The first round of the 2024 men's NCAA tournament had some wildly unpredictable results, most notably Oakland shocking Kentucky in a one-man shooting exhibition for the ages.

That doesn't mean we stop diving into the matchups and trying to figure out what to expect in the second round of the Dance, though. After all, we did get most of the games right.

For each of the games on Saturday and Sunday, we'll briefly sum up what it would take for each team to win before also offering a spot where you might consider placing a wager. Those picks went 8-7-1 Thursday and 8-8 Friday so, you know, good luck figuring out which coin flips are the right ones.

Games are listed in chronological order.

Lines from DraftKings and updated at 1 a.m. ET Saturday.

No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 10 Colorado Buffaloes

Matchup: No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 10 Colorado (South Regional)

Details: Sunday at 12:10 p.m. ET (CBS), Indianapolis

One-Sentence Synopsis: Should be no shortage of points in this matchup between two of the best lead guards in the entire country.

Marquette Wins If: It dominates turnover margin. Heading into Friday, Marquette had an average turnover margin of +4.8 while Colorado's was -2.1. And the gap grew even wider during the first round, with Marquette finishing plus-eight against Western Kentucky while Colorado was minus-four against Florida. The trio of Stevie Mitchell, Tyler Kolek and Chase Ross will be swarming a Colorado team where most of the key players are moderately susceptible to giveaways. If a decent number of those takeaways turn into breakaways, even better for the Golden Eagles.

Colorado Wins If: It passes and rebounds Marquette to death. Assist rate is an intriguing factor in this one. While Marquette forces a lot of turnovers, crisp ball movement and a lot of dimes can be a problem for its defense. To that end, Colorado had 27 assists against Florida and shares the rock at a high level. The Buffaloes should also have a considerable edge on the glass with Eddie Lampkin Jr. leading that charge. If he goes for a points/rebounds double-double while KJ Simpson puts together a points/assists double-double, advantage Buffs.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Over 146.5. Not exactly anticipating a repeat of Colorado's 102-100 first-round win over Florida, but how can this total possibly be less than 150 with Kolek healthy-ish for Marquette and Cody Williams healthy-ish for Colorado? Should be a high-scoring affair.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Marquette

Kerry Miller: Marquette

Joel Reuter: Marquette

No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 8 Utah State Aggies

Matchup: No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 8 Utah State (Midwest Regional)

Details: Sunday at 2:40 p.m. ET (CBS), Indianapolis

One-Sentence Synopsis: Whether Purdue or the Mountain West team wins this game, it's going to come in contrast to recent history as we know it.

Purdue Wins If: Zach Edey and Braden Smith keep doing their thing. Later on in the Dance, the Boilermakers will need more than just their dynamic duo to show up. But if they get a repeat of the first round with Edey going for 30 points and 21 rebounds and Smith getting 11 points and 10 assists in this game, that's going to be a lot to overcome for a Utah State team that entered the Dance ranked around 50th on KenPom.

Utah State Wins If: Great Osobor can get Edey into foul trouble. Edey leads the nation in drawing fouls, but Osobor isn't far behind him. And in the Mountain West tournament in a similar "Who can draw whistles in the paint first?" battle, Osobor got San Diego State's Jaedon LeDee saddled on the bench with a pair of fouls in a New York minute. The Aggies would still need to make shots and take advantage of Edey's referee-imposed rest if it happens, but that would be a colossal game-changer.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Under 150.5. The Edey-Osobor battle is going to be absolutely crucial, but it's hard to dream up a scenario in which both big men have a big day. At least one, possibly both will be dealing with foul trouble, and that's going to put a serious damper on the overall scoring in this game.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Purdue

Kerry Miller: Purdue

Joel Reuter: Purdue

No. 4 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 12 James Madison Dukes

Matchup: No. 4 Duke vs. No. 12 James Madison (South Regional)

Details: Sunday at 5:15 p.m. ET (CBS), Brooklyn

One-Sentence Synopsis: Not only is it Duke against the Dukes, but it's Jaylen Carey going up against the school where his older brother, Vernon, played four years ago.

