The NCAA tournament got underway on Thursday and there were plenty of exhilarating games, including a few upsets. Day two shouldn't disappoint either, with a few teams sporting big upset potential.
So, without further hesitation, here are the picks:
No. 7 Dayton (25-7) vs. No. 10 Syracuse (19-13)
Spread: Dayton -1.5
Many people felt Syracuse shouldn't have even been in the tournament but here it is, limping into its first-round matchup. Dayton hasn't played well entering the tournament either so this one should certainly be interesting. The Orange have the best player in this game in Michael Gbinije, and grab a lot of offensive rebounds so I give them the slight edge.
Pick to win: Syracuse
Against Spread: Dayton
No. 4 California (23-10) vs. No. 13 Hawaii (27-5)
Spread: California -4.5
Cal was a popular pick to make a deep run in the tournament by many until it was revealed that Tyrone Wallace was out for the tournament. Now the Golden Bears have become a popular upset pick. Hawaii is a good team but the Bears still have two future NBA guys in Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb so they should still pull at least this one off.
Pick to win: Cal
Against spread: Cal
No. 2 Michigan State (29-5) vs. No. 15 Middle Tennessee (24-9)
Spread: Michigan State -18
Michigan State is one of the favorites to win the tournament and although Middle Tennessee comes in having won six in a row, it would be lucky to keep this game close in the second half. This one looks like a safe pick.
Pick to win: MSU
Against spread: MSU
No. 2. Oklahoma (25-7) vs. No. 15 CSU Bakersfield (24-8)
Spread: Oklahoma -14.5
Oklahoma is a bit of a risky pick in this tournament because it relies on the three-pointer so much. This is a game that you can see the Sooners losing if they don't shoot well, but they shoot well more often than not. Bakersfield comes in on a six-game winning streak, but that will be halted on Friday.
Pick to win: Oklahoma
Against spread: Oklahoma
No. 7 Wisconsin (20-12) vs. No. 10 Pittsburgh (21-11)
Spread: Wisconsin -2
Wisconsin has played extremely well since Greg Gard took over as head coach but it was upset early in the Big Ten tournament. Pitt has been wildly inconsistent this year as the Panthers can sometimes look like world beaters, but other times look like a below-average team. I'm banking on the former Pitt team to show up on Friday.
Pick to win: Pitt
Against spread: Pitt
No. 3 West Virginia (26-8) vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin (27-5)
Spread: West Virginia -8
West Virginia is an extremely tough team to prepare for because of its pressure and relentlessness. This team forces a ton of turnovers and grabs a lot of offensive rebounds to make up for its sometimes poor shooting. Stephen F. Austin has been here before, but the Lumberjacks have got an extremely tough matchup here.
Pick to win: WVU
Against spread: WVU
No. 2 Xavier (27-5) vs. No. 15 Weber State (26-8)
Spread: Xavier -13
Xavier has had a great season and it has a very talented bunch. To me, they are the most threatening team out of the Big East in this tournament, so I see them winning via blowout in this one. Weber State has had a nice season and has a very good player in Jeremy Senglin, but that season will end on Friday.
Pick to win: Xavier
Against spread: Xavier
No. 6 Notre Dame (21-11) vs. No. 11 Michigan (23-12)
Spread: Notre Dame -3.5
Michigan had to win a play-in game to get here, but they do present some problems for the Fighting Irish. These two teams both like shooting jump shots and it could come down to whichever team is hitting them on Friday night. Michigan doesn't have Caris LeVert while Notre Dame has Demetrius Jackson though, so that will be the difference in this one.
Pick to win: Notre Dame
Against spread: Michigan
