Mar 29, 2026
3 min read
Our experts give their take on Saturday's 2026 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchups
March Madness 2026 predictions: NCAA bracket expert picks, odds for Saturday's Elite Eight games
Our experts offer their opinions on Saturday's Elite Eight matchups in the 2026 NCAA Tournament
The road to the Final Four ends in the South and West regions when the 2026 NCAA Tournament reaches the Elite Eight.Champions from each region will lift the net and book trips to Indianapolis to compete for the national championship next weekend.Any combination of results from Saturday night's games will give coaches, players and programs incredible stories to cover.However, only two of the four teams playing will enjoy Elite Eight success.can
The first game of the night will be the South Regional Final in Houston, which is about big things between No. 3 Illinois and No. 9 Iowa.It is the third All-Big Ten Elite Eight game in history, but the first since 2000, and only the fifth Elite Eight game between conference opponents (who were members of the conference at the time) in the last decade.That knowledge isn't new for Iowa, which is coming off a win against Nebraska in the Sweet 16, although it's been a long time since the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini finished in early January, with a 75-69 Illinois victory.
Then, in the nightcap, No. 1 seed Arizona will face No. 2 seed Purdue after the Boilermakers advanced behind Trey Kaufman-Wren's heroics with a tip in the final seconds.The Wildcats defeated Arkansas in their 16-point tilt, scoring 109 points, with six players scoring more than 14 points while the team attempted just eight 3-pointers.Arizona is outscoring opponents by 23.8 points per game on its current 12-game winning streak and is seeking its first Final Four appearance since 2001.
Now let's go with our favorite way of picking both games, focusing on PLAY.If you prefer a more traditional straight back with a counter spread, we've included that too, thanks to CBS Sports Expert Picks.
(3) Illinois vs. (9) Iowa
18:09 TBS |Damart Madness Live
Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Illinois' defense was seen as a weakness and a potential obstacle to a Final Four run.On Sunday's selection, the Fighting Illini were one of only a handful of teams — along with Purdue and Vanderbilt == in the top 10 of Turvec's power ratings, despite having a defense outside the top 20.
Since then, Illinois has posted the ninth-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency in the nation, fueled by three game plans that include contested foul shots.The Illini's rim protection and willingness to run shooters from the 3-point line is a strong formula for slowing down Iowa's offense in what could be a physical contest.
We're looking at a low-scoring game, but the preferred angle made Iowa's offense more focused in the first half.The Hawkeyes have performed well early in this contest, but the introduction of Illinois' Bennett Strtz and the Iowa program could disrupt that rhythm and force coach Ben McCallum to make some halftime adjustments.Pick: Iowa 1H under 30.5 overall team
(1) Arizona vs. (2) Purdue
8:49 PM on TBS | March Madness Live
Tommy Lloyd didn't follow trends or change his style, showing the rest of college basketball that a team doesn't need to rely heavily on 3-point shooting to compete for a national championship.
Over its last 10 games, Arizona ranks second in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 360th in three-point percentage.Even without a ton of 3s, the Wildcats are averaging 86.8 points per game since the start of the Big 12 Tournament, a sign of a high-functioning offense.
Purdue hasn't been an elite defensive team this season, and there were some troubling signs in its win over Texas that can't be explained solely by the Longhorns' performance.The Boilermakers allowed both Dailey's Swain and Matas Vokietaitis to be effective around the rim -- a problem against an Arizona team with multiple players capable of causing problems in the paint.Pick: Arizona -6.5