Duke Wins If: It gets the same whistle that it got in the first round against Vermont. The foul disparity (19-13) wasn't that bad, but the Blue Devils made 20 free throws while the Catamounts only attempted six. If they get that sort of edge against a scrappy JMU squad, it's going to make it next to impossible for the Dukes to pull off another big upset. (It would be extra bad news for James Madison if those fouls are going against T.J. Bickerstaff, which would open the door for Duke to win the game on the glass, as well.)

James Madison Wins If: It can force turnovers against Duke like it did against Wisconsin. JMU had a great turnover margin all season, and it made that a point of emphasis from the outset against the Badgers. Not only did the Dukes force a ton of turnovers, but they turned those steals into a lot of fast-break points. And while the Blue Devils are usually pretty turnover-averse, so was Wisconsin.

If I Had to Bet on Something: James Madison +7.5. If you even want to sprinkle a little action on the JMU moneyline, it might not be a bad idea. The Dukes were in complete control throughout against Wisconsin, and it wasn't even a good shooting night by their standards. If their quintet of three-point shooters fares a little better against the Blue Devils, they're at least going to keep things interesting, if not win it outright.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Duke

Kerry Miller: Duke

Joel Reuter: James Madison

No. 3 Baylor Bears vs. No. 6 Clemson Tigers

Matchup: No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 6 Clemson (West Regional)

Details: Sunday at 6:10 p.m. ET (TNT), Memphis

One-Sentence Synopsis: Baylor has been upset in the second round in each of the past two NCAA tournaments, but do the Tigers have the horses to take down the Bears?

Baylor Wins If: The perimeter game plays out as expected. Clemson does not force many turnovers and allows a lot of three-point looks. New Mexico completely squandered those looks, shooting 3-for-23 from distance. However, it's beyond difficult to imagine that happening to Baylor after one of the best three-point attacks in the nation just drained 16 triples in a win over Colgate. If the Bears continue to shoot as well as they usually do, Clemson will have a tough time keeping pace.

Clemson Wins If: PJ Hall takes over. Early in the year, Hall was playing like a first-team All-American. And every now and then, that phenom resurfaced, like when he went for 25 points, nine rebounds and three dimes in the win at North Carolina. If that version of Hall shows up, it could change everything. That's especially true if he's able to draw Yves Missi out of the paint and/or get the freshman shot-blocker into foul trouble.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Over 145.5. Betting the over in Clemson's first-round game didn't work out so well. The Tigers did their part on offense, though, and now run up against a much better shooting team in Baylor. May well take 80 to win this one.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Baylor

Kerry Miller: Baylor

Joel Reuter: Baylor

No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon Antelopes

Matchup: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon (West Regional)

Details: Sunday at 7:10 p.m. ET (TBS), Spokane

One-Sentence Synopsis: Far from your standard No. 4 vs. No. 12 second-round matchup, this is going to be an extremely high-level game with a lot of dudes who can ball.

Alabama Wins If: Triples makes it safe. Triples is best. The Crimson Tide predictably shot the lights out in the first round against Charleston, and will once again be relying heavily on high-octane offense to carry them to victory against the 'Lopes. Alabama takes and makes a ton of three-pointers while Grand Canyon is just OK in that department. Could be a lot of trading threes for twos to the benefit of the Tide.

Grand Canyon Wins If: It can cause issues with its physicality. Alabama is no stranger to physical games with lots of whistles, but that style of game—with lots of free throws and turnovers—would seem to benefit Grand Canyon more so than a free-flowing affair full of transition points and stepping into open three-point attempts. GCU doesn't have a ton of depth, so it will need to make sure not to muck things up too much. Drawing fouls and controlling the pace of play would be key, though.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Grand Canyon +5.5. Should be a great game, and Alabama is understandably favored to win. But at some point, Alabama ranking well outside the top 100 in adjusted defensive efficiency is going to be a fatal problem, and it might be here.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Alabama

Kerry Miller: Grand Canyon

Joel Reuter: Alabama

No. 1 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 9 Northwestern Wildcats

Matchup: No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 9 Northwestern (East Regional)

Details: Sunday at 7:45 p.m. ET (truTV), Brooklyn

One-Sentence Synopsis: Northwestern will need to pull off quite the upset over the title favorite to make its first ever trip to the Sweet 16.

