Three Round of 64 March Madness Predictions

Submitted by Sack on Thu, 03/16/2017 - 10:26

It’s on! Do you have your 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship bracket set? Well, I have three round of 64 March Madness predictions for you right below.

Iowa State Cyclones vs Nevada Wolf Pack

When: March 16, 2017, 9:57 PM ET
Where: Bradley Center
Spread: Iowa State -6
Over/Under: 155

Analysis: This will be a three-pointer battle. Both of these teams are straight shooters when it comes to dropping threes with Iowa State in the top 15 and Nevada among the top 40. They also finished the season strong which makes this an interesting battle. Iowa State’s star point guard Monte Morris is probably the best player of both teams and when he’s firing on all cylinders he can mount up his stats big time. Nevada has one distinct advantage on rebounds, while the Wolfpack is 69th in rebounding rate, the Cyclones rank at 298. Though Iowa State is favored but 6 points, if the Wolfpack controls the boards and manages to find good shots from three point land it could tilt the odds in Nevada’s favor.

Game Prediction: Morris will fire away and have an exceptional game. Count on the Cyclones to win and cover at -6.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Princeton Tigers

When: March 16, 2017, 12:15 PM ET
Where: Keybank Center
Spread: Notre Dame -7
Over/Under: 134.5

Analysis: Though the Fighting Irish lost in the ACC tournament final to Duke, they nevertheless enter this competition with good numbers. The same can be said of the Princeton Tigers, one of only two teams in the nation to go undefeated in conference play. These two squads share a similar playing style, however Notre Dame has an advantage in big man Bonzie Colson, who is putting up impressive numbers including several double-doubles. Both teams are also very good from downtown so you might see a shootout from long distance which will probably determine the game’s outcome.

Game Prediction: I expect this game to be a three-point battle that goes tit for tat. However, when Notre Dame misses, you’ll see Colson grabbing the rebounds for the easy bucket. Notre Dame may not make it all the way to the Elite Eight as they have in the previous two years, but they’ll certainly win this game.

Gonzaga Bulldogs vs South Dakota State Jackrabbits

When: March 16, 2017, 2:00 PM ET
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena
Spread: Gonzaga -22
Over/Under: 153

Analysis: There’s not much to say on which team will win this game. Gonzaga es the No. 1 seed in this competition with a 32-1 record along with the WCC title under their belts. Nigel Williams-Goss, Przemek Karnowski, Jordan Mathews, Zach Collins, and Jonathan Williams will quickly, and mercilessly, do away with the Jackrabbits.

Game Prediction: The question is, can the Bulldogs cover the spread? You already know they’ll win but even with such a strong offense they won’t be pressing the pedal to the metal and won’t cover.