2017 March Madness Picks & Predictions: Round of 32 Upset Specials for Saturday

2017 March Madness Picks & Predictions: Round of 32 Upset Specials for Saturday: The first day of the 2017 NCAA Tournament is in the books, and while there weren’t any monumental upsets on Thursday, there were a few double-digit seeds who advanced on to the Round of 32.

It’s hard to top the opening two days of the tournament in terms of excitement, but if we are talking upsets, the Cinderella teams could really start to show up Saturday. After all, the Round of 32 is where the No. 1 seeds can start to fall, so needless to say, no one is safe going forward.

With that in mind, I’ve highlighted a couple of potential upsets to target if you want to hit it big betting on Saturday’s NCAA Tournament slate.

2017 March Madness Picks & Predictions: Round of 32 Upset Specials for Saturday

No. 11 Xavier over No. 3 Florida State

The Musketeers were one of the teams I expected to spring an upset in the Round of 64, and they did just that by handling Maryland. Florida State got all it could handle from Florida Gulf Coast, but while the Seminoles ultimately survived to set up this matchup, I don’t know if they will be as lucky against Xavier. Yes, Florida State has an edge in size and athleticism, but the Musketeers have been battling adversity all year and have found a way to be competitive despite a rash of injuries. More importantly, they have an X-factor in Trevon Bluiett. He dropped 21 in the win against the Terrapins, and he has been carrying the offensive load for Xavier down the stretch after recovering from an ankle injury. The Musketeers are one of those scrappy teams that just don’t go away, and Bluiett is capable of catching fire and putting them over the top.

No. 8 Wisconsin over No. 1 Villanova

The Wildcats are no doubt the better team in this matchup, but I give the Badgers a puncher’s chance. For one, this program is no stranger to deep runs in the tournament, and what team isn’t going to be motivated to try to take out the defending champs? Wisconsin has been a solid defensive team all year, and the Badgers actually boast a top 10 scoring defense. The issue has been scoring points, but after struggling all year with their 3-point shooting, the Badgers knocked down 13 in their Round of 64 win over Virginia Tech, including nine from Bronson Koenig. The Wisconsin team we saw most of the season can’t hang with Villanova, but if Koenig and the Badgers stay hot from beyond the arc, it really changes the complexion of this matchup. The Wildcats can’t take this matchup lightly, especially after the Badgers offense awoke against the Hokies.

No. 12 Middle Tennessee State over No. 4 Butler

The Blue Raiders are at it again. After pulling off the stunning upset of No. 2 seed Michigan State in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the took care of business against No. 5 seed Minnesota this time around. Now, Middle Tennessee is eyeing the Sweet 16, and the Butler Bulldogs might be the next victim of an upset. Keep in mind that this Blue Raiders team had 30 wins and a top 25 scoring defense heading into the tournament. They also have an athletic, go-to scorer in JaCorey Williams and a sharpshooter in Giddy Potts. Granted, the Bulldogs are a solid team, but they did end the regular season with back-to-back ugly losses before getting by Winthrop in the Round of 64. Neither one of these teams relies heavily on the 3-pointer, and the Blue Raiders won’t be afraid to grind things out with Butler in the half court. The Bulldogs haven’t been the type of team to blow opponents off the court often, and the Blue Raiders have the confidence and the firepower to hang tough and pull off an upset.

You can get expert 2017 March Madness picks and 2017 March Madness predictions this month from NSAwins.com’s top handicappers plus a pre-filled downloadable and printable 2017 March Madness Bracket to help you win your office pool!