Look below to find our top March Madness predictions for all the Second Round action in the Midwest Bracket.
Saturday, March 19th 2022
#9 Creighton vs #1 Kansas – 2:40pm ET
The Creighton Blue Jays outlasted a tough San Diego State Aztecs team to get here as they would go on to win 72-69. Meanwhile, Kansas easily dispatched Texas Southern 83-56 to set up this second round matchup on Saturday.
Marko Nadin
Kansas is among the top 5 candidates to win the tournament this season and the game against Creighton shouldn’t be much of an obstacle for them. The Jayhawks are coming off a 83-56 win over Texas Southern with 5 different players scoring in double-figures. Remy Martin stepped up and led the team with 15 points coming off the bench. The Jayhawks are scoring almost 79 points per game and if they match their season average will definitely win this one. Kansas is an 11.5-point favorite in this one and they have covered the spread in the last 5 games.
The Creighton Bluejays are coming off a 72-69 overtime win over San Diego State coming back from a seven-point deficit at halftime. ALl starters scored in double-figures but the Bluejays had only one point off the bench. With that short of a rotation, Creighton stand no chance against Kansas. The Bluejays are pretty bad three-point shooting team with only 31% meaning that getting lucky from deep is not an option for them.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas -12 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Creighton Blue Jays pulled off a great win in yet another eight seed vs nine seed matchup. As they took down the San Diego State Aztecs by three points. Now they move onto another challenge as they will take the one seeded Kansas Jayhawks. Creighton was decent all season long and was very competitive in a Big East that performed well above expectations this season. With a win in this game they will make their second straight sweet sixteen after making it there last season.
light work before the real work 🤙 pic.twitter.com/uuOkSotA7m
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) March 18, 2022
The Kansas Jayhawks looked unbeatable in their first round game against play-in game winner Texas Southern. Now they will look for a repeat performance against a much tougher opponent in the Blue Jays of Creighton. Kansas is very much still a serious national title threat and with a win in this game will advance to their first sweet sixteen in four years. The last time Kansas made it to week two of the tournament they found themselves in the final four as well, so deja vu would be great for the Jayhawks right now. As for the result of this game I have Kansas getting the big victory.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-850)
Noah Dunlap
Kansas in easy fashion.
The Jayhawks have been one of the best teams in the country all year long, winning the Big-12 regular season and tournament titles, and taking care of of Texas Southern in the first round. Behind Ochai Agbaji, almost a lock to be a first round pick, and potentially a lottery pick, this is a Kansas team that I think makes a deep run in this tournament.
They take on a Creighton team in this one that, while they’ve had a decent year, hasn’t been tremendously impressive, and had to use a 9-0 run to end regulation to get past San Diego State in overtime. I don’t think the Bluejays have enough to get past Kansas in this one, as I like the Jayhawks to roll with real ease.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-850)
#4 Providence vs #12 Richmond – 6:10pm ET
The Providence Friars avoided an upset bid and took down the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 66-57. Meanwhile Richmond got the coveted 12 vs 5 upset win over the Iowa Hawkeyes by a score of 67-63. Now these two schools will meet with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.
Marko Nadin
Richmond made one of the upsets in the first round going past Iowa in the first round winning 67-63. The team finished sixth in the A 10 conference and if many thought that they made a huge upset winning the conference against Davidson they were wrong. The small school from Virginia went past one of the best teams from the Big ten conference. Jayconb Gilyard once again was the Spiders’ hero scoring 24 points. Richmond is a two-point underdog going into this game and they have covered the spread in their last 4 games.
Providence recovered after a blowout loss in the Big East conference final with a 66-57 win over South Dakota State. Providence shot only 39% from the field which doesn’t sound promising going into the second round. The Friars finished the regular season on top of the Big East mainly because of the good start but their recent play does not bring much confidence. Providence has covered the spread only once in their last five tournament games going in as favorites.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Richmond +2.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Providence Friars were pegged to be upset by the South Dakota State Jackrabbits by most of the talking heads in the nation. However, they proved the doubters wrong when they grinded out a tough victory to advance to this game. Now they will look to make a trip to the sweet sixteen for the first time in 25 years as their last appearance came in 1997. The Friars have already busted brackets this year now they will look to end Richmonds Cinderella run earlier than they intended.
Providence Advances to the next round
— Providence MBB (@PCFriarsmbb) March 18, 2022
The Richmond Spiders pulled off the second 12 vs 5 seed upset of the tournament as they took out the Big Ten conference tournament champions, the Iowa Hawkeyes. Now Richmond will be looking to take out the Big East regular season champions, the Providence Friars. This is going to be one of the best games of the second round between these two majors. However, when the final buzzer sounds I am taking the Providence Friars to pick up the victory over Richmond.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Providence (-140)
Noah Dunlap
Richmond pulled off one of the annual 5/12 upsets in their first round matchup against Iowa, which succeeding in busting many people’s brackets, and now they try to do the same over the Providence Friars. That came after they had to sneak past Davidson in the finals of the A-10 conference tournament just to get a spot in the field.
Providence rolled through the regular season as one of the more surprising teams in the country, winning the Big East regular season title, before falling in the semis of the conference tournament. They got the win over South Dakota State in the first round (I didn’t think they would) and now they try to advance to the Sweet Sixteen with a win over Richmond. They may prove me wrong in this one, as maybe I didn’t learn my lesson, but I don’t believe in this Friars team. I’m taking the Spiders in this one, as I like Richmond to keep the magical run going.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Richmond (+116)
Sunday, March 20th 2022
#11 Iowa State vs #3 Wisconsin – pm ET
These two teams will meet for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen in this one after outlasting their first round matchups. They will get to play the winner of the game between the Auburn Tigers and Miami Hurricanes.
