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The 1st-round games gave us more information on the teams that survived; some of that new data has likely been under- or overemphasized. Below, we break down BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines and list Sunday’s best 2nd-round upset bets to cash in on among SportbookWire’s expert college basketball picks and predictions.
It has been an eventful tournament to say the least with 8 double-digit seeds advancing to the 2nd round. Despite all the upsets, 14 of the top 16 seeds made it out of the 1st round. Nine of the top 10 teams in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll remain in the tournament. So, we’ve got a great mix of bluebloods and surprises remaining, let’s see if there are anymore upset scenarios coming on Sunday.
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Sunday’s NCAA Tournament underdog picks
Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:12 a.m. ET. All game times ET; ML = moneyline.
Utah State +11.5 (-110) vs. Purdue – 2:40 p.m. (CBS)
- ML: Utah State (+450)
Some might feel like the Mountain West Conference was disrespected by the selection committee with placements and seeding. Entering Sunday, the MWC is 3-4 in the tourney. The Big 12 was arguably the toughest conference in the nation and the 8th-seeded Aggies (26-6) made short work of the No. 9 seed TCU Horn Frogs 88-72 Friday. G Ian Martinez filled the stat sheet with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block in the win.
The top-seeded Boilermakers (30-4) will be a tall (literally) test Sunday, but Utah State is up to the challenge. The Aggies can spread the floor and drive the lane to possibly get Purdue 7-foot C Zach Edey into foul trouble. The Aggies’ balanced offense and tough defense are good enough to knock off Purdue and shock the world.
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JAMES MADISON +7.5 (+110) vs. Duke – 5:15 p.m. (CBS)
- ML: James Madison (+250)
The Dukes (32-3) are one of only 6 teams in the country with 30 wins. Their 32nd victory came in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers (72-61). The 12th-seeded Dukes were led by Sun Belt Player of the Year Terrence Edwards Jr., who finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. James Madison won 17 of its last 18 games, which includes a current 14-game win streak.
Duke (25-8) lost its last game of the regular season to North Carolina and fell in its first game of the ACC Tournament — in the quarterfinals — to eventual tourney champ NC State. Despite the disappointing end to the season, the Blue Devils earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tourney. There, they beat 13th-seeded Vermont 64-67, improving to 7-4 away from Cameron Indoor.
The last time a 12-seed reached the Sweet 16 was 2021 when Oregon State upset 5th-seeded Tennessee and 4th-seed Oklahoma before falling to No. 2 seed Houston in the Elite 8.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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