Day 8 Ball Bets: Florida wins SEC showdown to punch Final Four ticket
Saturday saw both Oregon and Gonzaga punch its tickets to the Final Four, and two more teams will do the same Sunday afternoon.
One Elite Eight game is an expected matchup between No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Kentucky, while the other is an absolute stunner featuring No. 7 South Carolina and No. 4 Florida.
Here are the picks for Sunday's games:
Best bets
(7) South Carolina vs. (4) Florida -3
An unlikely SEC battle takes place at Madison Square Garden as the Gamecocks and Gators meet for the third time this season. South Carolina won a close game in Columbia by four while Florida got revenge with a 15-point home win later in the year. With both teams sporting top four defenses in the country, according to Ken Pomeroy's rankings, expect an ugly contest with a low number of total points. The Gamecocks are the feel good story, but Florida's superior talent will be enough to see the Gators head to the Final Four for the first time since 2014. Florida 62, South Carolina 55
(2) Kentucky vs. (1) North Carolina -2.5
Sunday's game between Kentucky and North Carolina is arguably the best matchup of the NCAA tournament bracket. The two teams met in December in one of the most thrilling games of the season, with Malik Monk exploding for 47 points in a 103-100 win. How the Tar Heels handle Monk and fellow star freshman De'Aaron Fox will likely decide the game, as the two combined for 71 points in that contest. The key to the game could be the versatile Theo Pinson, who missed the first contest due to injury. Kentucky comes in hot, but the veteran experience of North Carolina will see the Tar Heels back to the Final Four. North Carolina 84, Kentucky 80
Season Record
Best bets: 36-21-1
Home dog: 3-9
Full-day parlay: 6-8
Twitter picks: 7-2
Overall spread record: 73-44-2
(Lines courtesy: Covers)