NCAA Tournament predictions: Who will punches their ticket to the Elite Eight?

How sweet it is to still be playing college basketball. At least that is probably how the teams in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament feel.

Half of the Sweet 16 hits the courts on Thursday, with the remaining games taking place Friday. The action airs live on CBS, TBS and truTV, along with streaming via the March Madness Live app.

Four schools from the Big Ten will be in action over the two days of play, as Maryland hits the floor first on Thursday. Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue all play on Friday for a spot in the Elite Eight.

Here are game predictions with a quick piece of information for each game consisting of the Sweet 16:

NCAA TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS

Thursday, March 27 Games

BYU over Alabama

-The Cougars are clicking on all cylinders right now, and the skills of Richie Saunders are too much for a banged up Tide to overcome.

Florida over Maryland

-These Gators are legit and for real, and Walter Clayton Jr. just might be the best player outside of Cooper Flagg in college basketball.

Duke over Arizona

-Caleb Love will give the Wildcats a chance, but Arizona is just too young to overcome Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils right now.

Texas Tech over Arkansas

-The Cinderella run for the Razorbacks comes to a halt as the Red Raiders march into the Elite Eight.

Friday, March 28 Games

Michigan State over Ole Miss

-Tom Izzo and the Spartans take care of business, giving the Big Ten an Elite Eight team.

Tennessee over Kentucky

-SEC rivals square off once more, as the Vols finally get the better of the Wildcats after losing both regular season meetings.

Auburn over Michigan

-It has been a great two weeks for the Wolverines, but the Tigers lean on their size to overcome the Wolverines.

Houston over Purdue

-The matchup is great for the Boilermakers, as they can throw some talented bigs out. This Cougar squad, though, feels destined to make it to Texas and the Final Four.