2017 NCAA Tournament Free Picks – Saturday

Unfortunately, yesterday was a rough day for the picks. We went 0-2, losing just narrowly with Wichita and badly with Miami. If you got on the Shockers early enough, there’s a good chance you pushed with -5.5 or -6. Anyway, on to today’s games!
As always, all our odds will be quoted from BetOnline (Full Review) and are accurate at the time of posting. However, be sure to line shop for the best price before placing your bet.
March 2021 Safest Betting Sites
Gonzaga (1) versus Northwestern (8) -11
Northwestern is coming off a historic win on Thursday against Vanderbilt. The significance of win was that it was the Wildcats first NCAA tournament win in school history. That’s quite the high to come down from as they face a tougher foe in Gonzaga today.
The Zags had a much easier time, handling South Dakota State with relative ease on Thursday. They now come into this game as a -11 favorite. The odds have moved in their favor after opening at -10.
The Wildcats probably wouldn’t be playing today if Vandy hadn’t thrown away the game in the final minutes. Nevertheless, they’re a far worse team than Gonzaga and a team that may be happy that they won a game, rather than eagerly trying to move on to the next round.
Pick: Gonzaga -11
Purdue (4) versus Iowa State (5) pk
Both Purdue and Iowa State won without much drama on Thursday, with each squad pulling off double-digit victories. This game easily has the lowest spread of the day. Purdue opened as -1 favorite. Betting action has been split 50/50 so far, with most sites at pk and others with Purdue or Iowa State as at -1 or +1.
The Cyclones put their offense on full display on against Nevada. Their frenetic pace could produce matchup problems with Purdue, which relies on size, rather than speed. I don’t think they have the same success inside against Iowa State, nor will they be able to slow down the game into a slow-paced, halfcourt style.
Pick: Iowa State pk