(5) Arizona Wildcats vs (1) Duke Blue Devils
Thursday, March 24, 9:45 p.m. ET
Sportsbook favorite: Duke -8.5
Duke is over the big scare it got from Michigan in the round of 32 – we think. We'll find out when the Blue Devils face a team many sports betting sharps pegged as a popular sleeper entering the tournament: Arizona.
The Wildcats haven't been perfect but they've been resilient and exciting. They opened with a comeback thriller over Memphis and ground out a win against Texas after that with a little help from the referees. Predictably, Derrick Williams has been the man. He's had decent if inconsistent support from various Arizona role players so far.
As long as Duke is over its heebie-jeebies, it has to feel confident entering this matchup. Not only are Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler playing great as always, Kyrie Irving is rounding into form as he works his way back from a toe injury. If beating Arizona won't be a challenge for No.1 seed Duke, covering the 8.5-point spread could be.
(8) Butler Bulldogs vs (4) Wisconsin Badgers
Thursday, March 24, 9:57 p.m. ET
Sportsbook favorite: Wisconsin -4.5
Butler is emerging as a popular Cinderella team this year. Thought it's debatable whether any team with a recent national title game berth can qualify as a Cinderella.
Either way, Butler's win over Pittsburgh to reach the Sweet 16 would've made Chris Webber proud. After Shelvin Mack's bonehead foul appeared to seal the win for Pittsburgh. Nasir Robinson returned the favor on the final shot to hand Butler the win.
The Bulldogs can't rely on strokes of luck like that forever, so they'll need to play better and cut down on their fouls against Wisconsin. The fourth-seeded Badgers were expected to flop among many college basketball pundits but have done just the opposite, knocking off two very popular sleeper teams: Belmont and Kansas State.
Wisconsin's smothering defense, which ranks fourth in the country, will put Mack and the Bulldogs to the test. The Badgers are also the country's top free-throw shooting team and 33rd in three-point percentage. They're an outstanding 21 for 42 (50 per cent) from beyond the arc over their first two games of the NCAA Tournament. Jordan Taylor in particular has been an assassin, nailing seven of those 21 treys.
