV: CBS
There isn’t a better game in the Sweet Sixteen round than the UCLA Bruins taking on the Kentucky Wildcats. Both teams have NBA talent on their roster, and in a one-and-done situation, you can’t ask for a better matchup.
Of course, there is the extra factor of Bruins’ playmaker Lonzo Ball and his crazy dad LaVar. Lonzo has played like a star, but many of his next level success will be judged by this game against Kentucky. The pay per head sportsbooks have problems putting the favorite label to one of these teams. The online bookie software made this game even.
UCLA beat Kent State and Cincinnati in the first two rounds. Lonzo Ball carried with the Bruins in the game against the Bearcats. He scored 18 points and added nine assists. He’s the type of players who can make his teammates better. Even with that funny shooting motion, he has.
Kentucky is filled with freshman players looking to jump in the NBA. They had problems against North Kentucky and Wichita State, but they managed to get to this point because they have three playmakers in Malik Monk, Edrice Adebayo, and DeAaron Fox.
The problem is UCLA is rolling. And they have become the story of this tournament.
The Bruins are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite. The Wildcats are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games.
March Madness Picks: UCLA.
(8) Wisconsin Badgers vs (4) Florida Gators
- When: Friday, March 24, 2017
- Game Time: 9:59 PM ET
- Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
- Spread: Florida -2
- TV: TBS
Wisconsin is a dangerous team from now. They busted all brackets by upsetting Villanova. However, the price per head services made Florida the favorites in this Sweet Sixteen matchup.
This is a defensive battle in the making. The Gators played their best defensive game of the season by holding Virginia to 39 points in the second round. The Badgers held the Champs, Villanova, to 62 points in the upset. Both teams can play defense. Don’t expect big scoring in this one.
The Gators are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 Friday games, 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win. The Badgers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games, 4-1 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning % above .600, 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall, and 4-1 ATS in their last five neutral site games.
March Madness Predictions: Wisconsin +2.