The Sweet 16 tips off tomorrow, which means March Madness odds jump right back to the forefront of the sports world.
Many of the unknowns are removed from the equation, meaning lines are a little sharper, but we've still got a few March Madness picks you should make right now — before the action resumes Thursday night.
3 March Madness bets to make right now
| Game | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
| St. John's vs Duke |  Boozer o4.5 assists |
+120 |
| Iowa vs Nebraska |  Nebraska -1.5 |
-110 |
| Tennessee vs Iowa State |  Iowa State -4 |
No. 5 St. John's Red Storm vs. No. 1 Duke Blue Devils: Cameron Boozer Over 4.5 assists (-110 at bet365)
With the Duke Blue Devils likely to still be without starting point guard Caleb Foster, JD Yonke doesn't believe that Cayden Boozer will stand up to St. John's relentless ball pressure — shifting the offensive generation to brother (and superstar) Cameron Boozer’s shoulders even more than we've seen through the first two rounds.
Cam leads the team in assist rate (26%) and will have increased facilitating opportunities in a pace-up spot against a Red Storm team that ranks 69th in adjusted tempo. He's averaging five assists over his last seven games and should have a busy night with an increased usage rate and higher pace.
No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes vs. No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers: Nebraska -1.5 (-110 at bet365)
For Douglas Farmer, this spread is deflated by the Hawkeyes' effectiveness at slowing games down so far in the NCAA Tournament... but the Nebraska Cornhuskers are used to that shift: They also play at a slower pace, and split the season series with Iowa in two (plodding) games.
KenPom rates Nebraska nearly four points better in net efficiency than Iowa, and since Feb. 1, BartTorvik has argued for a similar gap.
He expects 'Braska to force a ton of contested threes... and making those heaves will not be a winning strategy for Iowa.
No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers vs No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones: Iowa State -4 (+110 at bet365)
This is a bet to make now, due to the murky status of Iowa State Cyclones star Joshua Jefferson.
He missed the Cyclone's second-round win vs. Kentucky due to a nasty ankle injury, but he's reportedly "continuing to progress" ahead of their next game, which is Friday night.
If you think Iowa State wins, even without Jefferson, then jump on this now: If he does get cleared to play, this line will likely steam a few additional points in favour of ISU.
Not intended for use in MA.
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