No. 7 seed Nevada takes on 11th-seeded Loyola-Chicago in the 2018 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Thursday at 7:07 p.m. ET. Nevada is favored by 1.5 points, down one from the opening line. The over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 143.5, unchanged from the open. A trip to the 2018 Elite Eight is on the line.

Before picking a side in this matchup that very few saw coming, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying. The advanced computer model enters the Sweet 16 on an astonishing 15-3 run on its NCAA Tournament picks.

It also picked Loyola and Nevada in the second round both against the spread and on the money line. Anybody who followed those selections cashed in huge.

Now the computer has simulated Nevada vs. Loyola 10,000 times and came up with some surprising results.

We can tell you it is calling for 139 total points to be scored, clearing the under with 4.5 points to spare. It also has an extremely strong pick for one side of the spread, saying you can count on it almost 60 percent of the time. You can get that pick only over at SportsLine.

The model knows that Loyola is one of the top teams in the nation against the spread, going 22-9 on the year ATS overall and 15-4 in games played either on the road or on a neutral court.

The Ramblers (30-5) are also one of the hottest teams in the entire 2018 NCAA Tournament. They come into Thursday supremely confident after knocking off a pair of top-six seeds from power conferences in Miami (64-62) and Tennessee (63-62).

They have a chance to neutralize Nevada with a stingy defense that gives up just 62.2 points per game. The Ramblers held both the Hurricanes and Vols to exactly 62 points, and another similar effort could send Loyola to its first Elite Eight appearance since 1963.

Loyola has not allowed more than 70 points in a game since Valentine's Day against Valparaiso.

But the Wolf Pack (29-7) will challenge the Ramblers in a huge way in the Sweet 16 with their explosive offense.

Nevada is averaging 83 points, good for 16th nationally. Twin brothers Caleb and Cody Martin have been the catalysts for the Wolf Pack this season, averaging 18.3 and 13.9 points. Caleb Martin had a double-double against Texas in the opening round.

And though the Wolf Pack came into the tournament with losses in two of three games, they've been clutch, knocking off No. 10 seed Texas in overtime and then rallying from 22 points down to stun No. 2 seed Cincinnati.

So what side should you take? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread hits almost 60 percent of the time, all from the computer model that nailed picks for both teams in the second round and enters the 2018 Sweet 16 on a 15-3 run on its NCAA Tournament picks.