After a wild week-and-a-half to tip-off the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the 68-team field we had to begin March Madness is all of the sudden down to just eight as we head to the second weekend of the event. By the time Sunday turns to Monday, four more teams will be cut from the bracket with the others punching their tickets to the Final Four.
Saturday is when the picture for the Final Four begins to come into focus with only two games on the Elite Eight slate, both of which are in standalone windows in the evening. No. 3 seed Kansas State faces No. 9 seed FAU with the winner guaranteed to make a first appearance in the Final Four since the expansion era. For FAU, every game it wins is historic. The nightcap is a dandy that features No. 3 seed Gonzaga and No. 4 seed UConn with the Huskies an ever-so-slight betting favorite. These two have combined for three Final Four berths in the last decade.
Sunday’s schedule is equally as jam-packed with No. 2 seed Texas set to meet No. 5 seed Miami. Fresh off an upset of No. 1 seed Houston, the Hurricanes swirl into this one with a wave of momentum looking to cash in on their first Final Four trip. Also on deck: No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 6 seed Creighton meet for South Regional bragging rights. Grab your popcorn.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with getting some extra skin in these games. Below, our CBS Sports experts have provided their insight with picks straight up and against the spread for some of the top games on the weekend slate. Our expert brackets may offer some help on this front as well.
While surviving and advancing is clearly what matters for most, we care about whether these teams will cover their spreads, and we’ve tracked the season since November to be able to offer our own thoughts on every game.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the rest of the NCAA Tournament for full March Madness coverage through the end of the Final Four. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the Elite Eight.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
Elite Eight predictions, picks
(3) Kansas State vs. (9) FAU
Saturday, 6:09 p.m. | TBS, March Madness Live: FAU’s a better team than its seed reflects, but here’s the kicker: Kansas State’s a better team than its seed reflects, too. The Jerome Tang-coached Wildcats can go deep into their bench and have the two best players — by miles — in this game: Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson. If Nowell is able to play unencumbered after the second-half ankle injury he picked up vs. Michigan State — likely given how well he played in the second half and overtime Thursday — I’m comfortable taking the better team here and laying the low number. Pick: Kansas State -2
|
Spread |
KSU -2 |
FAU +2 |
KSU -2 |
KSU -2 |
KSU -2 |
KSU -2 |
|
Straight up |
KSU |
FAU |
KSU |
KSU |
KSU |
KSU |
(3) Gonzaga vs. (4) UConn
Saturday, 8:49 p.m. | TBS, March Madness Live: With all four of this year’s No. 1 seeds eliminated before the Elite Eight, UConn took the mantle as the betting favorite to win the national championship at Caesars. That may change with Texas trouncing Xavier, but the point remains: UConn is very much the team to beat in this game vs. Gonzaga (and arguably the team to beat in the field, too). It is playing like the team midseason that raced out to a 14-0 lead and has the inside-out depth and talent to contend with this balanced Zags bunch. Pick: UConn -2
|
Spread |
UCONN -2 |
ZAGS +2 |
ZAGS +2 |
UCONN -2 |
UCONN -2 |
UCONN -2 |
|
Straight up |
UCONN |
ZAGS |
ZAGS |
UCONN |
UCONN |
UCONN |
(5) San Diego State vs. (6) Creighton
Sunday, 2:20 p.m. | CBS, March Madness Live: This line started at Creighton -1.5 and has already moved up to Creighton -2, so I’m going to lay the deuce anticipating that it may continue moving Creighton’s way in the lead-up to Sunday. This team has the weapons to combat San Diego State’s defensive-minded unit that took down No. 1 overall seed Alabama thanks to a unique combination of guards, wings and bigs that match up favorably against the Aztecs on paper. Pick: Creighton -2
(2) Texas vs. (5) Miami
Saturday, 5:05 p.m. | CBS, March Madness Live: NCAA Tournament hero Dylan Disu played only briefly Friday vs. Xavier in the Sweet 16, and it mattered not as the Longhorns trounced the Musketeers. Miami, which beat No. 1 seed Houston on Friday, is likely to provide a little more resistance, but I’d still lean Longhorns here with the short number given their depth and experience. Pick: Texas -4.5