Connecticut Wins If: It shoots reasonably well against a less-than-stellar defense. FAU couldn't buy a bucket against Northwestern, but that was way more a product of the Owls just missing open looks than a case of the Wildcats suddenly becoming a brick wall. They can muck up the game and play physically, but UConn has seen plenty of that style in Big East play and should be able to get buckets against one of the worst effective field-goal percentage defenses left in the Dance.

Northwestern Wins If: Ryan Langborg continues to play out of his damn mind. The Princeton transfer scored a career-high 27 points (12 in overtime) in Northwestern's first-round win over Florida Atlantic. Since losing Ty Berry to a torn ACL, the Wildcats have been Boo Buie, Brooks Barnhizer and often not much else. But if Langborg stays hot and that whole trio shows up in a big way, let's just say Northwestern is no joke, twice taking Purdue to overtime and winning one of those games.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Northwestern +14.5. Acknowledging that KenPom doesn't account for injuries, it's a little weird that the line is this high when KenPom has Connecticut as a nine-point favorite, right? In their previous two trips to the second round, the Wildcats lost by six to Gonzaga in 2017 and by five to UCLA last year. Chris Collins is a great coach who suffered just one loss by double digits all season. Northwestern might not win, but it is going to battle.

Predictions

David Kenyon: UConn

Kerry Miller: UConn

Joel Reuter: UConn

No. 1 Houston Cougars vs. No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies

Matchup: No. 1 Houston vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (South Regional)

Details: Sunday at 8:40 p.m. ET (TNT), Memphis

One-Sentence Synopsis: Houston won when these Lone Star State foes squared off in mid-December, but only barely—and the Aggies didn't even have second-leading scorer Tyrece Radford in that game.

Houston Wins If: It is making shots at a rate above its year-to-date eFG%. Houston does a lot of things extremely well. Outstanding turnover margin. Top-tier shot-blocking frontcourt. Incredible defense overall. Excellent offensive rebounding. The works. But the Cougars simply don't shoot very well, which can wholly undermine all the things they do well. They're a perfect 24-0 when scoring at least 68 points, but it's more of a toss-up when they fall below that mark. Fortunately, Texas A&M's defense isn't anything special, but Houston will need to hit some triples to beat the Aggies.

Texas A&M Wins If: See: Houston's winning condition. Houston's eFG% is poor, but Texas A&M's is downright terrible. Even after going for 90.2 PPG over their last five games, the Aggies rank 339th in the nation in eFG%. They obviously can shoot, though. It felt like they couldn't miss against Nebraska. But there are nights when this team can't hit the broad side of a barn—and Houston has a knack for making even great shooting teams repeatedly throw up bricks.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Under 132. There were some glorious offensive masterpieces in the first round of the Dance, but this one has rock fight written all over it. It was 70-66 when they met three months ago, and that was even with Houston draining 11 threes and Wade Taylor IV going off for 34 points. You have to go all the way back to 1993 to find the last time there wasn't at least one second-round game with a winning score of 65 or lower, and this one is a strong candidate to carry on that tradition.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Houston

Kerry Miller: Texas A&M

Joel Reuter: Houston

No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs vs. No. 13 Yale Bulldogs

Matchup: No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 13 Yale (East Regional)

Details: Sunday at 9:40 p.m. ET (TBS), Spokane

One-Sentence Synopsis: Instead of an Auburn-UAB showdown in Spokane, two defensive-minded teams will square off for the right to face (probably) Connecticut.

San Diego State Wins If: Jaedon LeDee does his foul-drawing thing. John Poulakidas was on fire in the upset of Auburn, but generally speaking, big man Danny Wolf is Yale's most important player. He was able to log 33 minutes before fouling out against the Tigers, but the Bulldogs have very little frontcourt depth when he gets into foul trouble. And you can count on one hand how many players draw fouls at a higher rate than LeDee, which was a major factor in SDSU's opening win over UAB.

