Saturday has us officially down to eight teams in the NCAA Tournament, and two trips to the Final Four are on the line in Iowa vs. Illinois and Purdue vs. Arizona.
With that in mind, our staff has three picks for your betting card on Saturday.
So, here's our Elite 8 predictions, including NCAA Tournament predictions for Saturday, March 28.
Elite 8 Predictions
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:09 p.m. | |
  | 8:49 p.m. | |
| 8:49 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Iowa vs. Illinois
Iowa and Illinois square off in a showdown of Big Ten teams with a trip to the Final 4 on the line.
Illinois enters with the nation’s top-ranked offense (125.7 rating), while Iowa isn’t far behind at 118.6 (31st nationally). Both teams are extremely efficient, meaning they make the most of nearly every possession.
The tempo should only add to the scoring. Illinois plays at a top-150 pace (71.5 possessions per game), which typically speeds opponents up—pulling Iowa into a faster, more up-and-down style than they might prefer.
We’ve also seen this matchup produce points before. When these teams met in January, they combined for 144 points in a 75–69 game, clearing this total with room to spare.
Late-game fouling could be the final boost. Both teams shoot well from the free-throw line—Illinois at 77.8% and Iowa at 76.7%—which is key for adding easy points in the closing minutes of a tight tournament game.
Pick: Over 136.5
Purdue vs. Arizona
No. 1 seed Arizona just dropped 109 points on Illinois in the Sweet 16. Meanwhile, Purdue is on a heater, winning seven games in a row, including a Big Ten Tournament title a couple of weeks ago.
The Boilermakers are playing like their preseason No. 1 AP Poll ranking, and according to our Action PRO projections, that performance will continue in this Elite 8 duel.
As you can see, our projections make this spread Purdue +4.8, which gives us a nice +4.7% edge on this pick.
Back the Boilermakers and expect Braden Smith, Matt Painter and Co. to keep it close with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Pick: Purdue +6.5
Purdue vs. Arizona
By Jordan Mann
Purdue's offense has a massive test in front of it with the size and physicality of this Arizona team.
Staying out of foul trouble is vital for the Boilermakers to stay in this game and put points on the board.
Braden Smith has struggled to shoot the 3-ball well recently, hitting 23% from deep in his last seven games, but his ability to create high-quality looks for others will continue to be there.
Both Smith and Jaden Bradley like to get to their pull-up mid-range game, and both shots should be available with both defenses playing drop coverage at times.
For Arizona, it doesn't matter who has the hot hand; it's so well-balanced in scoring, and it's coming off a game in which it scored 109 points on five made 3s.
I expect Koa Peat to be a matchup problem with his athleticism as the roll man in the pick-and-roll.
Pick: Over 153.5
