Michael Alexander

Rating: 2 Units

These teams have trended in different directions of late with Cleveland taking seven of their last nine games while the Nets have dropped four straight. Brooklyn made a pair of massive deals at the trade deadline, sending Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to Phoenix and Dallas, respectively. While Bridges, Johnson and Dinwiddie are good players, it takes time to incorporate new pieces into the rotation, which is made tougher when a player like Simmons is out of the mix. Brooklyn has had to try and rely on getting production from lesser pieces in an effort to remain competitive. That’s proved problematic as they entered Wednesday just half a game ahead of the Heat to avoid the play-in tournament. Cleveland is healthy and they just showed that they can handle the Nets in their own building. Take the Cavaliers here to sweep the two-game set.

Rating: 2 Units

This should be a gladiator-type showdown between two of the nation’s premier players in power forwards Drew Timme of the Zags and the Bruins’ Jaime Jaquez Jr, and both teams rank in the Top Four in Scoring Margin. Be aware that No. 3 seeds in the third round of this event are just 28-40 ATS since 1990, including 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS when facing a foe seeking revenge. The Bulldogs also sport the No. 219 team in the land in Defensive Field Goal Percentage, as opposed to UCLA’s No. 18 national rank in the same category. Therein lies your edge. Remember, since 1997 there have been four teams that entered the Sweet 16 round who lost the money in each of their first two rounds of the NCAA tourney and then met an avenging foe. They went 0-4 SUATS in those games.

Rating: 2 Units

CUSA programs are 0-4 SU in this round of the tournament, losing by an average margin of more than more than 10 PPG. Denting Tennessee’s stifling defense is priority one for the Owls if they hope to advance. The Volunteers rank 3rd in the nation in Defensive Field Goal Percentage (37.2) while allowing opponents to shoot just 26.4% from outside the arc, the lowest mark in college basketball. You can poke holes all you want at coach Barnes and his tawdry 20-31 ATS record in this tournament but he’s only the second coach in school history to make multiple Sweet 16s. In the end the pedigree wins out, as it almost always does at this stage. Lay the points.

Sweet 16 Play of the Day

Rating: 4 Units

This is familiar territory for the Razorbacks, reaching the Sweet 16 for the third straight season and taking aim at their third consecutive Elite 8 appearance. Getting here was not easy, though: CBS Sports reports that three Arkansas players fouled out in the Kansas game and two others finished with four fouls in the 72-71 upset. Then there’s a massive hangover awaits Arkansas, as teams in Sweet 16 games off an upset win over a No. 1 seed are just 4-7 SU and 3-7-1 ATS since 1996 when facing sub .790 opponents in this round. We think Connecticut is going to RULE the Razorbacks, going 24-6 SU and 21-9 ATS versus SEC foes of late (4-0 SUATS the last five seasons), including 6-1 SUATS against those coming off a SU underdog win. UConn is an outstanding 13-0 SU and 12-1 ATS record this season in non-Big East battles tells us Arky will get counted out here – a notion seconded by the fact that UConn is 16-1 SU and 13-3-1 ATS in this tournament against foes coming off an NCAA tourney upset win as an underdog, including 9-0 SUATS versus No. 6 or lower seeds.

Rating: 2 Units

Izzo enters on a 1-6 SUATS run of late against Big 12 opponents, as well as 0-3 SUATS in this tournament against No. 3 or higher seeds when coming off a SU underdog win when his troops sport a sub .666 win percentage. The only bad news for Kansas State? No. 3 seeds in the Sweet 16 round are just 3-14 ATS when taking on .714 or fewer opponents. While Izzo stands 16-12 SU in this event versus higher seeded opposition, he’s just 2-4 SUATS in those same games when his troops own a .676 or less win percentage and are facing No. 3 or greater seeds. The bottom line to us is we love higher seeded dogs like KSU, and higher seeded dogs in this round are 11-6 ATS since 1990, including 8-2 SUATS when taking 2 or fewer points.