Yale Wins If: It can stifle San Diego State's interior offense. The Aztecs want to do the vast majority of their scoring in the paint, but that's where Yale's defense tends to do its best work, too. This is why LeDee getting Wolf into foul trouble would be such a major advantage for SDSU, as the Bulldogs would not be anywhere near as well-equipped to slow down the Aztecs if their primary shot-blocker is neutralized by whistles. If Yale can force SDSU to settle for threes more often than it typically does, though, that would be big.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Yale +5.5. Both of these teams played in nail-biters in the first round, and Yale played well earlier this season against both Kansas and Gonzaga. The final margin was 15 in each of those games, but the Bulldogs were competitive much deeper into those games than the scores suggest. This one could/should come right down to the wire.

Predictions

David Kenyon: San Diego State

Kerry Miller: San Diego State

Joel Reuter: San Diego State

No. 2 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 7 Dayton Flyers

Matchup: No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 7 Dayton (West Regional)

Details: Saturday at 12:45 p.m. ET (CBS), Salt Lake City

One-Sentence Synopsis: Second-team AP All-American DaRon Holmes II and Dayton attempt to upset third-team AP All-American Caleb Love and Arizona.

Arizona Wins If: Rebounding margin is a legitimate factor. Owning the glass can be completely irrelevant if you give the game away in other areas. However, Arizona has one of the best rebounding margins in the nation, whereas Dayton barely breaks even in that department on most nights. If the Wildcats turn that rebounding into a significant edge in second-chance points, the Flyers are going to have a tough time keeping pace.

Dayton Wins If: It eviscerates Arizona's perimeter defense. Dayton has one of the most potent perimeter attacks in the nation, which it leveraged in a big way in storming back from that 17-point second-half deficit against Nevada in the Round of 64. Meanwhile, Arizona's three-point defense is probably its biggest shortcoming, which could be a lethal advantage for the Flyers. In particular, it'd be big if Holmes is hitting triples and drawing Oumar Ballo or Motiejus Krivas away from the rim.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Dayton +9.5. Arizona is the better overall team and should get the win, but blowing out Dayton is hard to do. The only time the Flyers lost by nine or more points this season was a 14-point game against Houston, in which the Cougars shot unusually well from distance while Dayton couldn't buy a bucket. This should at least be a close game.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Arizona

Kerry Miller: Arizona

Joel Reuter: Arizona

No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs

Matchup: No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 5 Gonzaga (Midwest Regional)

Details: Saturday at 3:15 p.m. (ET), Salt Lake City

One-Sentence Synopsis: Two of the best interior attacks in the nation square off in a battle of well-known programs.

Kansas Wins If: It slows the game down and makes Hunter Dickinson the star. Not only is Dickinson unquestionably KU's most important player at this point—he had 19 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks against Samford—but feeding him early and often could provide a secondary benefit: getting Graham Ike into foul trouble. If that happens, Dickinson and KJ Adams Jr. could start to go to work in the paint.

Gonzaga Wins If: Fatigue is as much of a factor for Kansas as expected. The Jayhawks already had depth issues. Then they lost Kevin McCullar Jr., had to play an exhausting game against Samford late Thursday night and now have a quick turnaround for an early afternoon game against a Gonzaga team that loves to run, too. If Gonzaga shoots as well from distance as it did against McNeese State, this could get ugly.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Kansas +4.5. Despite Kansas' fatigue factor, this should be an incredible game in what is—if you can believe this—the first-ever NCAA tournament meeting between these two programs. Maybe Gonzaga runs away with it, but the spread should not be multiple possessions.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Gonzaga

Kerry Miller: Gonzaga

Joel Reuter: Gonzaga

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 9 Michigan State Spartans

Matchup: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Michigan State (West Regional)

Details: Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET (CBS), Charlotte

One-Sentence Synopsis: January, February, Izzo, Tar Heels.

North Carolina Wins If: It owns the paint. Armando Bacot averages a double-double. Harrison Ingram isn't far behind him. Jae'Lyn Withers had a massive day in the first round against Wagner. Jalen Washington has moments where he dominates down low. And Michigan State has...a colossal question mark at the 5. Sparty did manage to keep it close in both games against Purdue, but the Boilermakers are really just Zach Edey in the paint. Their second-leading rebounder is 6'0" Braden Smith. North Carolina's "gang rebounding" approach could win the day.