Marko Nadin
Wisconsin is one of the sleeper favorites in this year’s tournament. They are coming off a 67-60 win over Colgate in a game that could have gone in a totally different direction. Johnny Davis was the key man for the Badgers scoring 25 points. Wisconsin scores 71 points per game this season and they will have to go over the average to defeat Iowa State. In order to do that, they will have to make more tna 6 threes as they did in the opening round. The Badgers are a three-point favorite in this game and they haven;t covered the spread in any of their last 4 games.
Iowa State is coming off a 59-54 win over LSU. Tyrese Hunter scored 23 points for the Cyclones followed by Izaiah Brockington with 19 while the rest of the team had 17. With only two players doing much of the scoring Iowa State will have no chance against Wisconsin. Iowa averages only 67 points per game on 32% shooting from deep which is another reason why they will go down against the Badgers.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin
Tony Battalio
The Iowa State Cyclones are in the midst of one of the best bounce back seasons in college basketball history. After winning all of two games last season they have now made it to the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. With a victory over Wisconsin their incredible journey would continue to the sweet sixteen. Iowa State picked up a gritty win over a soon scandal ridden Louisiana State team that has had to replace three coaches this week.
WE ARE MOVING ON!!!#Cyclones pic.twitter.com/9EXP6w9NmT
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) March 19, 2022
The Wisconsin Badgers were one and done in the Big Ten conference tournament, after winning the Big Ten regular season championship. On Friday night they survived a scare from the Colgate Raiders who were the Patriot League conference tournament champions. Now Wisconsin will have to play a much better game in this one if they want to grab a spot in the sweet sixteen next week. As for the result of this game that is what I expect to happen as I have Wisconsin getting the victory.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin
Noah Dunlap
Whatever the outcome of this game, the Iowa State Cyclones can be happy, as they turned a 2-22 season last year into at least a second round tournament appearance this season. They knocked off LSU in the first round, though that was a Tigers team that came in without a coach, as they fired Will Wade earlier this week due to NCAA violations. The Cyclones now turn their attention to a Wisconsin team that has spent much of the year looking like one of the best team in the country.
The Wisconsin Badgers won the Big Ten regular season title, but then looked bored in the conference tournament, as they lost their first game in Indianapolis. That slow play and lackadaisical play almost cost them in their first round matchup of the NCAA’s as well, as they had to hang on late against a good Colgate team. However, getting the win in that one should’ve woken them up a bit, so I actually think they start playing more like the Badgers team that we saw earlier this season. Give me Wisconsin in this one, though I think it comes in a low-scoring, close affair.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin
#2 Auburn vs #10 Miami – pm ET
The Auburn Tigers seemingly survived Jacksonville State before pulling away late to win 80-61. The Miami Hurricanes knocked off the USC Trojans by a single basket to win 68-66. Now these two teams will meet to play for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
Marko Nadin
Auburn is one of the top contenders to win the championship this year and they will probably have a routine job in the season round against the Miami Hurricanes. The Tigers are coming off a 80-61 win over another team from Florida, the Jacksonville State. After they lost the conference final to Texas A&M, the Tigers got their confidence back with a comfortable win against a much weaker opponent. Auburn is going in as a seven-point favorite against Miami and they will definitely cover that spread as they did in the last 5 tournament games.
The Miami Hurricanes were the underdog in the first round against USC but were able to control the game and win 68-66. Miami played with a lot of confidence but that attitude will probably not be enough to bring them success against Auburn. Miami allows more than 46% from the field which ranks them 330th in the nation and it will be a miracle if they manage to stop Auburn from scoring big against them.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Auburn -7.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Auburn Tigers pulled away late to get past Jacksonville State on Friday. Now they will look to continue their march towards a national championship when they meet the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday. Auburn has been one of the more consistent teams in the nation all season long and even spent time in the top two of the country throughout the year. Now they are one of the potential favorites to lift the trophy on the first Monday in April.
SUNDAY UPDATE: No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 10 Miami, Fla. at 7:45 p.m. (ET) / 6:45 p.m. (CT) on @truTV #WarEagle
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) March 19, 2022
The Miami Hurricanes survived a barn burner with the USC Trojans to finish off the 10 over 7 upset on Friday. Now Miami will look to clinch their first trip to the sweet sixteen in six years as they made their last appearance back in 2016. With a win over Auburn in this one they could put themselves in unfamiliar territory as they have never advanced past the sweet sixteen in the history of their problem. However, none of that is going to matter because I have Auburn getting the win.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Auburn (-320)
Noah Dunlap
The Miami Hurricanes managed to sneak by USC in their opening round game, as a late foul call sent them to the FT line with three seconds left, allowing them to seal a two-point win. They’ve had a tremendous year so far, especially for Miami basketball standards, though I have a feeling that that comes to an end in this one, as they take on the team that spent much of the year ranked at number one, the Auburn Tigers.
Auburn comes in having taken care of business in the opening round, beating Jacksonville State by 19. They now looks towards Miami, who, while certainly better than the Gamecocks from JSU, I don’t think Auburn has many issues with. With Jabari Smith being the potential number one overall pick in this year’s draft, and Walker Kessler bring one of the best defenders in the SEC, as well as the country, I think they managed to roll with relative ease in this matchup. Tigers by at least 8.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Auburn (-320)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
