Howie Hoops makes his best bets for Thursday’s men’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 college basketball games.
Head coach Matt Painter of the Purdue Boilermakers stands on the court during the Sweet Sixteen Practice Day at SAP Center on March 25, 2026 in San Jose, California.New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links.
Featured pricing is subject to change.It is easy to point out all of Purdue’s failures in March under Matt Painter, but the Boilermakers have been an ATM in the past three, going 9-0 against the spread, and improving Painter’s win percentage to over 66 percent against the number in tournament games. Since its Big Ten Tournament run, Purdue has resembled the team ranked No. 1 in the preseason, operating the nation’s most efficient offense and winning its past six games by an average of more than 13 points. Braden Smith should have little trouble setting up his team — ranked in the top 10 in 3-point shooting — against a perimeter defense ranked 253rd in the nation.Round of 32 March Madness 2026 odds, picks: Four best bets for Sunday’s slateThe Cornhuskers have better depth and defense, but the Hawkeyes will be able to play at their preferred tempo, with the best player on the floor in future NBA point guard Bennett Stirtz. Despite his recent shooting slump, Stirtz helped Iowa knock off defending champion Florida, while committing no turnovers.Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Arkansas Razorbacks looks on against the High Point Panthers during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.The man who took UMass to the Final Four, Memphis within seconds of a national title and Kentucky all the way has a sleeper contender in the Hogs, thanks to Darius Acuff Jr., who scored 36 points in his last outing and might be morphing into Kemba Walker after winning the SEC Tournament. John Calipari is 7-0-1 against the spread in his past eight tournament games as an underdog, while Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd is 0-3 all time in the Sweet 16, losing twice outright as a favorite.It will come down to how well the Illini — the nation’s second-most efficient offense, which scores more than half of its points on 3s — shoot from outside. Illinois should get plenty of opportunities from deep, owning a top 10 turnover rate and the nation’s third-best offensive rebounding unit against a Houston team that shows weakness on the glass. Kelvin Sampson is just 4-8 against the spread after the first weekend of the tournament, having lost in the Sweet 16 in two of the past three years despite being a higher seed. Howie Kussoy has long been the New York Post’s main handicapper in college basketball and college football .Yankee takes historic crack at ABS pitch challenge system — here's how it wentAaron Judge's Yankees opener only got worse after facing boos from hometown Giants fansStream It Or Skip It: 'Bait' On Prime Video, Where Riz Ahmed Is A Struggling Actor Who Helps Start A Rumor About Him Being The Next James Bond
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