Michigan State Wins If: Its big four shows up as well as it did against Mississippi State. They'll want to cut down on the turnovers a bit, but Tyson Walker, Jaden Akins, Malik Hall and AJ Hoggard combined for 52 points, 10 assists and six steals against the Bulldogs. Tom Izzo said earlier this season that the Spartans don't need to get much out of the 5 spot aside from size when those four are all playing well. For as much as Bacot might own the paint in this game, Walker and Hoggard could eviscerate UNC freshman point guard Elliot Cadeau.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Over 140.5. Unless they're facing Virginia, this is a preposterously low total for a Tar Heels game. Their average total over the past 20 games is 151.4, which even includes a 54-44 rock fight against the Cavaliers. Take that one out and it goes up to 154.2. While Michigan State is solid on defense, it's hard to see them shutting down UNC.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Michigan State

Kerry Miller: North Carolina

Joel Reuter: Michigan State

No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 7 Washington State Cougars

Matchup: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Washington State (East Regional)

Details: Saturday at 6:10 p.m. ET (TNT), Omaha

One-Sentence Synopsis: Washington State tries to withstand a cyclone of steals when it takes on Iowa State.

Iowa State Wins If: It gets after Myles Rice. Washington State's one-guard approach often creates a size advantage that it can exploit in the paint. However, having only one reliable ball-handler against this Cyclones defense could be a nightmare. In the past four months, the Cougars have played one game against a defense that ranks top-40 in steal percentage, losing that game by 12 to Arizona State. Even though Wazzu only committed 11 turnovers in that game, it never got comfortable on offense. Iowa State will seek to make sure that happens again.

Washington State Wins If: It outshoots the Cyclones. The advantage that Iowa State is certain to have in the turnover department could be more or less offset by the edge Washington State will have on the glass. And when the Cougars are able to avoid giveaways, they should get a lot of good three-point looks. That isn't usually their game, but Jaylen Wells can stroke it, as can Andrej Jakimovski and freshman Isaiah Watts, the latter of whom has come on strong over the past month with 12 triples off the bench in his last seven games. He could be the X-factor.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Iowa State -6.5. Getting the Cougars into the Sweet 16 and giving more people the chance to learn about what Rice endured to get to this point would be awesome. But you either withstand the Cyclones' ball-hawking defense or you really, really don't. Given Wazzu's backcourt situation, this is liable to become Iowa State's 19th win by double digits this season.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Iowa State

Kerry Miller: Iowa State

Joel Reuter: Iowa State

No. 11 North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. No. 14 Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Matchup: No. 11 North Carolina State vs. No. 14 Oakland (South Regional)

Details: Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV), Pittsburgh

One-Sentence Synopsis: At least one double-digit seed will be in the Sweet 16 after this showdown between the Wolfpack and the Golden Grizzlies.

NC State Wins If: D.J. Burns eats and eats and eats in the paint. Oakland doesn't have much of a post presence, certainly not anyone bulky enough to keep Burns from backing his way to the rim in a one-on-one situation. The Grizzlies predominantly play zone defense and should be able to swarm Burns if he gets the ball in the paint, but he's also second on the team in assists and will find open men along the perimeter if Oakland collapses too much.

Oakland Wins If: Golden Gohlke does it again. NC State's perimeter defense isn't the best. BYU made 14 triples against the Wolfpack back in November. Though they missed the vast majority of them, the Red Raiders were able to get up 31 triples in Thursday's game. And if Jack Gohlke gets an inch of space, he's getting that shot off. If he remains on fire and hits another eight or more shots from downtown, say hello to this year's second-weekend Cinderella story.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Over 146.5. NC State is scoring almost at will during its six-game winning streak, Oakland can make it rain from distance, and the Grizzlies have allowed 91-plus points on five occasions this season. This has the potential to be a very high-scoring game if NC State can get comfy against the zone.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Oakland

Kerry Miller: NC State

Joel Reuter: NC State

No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 7 Texas Longhorns

Matchup: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Texas (Midwest Regional)

Details: Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (CBS), Charlotte

One-Sentence Synopsis: The selection committee doesn't manufacture made-for-TV matchups, but Rick Barnes against Texas in the second round sure is a happy accident.

