The 2022 NCAA Tournament continues Friday with only 12 teams standing after Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and four more set to be eliminated before we head to Elite Eight action on Saturday and Sunday. The four-game slate is loaded with storylines and stars that hail from contenders to Cinderellas.
Speaking of Cinderellas, the biggest still in the tournament is No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s kicks off the slate Friday with a 7:09 p.m. ET tip on CBS against No. 3 seed Purdue. The Peacocks have stormed to the Sweet 16 and captured the hearts of folks everywhere, and they’re looking to make history Friday as the first No. 15 seed to ever earn an Elite Eight berth.
Underdogs will also finish off the night with two double-digit seeds — No. 10 Miami and No. 11 Iowa State — capping the evening against each other in the highest combined seeding of all Sweet 16 games this year. In between the two games will be Kansas-Providence — the only game on the slate with a No. 1 seed — and UCLA-North Carolina. Combined between those two games are 20 NCAA championships.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the rest of the month for NCAA Tournament coverage through the end of the Final Four. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the final slate of third-round games on Friday.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16 picks
(3) Purdue vs. (15) Saint Peter’s
Friday, 7:09 p.m. | CBS, March Madness Live: Saint Peter’s has managed to pick off Kentucky (as a double-digit dog) and Murray State (as a nearly double-digit dog) en route to its first Sweet 16. Why wouldn’t it be able to cover this number? Purdue’s personnel is a problematic matchup for the Peacocks, no doubt, and I expect the Boilermakers to roll. But the Cinderella story of the tourney has shown it has the juice to keep this competitive. Pick: Saint Peter’s +12.5
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Spread |
SPU +12.5 |
PUR -12.5 | PUR -12.5 | SPU +12.5 | SPU +12.5 | PUR -12.5 |
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Straight up |
PUR |
PUR | PUR | PUR | PUR | PUR |
(1) Kansas vs. (4) Providence
Friday, 7:29 p.m. | TBS, March Madness Live: I’m done picking against Providence. Never again. Ed Cooley is a wizard who has his physical Friars as fine-tuned as any team left in the field. That may not be a winning formula against a malleable KU team that can win in different ways, but I think it’s a formula that can help them cover the spread. Pick: Providence +7.5
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Spread |
PROV +7.5 |
PROV +7.5 | KAN -7.5 | PROV +7.5 | PROV +7.5 | PROV +7.5 |
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Straight up |
KAN |
KAN | KAN | KAN | KAN | PROV |
(4) UCLA vs. (8) North Carolina
Friday, 9:39 p.m. | CBS, March Madness Live: The health of Jaime Jaquez seems like less of a question mark than it did a few days ago — all indications are that he’ll play — which makes me feel comfortable laying the two points with the Bruins. Their skill and experience in the backcourt is a definitive advantage, and I expect Mick Cronin to have some sort of answer to slow Brady Manek, who is on an all-time tear this tournament. Pick: UCLA -2
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Spread |
UCLA -2 |
UNC +2 | UCLA -2 | UCLA -2 | UCLA -2 | UCLA -2 |
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Straight up |
UCLA |
UNC | UCLA | UCLA | UCLA | UCLA |
(10) Miami (Fla.) vs. (11) Iowa State
Friday, 9:59 p.m. | TBS, March Madness Live: Jim Larranaga’s Miami team is old, experienced and strutting at just the right time thanks to Isaiah Wong’s hot tournament and the steady hands of Kam McGusty and Charlie Moore. I’m just going to take the team with the best vets and lay the points with the Hurricanes. Pick: Miami -2.5
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Spread |
MIA -2.5 |
MIA -2.5 | MIA -2.5 | MIA -2.5 | MIA -2.5 | MIA -2.5 |
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Straight up |
MIA |
MIA | MIA | MIA | MIA | MIA |
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