2025 March Madness predictions: NCAA bracket expert picks against the spread, odds in Saturday’s Round 2 games

Tickets to the Sweet 16 will be on the line when the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament gets underway on Saturday. And while the number of games has lessened with the field being trimmed from 64 to 32, the urgency has heightened. Saturday’s second-round action provides an opportunity to judge the three double-digit seeds who advanced out of the First Round on Thursday via upset wins. 

Whether the Cinderella slipper still fits for teams like McNeese or Drake will be among the biggest storylines, as each faces a power conference foe looking to call “midnight” on their Big Dance. We will also get a meeting of Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame coaches with Rick Pitino and St. John’s squaring off against John Calipari and Arkansas. Tough second-round foes await the day’s two No. 1 seeds, with Auburn and Houston fending off challenges from a pair of teams — Creighton and Gonzaga, respectively — that looked spectacular in first-round blowout wins. 

After breaking down the entire eight-game slate we’ve identified a handful of best bets, starting with the encore performance from Will Wade and the McNeese Cowboys.   

Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern 

Best bets for Saturday’s second-round games 

(4) Purdue vs. (12) McNeese 

12:10 p.m. on CBS | March Madness Live: We’re going to keep riding Will Wade’s Cowboys after getting even more than we were hoping for in the opening round upset of Clemson. After the win, McNeese has a wagering profile that includes covering the spread against Alabama, Clemson and Mississippi State — all away from home. Now they face a Purdue team that’s been wildly inconsistent defensively and is overly reliant on Braden Smith as an offensive creator. Smith will be a huge factor in getting Purdue settled when McNeese brings the press, but it might only be enough to avoid the outright upset. The underdog played like the more physical team in McNeese’s first game, and I’m expecting that intensity to carry over into another close game. Pick: McNeese +6 

(2) St. John’s vs. (10) Arkansas 

2:40 p.m. on CBS | March Madness Live: There aren’t many coaches in America that I would trust more than Rick Pitino with a quick scout and game-plan implementation on a two-day turnaround. The Johnnies may have gotten off to a slow start against Omaha, but they hit shots in the second half. If Arkansas gives them open looks they can make the Razorbacks pay in a way that Kansas could not. St. John’s is 11-3-1 against the spread in road or neutral games this season, because defense travels and Pitino gets this group ready for war every time they’re in hostile territory. Pick: St. John’s -7.5 

(3) Texas Tech vs. (11) Drake 

6:10 p.m. on TNT | March Madness Live: This is a wildly low line for two teams that operate at a pretty efficient clip on offense. Drake ranks No. 362 out of 364 Division I teams in transitionm but good offensive rebounding allows for even more chances to score in the half-court. As a sizable underdog, the Bulldogs will be chasing the game and can’t afford to milk away the clock. Texas Tech, meanwhile, boasts one of the most efficient offenses in the country, spaces the floor well and can heat up from deep. Something in the low 130’s seems more appropriate here given the shot-making ability on the floor for both teams. Pick: Over 127.5 

(3) Wisconsin vs. (6) BYU 

7:45 on CBS | March Madness Live: BYU has impressed over in the second half of the season and the Cougars get high marks for avoiding what many thought could be an upset special against VCU. This is a deep Cougar rotation that’s built to sustain the rigors of a tournament run, with eight players averaging double-digit minutes per game and a handful of scorers who could lead the team on any given night. I like that versatility as a tough prep for Wisconsin, which has had some defensive issues against its toughest opponents. Pick: BYU +1  

(1) Houston vs. (8) Gonzaga 

8:40 p.m. on TNT | March Madness Live: I’m going to jump on the other side of what I think might be an overreaction to Gonzaga absolutely pasting Georgia in the opening round. That was one of the most tournament-experienced teams this century going up against a group that hadn’t been to the Big Dance in a decade. The Bulldogs didn’t start on time, and it cost them, but I don’t think that the 21-point final margin shows the true separation between the Zags and a team of Georgia’s on-paper caliber. Houston is clearly on a different level, but it’s also hitting a different gear — a point made clear by a total dismantling of SIU-Edwardsville on Thursday. The Cougars’ defense can cause real problems for Gonzaga’s guards, and I think that prevents the high-powered offense from ever finding a rhythm. Pick: Houston -5.5 

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