Tennessee Wins If: Someone in addition to Dalton Knecht is feeling it on offense. It's reasonable to assume the Volunteers defense will show up in a big way, even though there were some duds against Kentucky and North Carolina. But the big question is whether they'll get much offense out of the likes of Zakai Zeigler and Jonas Aidoo. Those two usually do show up, which is why Tennessee usually won this season. If it's only Knecht against the Longhorns, though, that won't end well for Rocky Top.

Texas Wins If: It is destined to finally benefit from "Second Round Rick Barnes." Over his final seven years in Austin, Barnes went 3-6 in the NCAA tournament. He made one Final Four in 17 years at the helm of what was almost always a single-digit seed. Tennessee has since learned that same annual pain. Texas has the toughness necessary to bang with the Volunteers, and it has two players who can take over on offense in Max Abmas and Dylan Disu. They shot a combined 10-for-33 in the first round against Colorado State, which would not cut it here. But maybe they saved their best for the Round of 32.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Under 146. Both teams do possess occasionally potent offense, but this doesn't seem destined to be a track meet. In fact, since the 99-94 overtime classic against Carsen Edwards and Purdue in the 2019 Sweet 16, seven straight Tennessee tournament games have finished below this total.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Texas

Kerry Miller: Tennessee

Joel Reuter: Tennessee

No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 11 Duquesne Dukes

Matchup: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 11 Duquesne (East Regional)

Details: Saturday at 8:40 p.m. ET (TNT), Omaha

One-Sentence Synopsis: Illinois takes its high-octane offense up against a Duquesne defense that just shut down BYU.

Illinois Wins If: It commits to scoring in the paint. In Duquesne's recent big wins over Dayton and BYU, it focused intently on stifling a potent three-point assault, and it won when both teams stubbornly continued to try to win with triples. But that isn't really the Illini's game. They certainly have shooters and can get hot from deep, but they're also going to have a major size advantage in this matchup and should try to own the lane on both ends of the floor.

Duquesne Wins If: It really digs in its heels on defense and hits an unusual number of triples. Duquesne has won 16 of its last 19 games almost entirely on the strength of its defense. Shutting down the Illini won't be easy, but holding BYU to 67 wasn't supposed to be easy, either. Maybe the Dukes can pull it off, and maybe they can take advantage of a mediocre Illinois perimeter defense while they're at it.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Illinois -10.5. While our official stance is that it would be awesome if Duquesne wins this game and we all get to talk about Keith Dambrot for another week, this one could get a bit ugly. Illinois has scored at least 85 points in 11 of its last 15 games, and the Dukes are unlikely to have the offensive firepower to keep pace with that.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Illinois

Kerry Miller: Illinois

Joel Reuter: Illinois

No. 3 Creighton Bluejays vs. No. 11 Oregon Ducks

Matchup: No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 11 Oregon (Midwest Regional)

Details: Saturday at 9:40 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV), Pittsburgh

One-Sentence Synopsis: Dana Altman won 327 games at Creighton, and he'll need to beat the Bluejays to reach win No. 346 of the Oregon portion of his career.

Creighton Wins If: Threes are finding their mark. While ousting Akron on Thursday afternoon, the Bluejays practically could not miss, shooting 10-for-17 from three-point range. They always let it fly from downtown, and that should be especially true against an Oregon team that has struggled to defend the perimeter for most of the season, allowing opponents to shoot 35 percent. When the 'Jays shoot at least 30 percent, they're 22-3.

Oregon Wins If: Jermaine Couisnard has another 40-point game in him. That makes it seem like we're painting Oregon as some massive underdog, but we aren't. This should be one of the better second-round games, provided Oregon continues to play anywhere near as well as it has over the past two weeks. But getting another big game out of Couisnard—while N'Faly Dante plays to a draw with Ryan Kalkbrenner in the paint—would be massive for the Ducks' win probability.

If I Had to Bet on Something: Under 146. Even while shooting the lights out in the first round, Creighton only got to 77 points. And before Couisnard went off against South Carolina, Oregon was averaging 69.0 points in its previous four wins. Neither team plays at an above-average tempo. Creighton games rarely feature many free throws. This feels like it may be a bit of a lower-scoring affair.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Creighton

Kerry Miller: Oregon

Joel Reuter: Creighton