Sportsbooks were destroyed by the betting public in the Sweet 16, especially in moneyline parlays, where favorites were popular picks. The eight favorites in the Sweet 16 went a combined 8-0 SU (and 4-4 ATS), leaving three Elite Eight matchups between No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, and a fourth between a No. 1 and a No. 3.
Depending on your NCAA tournament survivor pool’s rules, you may be asked to make just one pick for the entire Elite Eight or one selection each day the Elite Eight is played (Saturday and Sunday).
With three picks remaining, now is a crucial time to focus on surviving and advancing and leaving yourself with enough teams to pick in the Final Four and beyond.
As we have done since the Sweet 16, we rank all games in order of most confidence to least confidence and provide a short narrative for each.
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2025 March Madness Survivor Pool Advice: Elite Eight (Sunday)
Here is a list of odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook) for all the favorites to win their Elite Eight matchups on Sunday:
Best Elite Eight Survivor Picks (Ranked in Order)
(odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Auburn (-225)
Auburn is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, but faces a Michigan State team that earned its last Final Four berth by beating a No. 1 overall seed (Duke in 2019).
This may not be Tom Izzo’s most talented Michigan State team, but it may be his best “team” overall, as seven players average at least seven points, and six average at least 3.3 rebounds. But Auburn is arguably still the most talented team left in this tournament, and we got a sense of the extra gear the Tigers can kick it into in the Sweet 16, going on a 37-14 run over a 12-minute span in the second half in their win against Michigan.
Auburn could actually be an underdog in its Final Four matchup if it plays Florida, who it lost to at home 90-81 in their only regular season meeting. So not only is Auburn the better bet to win outright on Sunday, it is also arguably on the most shaky ground going forward if it reaches the Final Four.
Houston (-162)
KenPom only has Houston beating Tennessee by two points. And in a game that has a projected total of 123.5, points will be at a premium, and a few plays here and there could have a drastic effect on who wins.
Tennessee will no doubt be motivated to clinch its first Final Four berth in school history, which could play into an advantage for Houston if nerves set in. With this game being played in a football stadium at Lucas Oil Stadium in Atlanta, the game could be won by whichever team gets easier baskets inside instead of who settles more for perimeter jump shots.
Of all the four No. 1 seeds in the Elite Eight, I was least confident in Houston winning outright, so it should be saved for later use if needed.
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.
