College Basketball Picks Today: Round of 32 Begins on Saturday

The second round of the NCAA Tournament begins on Saturday with eight games. There are plenty of storylines to watch such as McNeese’s Cinderella run and Rick Pitino bringing St. John’s back to prowess in college basketball. 

Below, we will cover two games from the Saturday slate: St. John’s versus Arkansas and Creighton versus Auburn. 

The following odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Place a $5 wager at FanDuel Sportsbook and receive $200 in bonus bets if your bet wins.

No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 2 St. John’s Odds

• Date: Saturday, March 22

• Time: 2:40 pm EST

• Moneyline: Arkansas +250 | St. John’s -320

• Spread: Arkansas +7.5 (-110) | St. John’s -7.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 144.5 (-115) | Under 144.5 (-105)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: St. John’s -7.5 (-110) at FanDuel 

St. John’s is a popular pick to win this season's NCAA Tournament despite not having an overwhelming offense. However, they have one of the most formidable defenses in the country, and they have been scoring more effectively lately. 

St. John’s started their tournament with a 30-point win over Omaha. Omaha was most noteworthy for smashing trash cans after wins, but the Johnnies ended their Cinderella run before it started. 

The Red Storm entered this game with a 31-4 record and a Big East Tournament victory. While Arkansas doesn’t currently have the same level of prestige in the SEC, it’s still a dangerous team.

Arkansas was battered with injuries early in the season, which caused Coach Calipari to use a much bigger lineup. This helped them beat Kansas in the first round of the tournament by seven points despite being a 4.5-point underdog. 

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Arkansas Prediction 

Adou Thiero’s status for the St. John’s game is unknown. He would make a massive difference for Arkansas if he were on the floor. 

The junior forward hasn’t played since February 22 because of a knee injury, but he led the team in scoring before the hyperextension. 

Thiero averaged 15.6 points per game and shot 54.8% from the field in the regular season. If he returned, it would make St. John’s life much more difficult. 

Arkansas is the 39th-ranked team in KenPom. Like the Johhnies, they have won with defense, ranking 20th in defensive rating. 

St. John’s Prediction 

The Red Storm have accomplished a lot this season without any expectations. Pitino’s team lost to Pace University, a Division II school, two years ago and is now one win away from the Sweet 16. 

St. John’s ranks 12th in KenPom, and they showed their full capability in the second half of the Omaha game. The Red Storm started slow but picked up quickly. 

This has been their trend throughout the year, but their defense has kept them alive. The team has the best defensive rating in the country, but it ranks 64th in offensive rating. 

The Johnnies are the better overall team despite a shaky offense, and we see them dancing to the Sweet 16. 

No. 9 Creighton vs. No. 1 Auburn 

• Date: Saturday, March 22

• Time: 7:10 pm EST

• Moneyline: Creighton +330 | Auburn  -430

• Spread: Creighton +9.5 (-118) | Auburn -9.5 (-104)

• Total: Over 150.5 (-115) | Under 150.5 (-105)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Creighton +9.5 (-110) at FanDuel 

Creighton has a legitimate chance to upset Auburn if they play as it did in the first round. The Bluejays faced Louisville in Kentucky and won by 14 points. 

They had one of their best scoring games of the season and eliminated Louisville before the game even started. The team shot 57.1% from three, and if they do this again, they will be headed to the Sweet 16. 

Auburn earned the top seed in the tournament but had a disappointing end to the regular season. They started too slow against Alabama State but ultimately won their first-round game by 20.

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Creighton Prediction 

Creighton’s KenPom stats don’t fit the criteria for a National Champion, but they are a well-rounded and balanced team. Balanced teams are dangerous, and we saw this in the first round against Louisville. 

The Bluejays rank 31st in offensive rating and shine from the three-point line. They have multiple scorers like Steven Ashworth, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Pop Isaacs. 

Their athleticism will be critical against an experienced Auburn team, but they have the talent to keep this matchup close. 

Auburn Prediction 

Auburn's starter is Johni Broome, and this team runs through the senior. He has averaged 18-10-3 this season, but despite strong play down the stretch, he has made minimal impact on games.

The Tigers are just 2-3 in their past five games and finished the season losing three of their final four games. No team has ever won a title doing this, so Auburn has a legitimate chance of being knocked out if they don’t enhance their play.

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