Best March Madness Upset Predictions Today: Which Underdogs Should You Bet Saturday?
It's been about as sane of a start to March Madness as there's been in recent memory, with every single No. 1 to No. 4 seed advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in the last 17 years.
While upsets may have been lacking in the first round (my top upset picks are still 5-3), there's bound to be plenty in the second round with so much parity in the tournament. That's why my best March Madness upset picks today focus on three top four seeds going down.
👉 Want more March Madness action? Check out the rest of our March Madness second-round expert picks as part of our March Madness predictions.
💰 Ranking today's March Madness underdogs by best moneyline odds
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| Team (seed) | Opponent (seed) | Best ML odds |
|---|---|---|
| McNeese (12) | vs. Purdue (4) | +220 via FanDuel |
| Drake (11) | vs. Texas Tech (3) | +260 via FanDuel |
| Creighton (9) | vs. Auburn (1) | +360 via FanDuel |
| Michigan (5) | vs. Texas A&M (4) | +134 via FanDuel |
| BYU (6) | vs. Wisconsin (3) | -102 via FanDuel |
| UCLA (7) | vs. Tennessee (2) | +194 via FanDuel |
| Gonzaga (8) | vs. Houston (1) | +198 via FanDuel |
| Arkansas (10) | vs. St. John's (2) | +280 via FanDuel |
👉 Want to cash your upset picks? Check out the most common March Madness upsets by seed and our guide on how to predict March Madness upsets.
🎯 Our best March Madness upset picks & predictions today
Many of the matchups today involve teams that are close enough in skill that upsets are fathomable across the board. But three of the games that involve longer shots pulling off wins that look the most interesting on paper. Two of the teams I think hold the best chance of going down today are even among the top eight March Madness odds favorites.
🚨 No. 12 McNeese over No. 4 Purdue
📅 Tipoff: 12:10 PM ET
📊 Best moneyline odds: +220 via FanDuel
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In my March Madness bracket reaction, I had McNeese beating Clemson in the first round and then taking down Purdue to reach the Sweet 16. While the news that Will Wade is on his way out the door to take the NC State job put some doubt in my mind heading into the first round, it didn't stop the Cowboys from winning their first-ever NCAA Tournament game.
With Southland Player of the Year Javohn Garcia leading the way along with several talented guards, McNeese is going to be a handful for Purdue. While the Boilermakers boast Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith, they didn't look great for three quarters of their win over High Point.
With a defense that's just 58th in adjusted efficiency, according to KenPom, Purdue could struggle with Wade's guard-heavy lineup that's methodical on offense and swarms opponents on defense. Double-digit seeds have upset Purdue three times in Matt Painter's last four tournaments.
🚨 No. 11 Drake over No. 3 Texas Tech
📅 Tipoff: 6:10 PM ET
📊 Best moneyline odds: +260 via FanDuel
Not to toot my own horn, but the second the bracket was released, Drake looked like the best upset bet of the first round against a Missouri team that treats defense like it's optional. The Bulldogs' Northwest Missouri State transplant approach has been gangbusters with head coach Ben McCollum and guard Bennett Stirtz announcing themselves to the nation in the win over the Tigers.
But can the former Division II version of Mike Krzyzewski and his lineup of D-II transfers take down Texas Tech? I think it's possible if Stirtz plays like he did against the Tigers. The Missouri Valley Player of the Year played all 40 minutes in the win and shot 72.7% from the floor. He's going to be a tough one to stop for a Red Raiders defense that's outside of the top 35 in D-rate, per EvanMiya.
I think Drake's deliberate offense (it's the slowest in the country) that lives by making the extra pass is going to shock a Tech team that struggled with UNC Wilmington. The offensive back-and-forth between Stirtz and All-American JT Toppin should be one of the best battles of the tournament.
🚨 No. 9 Creighton over No. 1 Auburn
📅 Tipoff: 7:10 PM ET
📊 Best moneyline odds: +360 via FanDuel
Fellow No. 1 seeds Duke, Florida, and Houston immediately made it known that they were going to stomp the No. 16 seeds they played in the first round. That wasn't the case when Auburn played Alabama State in the first round, even though the Tigers ended up notching a 20-point win.
The No. 1 overall seed in March Madness hasn't looked its best in weeks after dropping its final two regular-season games to Alabama and Texas A&M before falling to Tennessee in the SEC tournament. While Creighton is just a No. 9 seed this year, it boasts one of the best players in the tournament in big man Ryan Kalkbrenner and a top-notch guard in Steven Ashworth.
Kalkbrenner, a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, should give Wooden Award odds contender Johni Broome all he can handle in the paint on both ends. Head coach Greg McDermott has taken the Bluejays to at least the Sweet 16 in three of the last four years. Creighton winning is a longer shot, but it's possible.
👉 Can't get enough upsets? Check out our detailed history of the biggest March Madness upsets of all time.
🚀 Best March Madness upset moneyline parlay today
If you combine all three of my favorite upset picks today into a moneyline parlay, you can turn a winning $10 bet into a $443.20 profit at FanDuel. Be sure to use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any parlay during the NCAA Tournament:
🚨 No. 12 McNeese (+210) over No. 4 Purdue
🚨 No. 11 Drake (+240) over No. 3 Texas Tech
🚨 No. 9 Creighton (+330) over No. 1 Auburn
📊 Best parlay odds: +4432 via FanDuel ($10 to win $443.20)
🏀 Best March Madness odds, predictions & expert picks today
Here are our best March Madness picks for Saturday's second-round action:
- March Madness odds & schedule today
- March Madness survivor pool picks today
- March Madness predictions today
- Best March Madness player props today
- March Madness upset picks today
🔮 March Madness predictions for every game today
- Purdue vs. McNeese prediction
- St. John's vs. Arkansas prediction
- Texas A&M vs. Michigan prediction
- Texas Tech vs. Drake prediction
- Auburn vs. Creighton prediction
- Wisconsin vs. BYU prediction
- Houston vs. Gonzaga prediction
- Tennessee vs. UCLA prediction
💰 March Madness betting odds pages
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