Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.
The NCAA Tournament's Round of 64 is nearly in the books. But the games continue into the weekend. The Round of 32 takes place Saturday and Sunday. The respective winners advance to the Sweet 16 next week.
For now, there's much to sort out over the next two days. Here are our four best bets for Saturday's tournament action.
(9) Michigan State vs. (1) North Carolina (-4, O/U 140.5)
Game time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Michigan State dominated Mississippi State in the opening game of the tournament, especially from the 3-point arc.
The Spartans shot 43% from three while holding the Bulldogs to 22%. They've been an inconsistent shooting team throughout the season, but a lightning-hot Michigan State squad is scary for opponents. The Spartans will need to limit North Carolina's threes to win.
Michigan State has an elite defense and forces turnovers at a high rate. While North Carolina isn't a turnover-prone group, the Spartans' aggressive defense could rattle North Carolina. A low-scoring, defensive-oriented battle favors Michigan State.
Although Spartans coach Tom Izzo's success in March is overstated, he's a phenomenal coach who knows how to get the best out of his players at opportune times. This is one of them.
Pick: Michigan State +4 and under 140.5
(5) Gonzaga vs. (4) Kansas (+3.5, O/U 151.5)
Game time: 3:15 p.m. ET
Gonzaga destroyed McNeese on Thursday to advance to the Round of 32. The Bulldogs kept the Cowboys' fast and 3-point-reliant attack at bay. It was an impressive defensive display, especially considering that Gonzaga's defense has been rocky at times.
Kansas let Samford storm back before the Jayhawks escaped an upset thanks to a controversial no-call. As expected, Kansas looked vulnerable.
The Jayhawks are missing Kevin McCullar's presence, and Hunter Dickinson is still dealing with a shoulder injury.
This is one of Gonzaga's worst teams in years, but Kansas is an injured and dwindling group that lost four of its last five games heading into the Big Dance. The Jayhawks don't have the depth to beat good teams without McCullar. Their disappointing season will end Saturday.
Pick: Gonzaga -3.5
(14) Oakland vs. (11) NC State (-6, O/U 144.5)
Game time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Oakland is the Cinderella team of this year's NCAA Tournament. It executed a brilliant game plan against Kentucky, earning quality 3-point looks and using a creative zone to limit the Wildcats' explosive offense.
NC State miraculously won five games in five days at the ACC Tournament and outlasted a struggling Texas Tech team in the opening round. The Wolfpack play the hits with their DJ duo - DJ Burns and DJ Horne. It'll be difficult for Oakland's zone to stop them.
However, NC State has a suspect defense. It struggles to defend the three, which is a problem given Oakland's reliance from beyond the arc. The Golden Grizzlies attempted 31 threes and connected on 48% of them against Kentucky. If Oakland shoots even close to that percentage, it'll pull off the upset.
Pick: Oakland +6
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
