"No. 16 Siena pushing No. 1 overall seed Duke to the brink should be a wake-up call to all those top seeds, and college basketball as a whole. We might be staring down a handful of games that oddsmakers and markets have determined to likely be blowouts, but just as the Saints (28.5-point underdogs at close) pushed the Blue Devils to the limit, there is a potential that any one of Friday's top seeds could be in trouble if they don't bring the right approach to the game."
The 2026 NCAA Tournament's second day of First Round action presents 16 games across four sites, with the field narrowing from 64 to 48 teams. Multiple heavy favorites including Arizona, Virginia, Iowa State, Alabama, Florida, UConn, and Purdue face opponents with double-digit point spreads. However, Thursday's First Round results, particularly No. 16 Siena's near-upset of No. 1 Duke, serve as a cautionary reminder that oddsmakers' projections are not guaranteed outcomes. The day begins with Kentucky versus Santa Clara in a closer matchup before transitioning to games with significant spreads. Expert analysts have identified six favorable plays across the slate, including confidence in an early-game underdog and offensive expectations from a top-seeded favorite.
Read at CBS Sports
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]