2026 men’s basketball tournament Reached the second round on Saturday with some big matches. Which sports to bet on?
Throughout the tournament, I will provide my best bets for each round as well as my picks for new ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge Eliminator game.
Attention: from obstacles DraftKings Sportsbook
Subject to change at time of Friday’s publication.
saturday best bets
(3) michigan state -4.5 (-112) vs (6) louisville
Game time: 2:45 pm ET
The Spartans’ defense is key here. Offensively, I don’t expect Michigan State to duplicate its 59% shooting from the field recorded against North Dakota State. But the Spartans’ defense would be equally dangerous. It should be no surprise that Louisville shot 54% from the field and 52% from 3-point range, but that won’t be the case against a Spartans D that ranks 13th in adjusted efficiency. Louisville has played against a team ranked in the top 20 in defensive efficiency six times this season and has lost five times, with the only win coming over offensively inept Cincinnati. The Cardinals nearly blew a 23-point lead in the second half. I’ll be playing against Louisville’s 3-point variation here and rooting for the Spartans.
(1) ruler Team Total Over 75.5 (-125) vs (9) TCU
Game time: 5:15 pm ET
saturday eliminator selection
The Commodore’s distinctive shooting and interior appearance are worth supporting. This is telling that here the lower seeded team is given preference. I’m also looking forward to playing against the highest level of Nebraska’s 3-point variation and its first NCAA Tournament win.
How to Play ESPN Eliminator Challenge
sunday best bets
Attention: from obstacles DraftKings Sportsbook Saturday and subject to change at time of publication.
(1) Arizona -11.5 (-110) vs (9) utah state
Game time: 7:50 pm ET (TruTV)
The performance against the Wildcats was very impressive long IslandDominating both offensively and defensively. Utah State, on the other hand, needed to shoot 55% from the field – with villanova Scored only three total points in the final 6:04 of the game – coming from behind to win their first game. What stands out to me here is that this line seems short. Arizona was laying by this 11.5 BYUA better team in Kenpom’s adjusted efficiency margin, which says a lot. The Wildcats were also favored by 9.5 overs kansasWhich is 21st in adjusted efficiency margin. Add in the Aggies’ poor 3-point shooting defense (214th in the country), and Arizona should dominate them over the course of 40 minutes.
(7) kentucky vs (2) iowa state Over 145.5 (-110)
Game time: 2:45 pm ET (CBS)
Kentucky needed extra time to escape Santa Claraand iowa state won easily Tennessee State But the possibly All-American forward lost joshua jefferson in the process. Even without Jefferson, I still like the Iowa State offense here. The Cyclones are excellent from 3-point range, making 38.9% from beyond the arc, and I don’t think Kentucky will be able to slow them down. Santa Clara shot 41% from the field and still managed to score 73 points in regulation against the Wildcats.
led by Otega OwehComing off a 35-point performance, Kentucky will look to use his speed and size to score. And while the Cyclones don’t play fast on offense overall, they average just 16.6 seconds per offensive possession, which is 68th in the country. Kentucky will do the rest on offense here. If these teams reach their season averages, they should exceed this number.
sunday eliminator selection
iowa state
The Cyclones are a question mark as we move forward due to Jefferson’s injury status, so it’s best to utilize him now. If they go deeper, Jefferson’s potential loss will be even bigger. Also, I don’t think Iowa State will fall out of this range.
