The chalk held throughout the March Madness Sweet 16 matchups, but the Elite Eight might provide the upset we college basketball heads crave.
With four marquee matchups looming, I’ve found two programs lurking in the shadows that could send a favorite to an earlier-than-predicted exit.
Join me as I share my March Madness picks and possible Elite Eight upsets.
March Madness upset predictions
Michigan State (+190 at bet365)
The Michigan State Spartans have a real shot at upsetting the Auburn Tigers. They have surrendered fewer than 70 points in five of six games, featuring a littany of elite perimeter defenders and rebounders.
Auburn is somewhat reliant on the triple, achieving 33% of their point production from their long-range exploits. Meanwhile, MSU defends the arc at an elite level, and Tom Izzo's team will be sure to zero in on taking that away from their opponent.
The Tigers also finished 14th in the SEC in offensive rebounding percentage allowed, which should provide the Spartans with additional second-chance scoring opportunities.
Michigan State has survived a couple of nail-biters, and Sunday’s clash will likely be another close one.
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Tennessee Volunteers (+140 at bet365)
The Tennessee Volunteers are no strangers to upsets. The Vols are 3-3 straight-up as the underdog, boasting recent road upsets over Auburn and Texas A&M.
Tennessee’s defense is elite, ranking No. 3 at KenPom in effective field goal percentage (44.9%) and beyond the arc (28.5%). It also maintains the appropriate width and length to battle the Houston Cougars' bigs inside.
If the Vols can limit the triples and Houston’s second-chance points, they could put themselves in a position to pull off the upset.
Offensively, Tennesse has reached 70 points in four of its last five games. Guards Chaz Lanier and Zakai Ziegler have battled the best the SEC has to offer all season, and the duo will be up for the challenge against the nation's top defense.
The Vols present a defense that can stifle the Cougars' 3-point attack, as well as the size to battle Houston in the paint and on the boards. If Tennessee can knock down a couple of triples, it can pull off an Elite Eight upset.
