Sweet 16 Free Picks & Best March Madness Bets

If you’re a college basketball betting enthusiast that is looking for a value-packed sweet treat on the upcoming slate of Sweet 16 matchups, then you’re going to be one happy camper thanks to the duo of ‘salivating’ March Madness free picks that you’re about to get!

Sweet 16 Free Picks & Best March Madness Bets

Let’s get started with the intriguing pairing between No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 2 Oklahoma before moving on to the equally fascinating pairing between No. 4 Duke and No. 1 Oregon.  

No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Oklahoma

When: 7:37 PM ET, Thursday, March 24, 2016 Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California Line: Oklahoma -1.5 Total: 145 Analysis: Texas A&M (28-8 SU, 16-13 ATS) squeaked past Northern Iowa 92-88 in double overtime to advance to this contest while Oklahoma (27-7 SU, 12-20 ATS) recorded an identical four-point win by beating VCU 85-81 on Sunday. Both teams failed to cover the March Madness betting line the last time out.   I like Texas A&M a lot and I certainly don’t believe they’re going to get spanked by Oklahoma in this contest. Having said that, I just don’t see the Aggies winning this contest, mostly because their strength, their backcourt, plays right into Oklahoma’s strength.   Don’t get me wrong, Danuel House (15.7 ppg) and Jalen Jones (15.4 ppg) are extremely talented, but I just don’t see them getting the upper hand on Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield (25.4 ppg), Isaiah Cousins (13.1 ppg) and Jordan Woodward (12.8 ppg). Hield went off for 36 points against VCU and Oklahoma just seems pretty focused to me right now. While scoring is nearly identical for both programs in this contest, the Sooners are the better shooting team from the field, the free throw line and three-point distance.   Texas A&M is 3-0-1 ATS in their last four games against teams from the Big 12, 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games and 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall. The Sooners are 6-1 ATS in their L/7 games against teams from the SEC but 0-5 ATS in their last five non-conference games and 0-5 ATS in their L/5 neutral site games.   Still, with the favorite in this series going 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings and the spread for this contest likely to be set around two or three points, I like Oklahoma for the win and narrow ATS cover.

The Pick: Oklahoma 81 Texas A&M 77

   

No. 4 Duke vs. No. 1 Oregon

When: 10:07 PM ET, Thursday, March 24, 2016 Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California Line: Oregon -2.5 Total: 155, o/u -110 Analysis: Duke (25-10 SU, 14-18 ATS) got past Yale 71-64 on Sunday to advance to this contest while Oregon (30-6 SU, 20-13 ATS) did likewise to St. Joe’s in their 69-64 win as a 7-point favorite the last time out.   The Blue Devils have the scoring edge by almost four points per game but Oregon allows four points fewer per contest defensively, making this an evenly matched affair that will likely come down to the final possession or two. Duke has an absolute star in the making in forward Brandon Ingram (17.1 ppg) and a born scorer in Grayson Allen (21.8 ppg). However, Duke’s ability to put the ball in the basket severely diminishes after those two players with the Blue Devils next leading scorer, Luke Kennard, averaging a modest 11.8 points per game.   Oregon has four players that average at least 12.1 points per game and has their own pair of in-house stars in forwards Dillon Brooks (16.8 ppg) and Elgin Cook (14.5 ppg). With five of their top six leading scorers being frontcourt players, Oregon should dominate inside and win this one by a half-dozen points.   The Blue Devils are just1-4 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning straight up record, 1-6 ATS in their L/7 games overall and a discouraging 1-7 ATS in their last eight neutral site games. Conversely, Oregon has posted a bankroll-boosting 7-2 ATS mark in their last nine NCAA Tournament games while also going 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall, 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games versus a team with a winning straight up record and a blistering 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following a ATS loss.

The Pick: Oregon 80 Duke 74