Road to the Final Four: March Madness Predictions, Picks for Saturday's 2nd-Round Games

Believe it or not, we're already halfway through the NCAA Tournament in terms of games played. 67 games take place from the start of the First Four through the National Championship, and we've already seen 36 of them take place.

With that being said, we still have plenty of games to watch and bet on, so my journey of betting on every single one of them marches on.

It's time to advance to the Round of 32. In this article, I'm going to give you my best bet on a side or total for all eight games that are set to take place on Saturday.

March Madness Best Bets for Every Round of 32 Game on Saturday

Saint Louis vs. Michigan Prediction

The Atlantic-10 has two representatives in the NCAA Tournament, and both won in impressive fashion in the Round of 64. Maybe that's a sign that we should respect Saint Louis and VCU moving forward.

The Billikens have some ultra-impressive metrics heading into this game, ranking second in the country in effective field goal percentage and 18th in defensive efficiency. Their biggest issue is turnovers, which leads to them ranking 266th in effective possession ratio, but Michigan has the same weakness, ranking 176th in that metric.

It's also worth noting that Saint Louis ranks 70th in the country in three-point shot rate, which is good news against Michigan. The Wolverines have allowed teams to score from the perimeter this season. 35.3% of the points scored against Michigan have come from beyond the arc, which is 318th in the country.

I'll take the points with Saint Louis.

Pick: Saint Louis +12.5 (-110) via Caesars

Louisville vs. Michigan State Prediction

The numbers in this game are too close for me to back Michigan State laying 4.5 points. Louisville ranks 13th in the country in effective field goal percentage and 50th in defensive efficiency. By comparison, Michigan State ranks 70th and 39th in those two metrics.

It also should be concerning for Spartans fans that Michigan State's weakness is defending the perimeter, ranking 96th in opponent three-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 32.6% from beyond the arc. That's bad news when facing a Louisville team that's inside the top five in three-point shot rate.

I'll take the points with Louisville and root for a close game.

Pick: Louisville +4.5 (-110) via Caesars

TCU vs. Duke Prediction

I'm not going to overreact to the Round of 64 results. TCU played a great game against Ohio State, and Duke had its worst half of the season against Siena. Instead, I'm going to look at the full season of results, and I have some concerns about TCU's offensive ability to hang with Duke.

The Horned Frogs rank just 201st in the country in effective field goal percentage. They were able to overcome that against Ohio State because of how much better defensively they were than the Buckeyes, but the Blue Devils are a top-three defensive team in college basketball, nullifying the advantage TCU would have against some opponents.

I expect a bounce-back game from Duke, resulting in the Blue Devils reminding everyone why they're the favorites to win the National Championship.

Pick: Duke -11.5 (-105) via TheScore Bet

Texas A&M vs. Houston Prediction

Defense is going to be the difference maker in this game. The Cougars smother any team they face, especially when facing a non-Big 12 team that isn't used to playing against them. Houston ranks third in the country in defensive efficiency ahead of the Round of 32. By comparison, Texas A&M ranks 126th in that metric.

Houston may run into an issue that can match them defensively, but it also boasts strong shooting, but the Aggies aren't that team. Houston will dominate this game down low and win by margin in the Round of 32.

Pick: Houston -10.5 (-110) via Caesars

Texas vs. Gonzaga Prediction

I'm going to lay the points with Gonzaga in this matchup. Not only do the Bulldogs have better overall numbers on both sides of the court, including leading the nation in defensive efficiency, but they also have a stylistic advantage against the Longhorns.

Some teams have found success attacking the perimeter of Gonzaga, but trying to score from two-point range has been a disaster. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, the majority of their shots come from two-point range. Gonzaga ranks 14th in the country in opponent two-point field goal percentage (46.1%).

The Longhorns rank 229th in the country in defensive efficiency, so if they find themselves in a defensive battle against Gonzaga, it's not going to end well for them.

Pick: Gonzaga -6.5 (+100) via TheScore Bet

VCU vs. Illinois Prediction

Illinois ranks 13th in the country in three-point shot rate, with 50.6% of its shots coming from beyond the arc. Now, they get to face a VCU team that has struggled to defend the perimeter at times this season, ranking 113th in opponent three-point field goal percentage (32.9%).

One of the things I like most about this Illinois team is its ability to play fundamental basketball. Their turnover rate is the ninth-lowest in the country, while also sporting the ninth-highest rebounding rate. That makes it difficult for mid-major teams like VCU to compete with. If the Rams can't win the rebounding or turnover battles, they'll have to shoot better than the Fighting Illini, and I don't think they have the roster to do that.

Pick: Illinois -10.5 (-120) via FanDuel

Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska Prediction

Both teams boast similar shooting numbers, ranking 30th and 35th in the country in effective field goal percentage. Where these two teams have some separation is on defense. The Cornhuskers are 18th in the country in defensive efficiency, while the Commodores are 95th.

It's also important to look at how each team defends the three, as both Nebraska and Vanderbilt rank in the top 100 in the country in opponent three-point field goal percentage. The Cornhuskers have the seventh-best opponent three-point field goal percentage at 29.9%, while Vanderbilt ranks 76th at 32.3%.

Given the fact that Nebraska is getting points as an underdog while sporting better defensive numbers, it leads me to believe the Cornhuskers are the side to back.

Pick: Nebraska +1.5 (-108) via FanDuel

High Point vs. Arkansas Prediction

As great as High Point looked in the opening round, they had a strong stylistic matchup against Wisconsin, whereas Arkansas is the opposite. High Point can defend the perimeter well, but the Panthers struggle down low, allowing teams to shoot 51.6% from two-point range. That's bad news when facing an Arkansas team that ranks 53rd in the country in two-point shot rate.

Meanwhile, High Point ranks amongst the top teams in the country in three-point shot rate, but the Arkansas defense does a fantastic job of defending the perimeter, keeping teams to shooting just 31.7% from beyond the arc.

Darius Acuff Jr. has been on fire for Arkansas lately, scoring 24+ points in five straight games. He was named SEC player of the year for a reason, and I don't think High Point has a player on its roster that can match up with the Arkansas guard.

I'll lay the points with the Hogs on Saturday.

Pick: Arkansas -11.5 (-110) via Caesars

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