The madness of March is, we hate to see, is officially coming to an end in the next few days. After 64 NCAA Tournament games across just a few weeks of action, the Final Four is set to get underway Saturday on what will be the first day of April. There are two evening games with two winners going to the title game and the two losers headed home.
We've been with you every step of the way crunching the numbers and casting our picks for every single game -- both straight up and against the spread -- so as we put a bow on this year's tournament, I've assembled the team for one more weekend of picks. Our expert brackets may offer some help on this front as well.
While surviving and advancing is clearly what matters for most, we care about whether these teams will cover the spreads, and we've tracked the season since November to be able to offer our own thoughts on every game.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament for full March Madness coverage as the Final Four wraps up and we crown a national champion.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
Final Four predictions, picks
(4) UConn vs. (5) Miami
Saturday, 8:49 p.m. | CBS, March Madness Live: UConn is on a dominant run with four wins of 15 or more points en route to its Final Four appearance. Miami, meanwhile, has covered in every game during the NCAA Tournament and has been at its best as an underdog; it is 9-2 on the season ATS. So something has to give, and I think the 'Canes side folds. The Huskies are playing in a different stratosphere than everyone else in the field right now and have the inside-out balance to win in a similar fashion as they have done all postseason. Pick: UConn -5.5
| Parrish | Norlander | Palm | Boone | Cobb | Patterson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spread | UM +5.5 | UM +5.5 | UCONN -5.5 | UCONN -5.5 | UM +5.5 | UCONN -5.5 |
Straight up | UCONN | UCONN | UCONN | UCONN | UCONN | UCONN |
(5) San Diego State vs. (9) FAU
Saturday, 6:09 p.m. | CBS, March Madness Live: I'm laying the points with the favorites in both games so that first means, like half of our staff, that I'm taking the Aztecs to win and cover the 2-point spread. SDSU matches up very well with FAU with a top-two 3-point defense pitted against an FAU team that shoots 3-pointers at a high volume and makes them at an impressive clip. No team has shot it well on SDSU from 3-point range, and I'm taking the stab here that FAU -- to its demise -- won't be the first. Pick: SDSU -2
| Parrish | Norlander | Palm | Boone | Cobb | Patterson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spread | FAU +2 | FAU +2 | SDSU -2 | SDSU -2 | FAU +2 | SDSU -2 |
Straight up | FAU | FAU | SDSU | SDSU | FAU | SDSU |
