Top March Madness Predictions for Second Round 2021: East Bracket

Top March Madness Predictions for Second Round 2021: East Bracket
Sun 21st March 2021

(11) UCLA vs (14) Abilene Christian – 5:15 PM ET

UCLA (19-9) opened up with a 73-62 victory over Brigham Young. The Bruins took an 11-point lead into the half and maintained it to the finish. Johnny Juzang scored 27 points and added five rebounds.

Juzang hit 10 of 16 shots, including four of five from the free-throw line. Jaime Jaquez came two rebounds short of a double-double, scoring 13 points and adding eight rebounds. Jules Bernard scored 16 points.

UCLA is averaging 72.6 points per game while allowing 67.9 per contest. They are 67th in the country in shooting at 46.3% and are hitting on 37.3% of their three-point attempts, 41st in the country.

UCLA is led in scoring by Johnny Juzang at 14.1 ppg. He is an outstanding shooter, averaging 40.9% from the field and 93.3% from the free-throw line.


Abilene Christian (24-4) pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the first round, knocking off Texas, 53-52. The Wildcats trailed by five at the half, but battled back behind a stringent defense to win.

Only two players scored in double digits for Abilene Christian, Coryon Mason and Joe Pleasant, each of whom scored 11 points. Pleasant added eight rebounds. The Wildcats hit 10 of 12 free-throw attempts.

Abilene Christian is 54th in the country, averaging 77.0 ppg, while allowing 60.7 points per contest, 16th in the nation. They are 87th in the country in field-goal percentage at 45.7%.

The team has been great on the offensive glass, averaging 10.2 rebounds per contest. Kolton Kohl leads the team in scoring at 12.2 ppg. He is shooting an impressive 54.7% from the field, but only 69.5% from the free-throw line.

Free-throw shooting has been a serious issue for this team, as the second-leading scorer, Mason is averaging 65.2% from the free-throw line and Joe Pleasant is third in scoring, but is averaging 58.5% from the charity stripe.

March Madness Pick – UCLA (-185)
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(1) Michigan vs (8) LSU – 7:10 PM ET

Michigan (21-4) defeated Texas Southern to open the tournament, 82-66. The Wolverines hit 48.1% of their shots from the field and 80.8% of their shots from the free-throw line. Michigan was 21 of 26 from the free-throw line.

Four different players scored in double digits, including Mike Smith with 18 points. Hunter Dickinson added 16. Franz Wagner was the only Michigan starter not to score in double digits, but added nine rebounds and six assists.

Michigan is averaging 76.6ppg and allowing 65.2 points per game, both 62nd in the nation. They are shooting 48.8% from the field, 19th in the country, and 38.6% from three-point range, 12th overall.

The Wolverines have been an outstanding free-throw shooting team as well, averaging 76.5%, 30th overall. Michigan has been great on the glass, averaging 35.5 rebounds per game, 46th overall.

The Wolverines are led in scoring by Dickinson at 14.3 points per game. He is also the team’s leading rebounder at 7.7 per contest. Isaiah Livers is second on the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game and is averaging 6.1 rebounds per contest. 


LSU (19-9) opened the tournament with a 76-61 victory over St. Bonaventure. The Tigers got 27 points from Cameron Thomas, who went seven of 18 from the field and 11 of 13 from the free-throw line.

Three players recorded a double-double for LSU, including Darius Days with 13 points and 11 boards. Aundre Hyatt had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Trendon Watford recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds. The bench had just five total points.

The Tigers are 10th in the nation in scoring at 82.7 ppg. They are allowing 75.4 points per game. LSU is shooting 46.9% from the field, 50th overall, and 74.6% from the free-throw line, 54th in the country.

They have been solid on the glass as well, averaging 35.0 rebounds per game, 61st in the nation. LSU is led in scoring by Thomas at 23.1 ppg. He is shooting 41.6% from the field and 87.6% from the free-throw line. Watford is averaging 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He is shooting 46.9% from the field.

March Madness Pick – Michigan (-190)
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(5) Colorado vs (4) Florida State – 7:45 PM ET

Florida State (17-6) opened the tournament with a 64-54 victory over UNC-Greensboro. The Seminoles received 17 points and nine rebounds from Raiquan Gray to lead the team.

Balsa Koprivica came one rebound short of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. The Seminoles shot 52.1% from the field, but missed all nine of their three-point attempts.

Florida State is 30th in the nation in scoring at 79.6 ppg. They are allowing 70.1 points per game. The Seminoles are shooting 47.2% from the field, 45th overall, and have been an outstanding three-point shooting team despite their performance against UNC-Greensboro, 16th in the nation at 38.5%.

They are hitting 73.7% of their free throws, 77th overall. Florida State has even been great on the glass, averaging 34.8 rebounds per game, 67th overall.

The Seminoles are led in scoring by M.J. Walker at 13.1 ppg. Gray is second in scoring at 12.4 points per game and is the team’s leading rebounder at 6.9 per contest. He is hitting on 52.6% of his shots from the field.


Colorado (23-8) opened with a decisive 96-73 victory over Georgetown. Jabari Walker came off the bench to score 24 points, hitting nine of 10 shots, including all five of his three-point attempts.

McKinley Wright IV recorded a double-double with 13 assists and 12 points. D’Shawn Schwartz added 18 points, hitting six of eight shots, including five of seven from three-point range.

The Buffaloes are averaging 73.7 ppg, while allowing 63.0 points per contest, 33rd overall. They are a solid shooting team at 45.7%, 84th in the country, and they are 54th in three-point percentage at 36.6%.

This is the best free-throw shooting team in the country at 83.4%. They hit 11 of 14 attempts against Georgetown. The Buffaloes are led in scoring by Wright at 15.3 ppg. Jeriah Horne is averaging 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 50.0% from the field and 91.1% from the free-throw line.

March Madness Pick – Colorado (+155)
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(10) Maryland vs (2) Alabama – 8:45 PM ET

Alabama (25-6) opened the tournament with a 68-55 victory over Iona. The Crimson Tide shot 47.2% from the field, but only 56.5% from the free-throw line.

Herbert Jones led Alabama in scoring with 20 points, hitting eight of 15 shots from the field and was a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. He added six rebounds. Jahvon Quinerly came off the bench to add 11 points.

Alabama is 31st in the nation in scoring at 79.6 ppg, allowing 70.3 points per game. They have been a solid shooting team, hitting 43.1% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range, 94th in the country.

It has been their performance on the glass that has really helped the Crimson Tide. They are 31st in the country in rebounds at 36.1 per game. The Crimson Tide are led in scoring by Jaden Shackelford at 14.4 ppg.

He is shooting 40.8% from the field and 75.2% from the free-throw line. Hunter Jones is fourth in scoring (10.9) and leads the team in rebounding at 6.1 per contest.


Maryland (17-13) defeated Connecticut, 63-54. The Terrapins shot an impressive 51.2% from the field, including 50.0% from three-point range. Eric Ayala scored 23 points and added five rebounds.

He was eight of 14 from the field and three of five from three-point range. Aaron Wiggins added 14 points, hitting four of his six three-point attempts.

Maryland is averaging 68.9 ppg while allowing 64.7 points per game, 54th in the country. They are 82nd in the country in field-goal percentage at 45.8% and 84th in three-point shooting at 35.7%.

Ayala leads the Terrapins in scoring at 14.5 ppg. Wiggins is second in scoring at 14.0 points per game, and is averaging 5.8 rebounds as well. Wiggins is shooting 43.4% from the field. Donta Scott is the leading rebounder at 6.4 per contest and is shooting 50% from the field.

March Madness Pick – Alabama (-190)
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