2025 NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions: Round 2 (Saturday)

Image of author by |

Two small upsets in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday set up two intriguing Round of 32 matchups in Providence and Wichita.

There is arguably no more enticing matchup this weekend than that between Arkansas and St. John’s, as the theater of watching John Calipari and Rick Pitino coach against each other on the sidelines should be just as intriguing as the play on the court.

Here are our two best bets for the West Region Round of 32 games on Saturday.

2025 NCAA Tournament March Madness Bracket Strategy & Betting Picks>>

NBA DraftKings 2025

Best Saturday College Basketball Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 2 St. John’s (-6.5) | O/U 143.5 (-115/-105) 

St. John’s overcame a sluggish start on Thursday, trailing Omaha by six with eight minutes left in the first half, to steamroll and eventually win by 30 points.

Arkansas got back Boogie Fland last game, but his six points in 24 minutes suggest he has a long way to go before being declared fully healthy. The Razorbacks should not expect to shoot 54.3% in the first half like they did against Kansas when facing arguably the best defensive team in the country. John Calipari’s inability to solve Kansas’ zone on Thursday also suggests Rick Pitino will be able to outclass Calipari from a coaching standpoint.

Perhaps the best way to attack this game is wagering on the Red Storm’s second-half odds. St. John’s continues to be a team that few can keep up with in the second half, as it out-scored opponents by an average of nine points after halftime all season. However, I will still back the Red Storm on the full-game line of -6.5, especially since the Razorbacks had trouble with the Jayhawks’ pressure late on Thursday.

Pick: St. John’s -6.5 (-118)

No. 11 Drake vs. No. 3 Texas Tech (-7.5) | O/U 126.5 (-115/-105) 

I cannot confidently back Texas Tech in the second round without knowing the details surrounding Chance McMillian, as the guard missed the team’s first tournament game with an upper-body injury.

McMillian is one of three Red Raiders who average at least 14.2 points per game, and it is unsustainable for Texas Tech to continue to rely on getting 27 points and eight 3-pointers from Kerwin Walton, especially when the competition gets tougher.

Either way, Texas Tech should prove to be a much more difficult matchup for Drake than Missouri was, especially since the Red Raiders are a much better defensive team (Missouri was 70th in adjusted defensive efficiency). 

Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum did a masterful job of controlling the tempo in the first round, as the game was on pace for fewer than 60 possessions at halftime. That should not bother Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland one bit, as his North Texas team won the NIT in 2023 playing at one of the slowest tempos among all D-I teams.

The Over has cashed in five of Texas Tech’s six games at a neutral site this season, but the Under has cashed in all four of Drake’s tournament settings this year (conference and NCAA Tournament).

The Bulldogs have had a top-40 defense since early January and just forced Missouri into 26 turnovers, and I believe in their ability to drag this game in the mud.

Pick: Under 126.5 Total Points (-105)

Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.