Clay Travis Picks All 8 NCAA Tournament Games On Saturday, And Of Course Tennessee Over Texas Is A Slam Dunk

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We are having a mediocre opening first two days for the NCAA Tourney picks. And now comes some of the most challenging games of the entire tournament: the quick turnaround second-round games.

We've got eight games Saturday and eight games Sunday, and Sweet 16 berths on the line.

And I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't terrified about Tennessee's game against Texas. This is where so many of my favorite team's NCAA tournament runs have gone to die. Losing in the Sweet 16 is very disappointing -- and Tennessee always loses here, don't get me wrong -- but at least you have another week to fantasize about a national title run when your team makes the Sweet 16. The brutal finality of a second-round loss is haunting.

It's not so much shocking, like a first-round unexpected loss might be, as simply devastating.

You barely get a chance to even enjoy the first win when you lose on the weekend.

So with that trepidation in mind, here are my 8 picks for Saturday:

Arizona vs. Dayton +9.5

I know Dayton's win came out of nowhere on Thursday, but has Arizona really played so well down the stretch that a nearly double digit line is justified on Saturday?

I don't think so.

Toss in that Arizona, for some reason, has the earliest start time and it just feels like a recipe for a slow start.

Give me the Flyers to cover.

Gonzaga -3.5 vs. Kansas

I just think the Zags are playing better basketball right now than Kansas.

Yes, the Jayhawks managed to survive against Bucky Ball -- thanks to a errant foul called on a block, mind you -- but Gonzaga dominated on Thursday and I think rolls into the Sweet 16 where they'll have a good chance to win there too.

No one expected much, for the first time in a while, of Gonzaga and I think they relish the underdog tourney roll. The Zags win and cover.

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Michigan State vs. UNC, the under 140.5

Tom Izzo may be the best NCAA tournament coach in the country, the guy just gets his team ready to play.

This line has dipped down to UNC -3.5, which has me a bit nervous, but I think the defenses come to play in this one and Izzo's team strangles the life out of the game. You've got two top ten defenses per Ken Pomeroy’s numbers and that puts points at a premium.

The under's the play.

Washington State +6.5 vs. Iowa State

Give me the Cougars to refuse to go quietly into the Pac 12's good night.

Two solid defenses will keep the score low and I like the Cougars to stay inside of five the whole way, with a chance to potentially steal it late.

Oakland vs. N.C. State -5.5

The Wolfpack are on a roll with six straight postseason wins.

Make it seven against the Golden Grizzlies, who will still be celebrating their huge upset win over Kentucky.

I like N.C. State to post a double-digit win and bring Oakland back to the real world.

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Texas vs. Tennessee -6.5

I know, I know, it's Rick Barnes in March. What could possibly go wrong taking the Vols as a favorite here?

But this is the year for Tennessee and this feels like the perfect way for Barnes to exorcise his demons -- by beating the school that fired him for not winning enough in March. How much more perfect could the opportunity be?

I feel it in my bones.

The Vols win by double digits to set up the first Final Four run in program history.

Duquesne vs. Illinois -9.5

The Fighting Illini roll into the Sweet 16 as Duquesne's magical run comes to a close.

Illinois is a top 10 team in Ken Pomeroy stats; meanwhile, Duquesne is ranked 80.

This should be a colossal mismatch. 

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Oregon +5.5 vs. Creighton

The Ducks got hot at the right time and I think their magic extends for at least one more game.

It's a single basket contest in the final two minutes and Oregon has a chance to steal it late.

• • •

There you have it, boys and girls, eight Saturday winners for all of you.

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Clay Travis is the founder of the fastest growing national multimedia platform, OutKick, that produces and distributes engaging content across sports and pop culture to millions of fans across the country. OutKick was created by Travis in 2011 and sold to the Fox Corporation in 2021. One of the most electrifying and outspoken personalities in the industry, Travis hosts OutKick The Show where he provides his unfiltered opinion on the most compelling headlines throughout sports, culture, and politics. He also makes regular appearances on FOX News Media as a contributor providing analysis on a variety of subjects ranging from sports news to the cultural landscape. Throughout the college football season, Travis is on Big Noon Kickoff for Fox Sports breaking down the game and the latest storylines. Additionally, Travis serves as a co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, a three-hour conservative radio talk program syndicated across Premiere Networks radio stations nationwide. Previously, he launched OutKick The Coverage on Fox Sports Radio that included interviews and listener interactions and was on Fox Sports Bet for four years. Additionally, Travis started an iHeartRadio Original Podcast called Wins & Losses that featured in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports. Travis is a graduate of George Washington University as well as Vanderbilt Law School. Based in Nashville, he is the author of Dixieland Delight, On Rocky Top, and Republicans Buy Sneakers Too.