The 2026 NCAA Tournament is off and running! The March Madness bracket is into the second round, and Sunday brings along another full day of college hoops. Let’s dive into our College Basketball Round of 32 Best Bets Today for Sunday, March 22nd. There are plenty more ways to go for our college basketball predictions as we finalize the Sweet 16 field. Note that all odds and betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but are always subject to change. Good luck!

College Basketball Round of 32 Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 3/22

Our NCAA Tournament college basketball Round of 32 best bets today begin with No. 1 seed Florida taking on No. 9 seed Iowa in the South region. Can the Hawkeyes pull off an upset over the defending national champs? Plus, our college basketball picks feature St. John’s vs. Kansas in a matchup of Hall of Fame coaches with a Sweet 16 berth on the line. Check out even more college basketball predictions below for other top games on Sunday. Enjoy March Madness with our college basketball Round of 32 best bets today. 

Iowa vs. Florida Prediction: Sunday, 3/22

Three of the four Sweet 16 spots in the South region are already locked in. The final matchup in that part of the bracket is set for Sunday as No. 9 seed Iowa faces No. 1 seed Florida. The Gators opened the tournament in dominant fashion, cruising past Prairie View A&M in a 114-55 blowout. Meanwhile, Iowa advanced with a solid 67-61 win over Clemson. 

Florida is a 10.5-point favorite and should get the victory, but we’re staying away from the spread. Instead, let’s target the total and count on a lower-scoring game than the over/under suggests. 

This matchup presents a stark contrast in tempo. Florida prefers to play fast, ranking 29th nationally in pace and thriving in transition opportunities. Iowa, on the other hand, plays at one of the slowest tempos in the country (361st). The Hawkeyes lean on a deliberate, half-court approach on offense. 

The key question will be which team can impose its style, in terms of the tempo. Florida is most comfortable in up-and-down, high-scoring games. Yet, Iowa has proven it can slow opponents down and force a more controlled pace on both ends of the floor. If the Hawkeyes want any chance at the upset, they’ll have to turn this into a low-scoring and defensive-minded game. 

Offensively, Iowa could face serious challenges against Florida’s elite defense, which ranks 6th nationally in efficiency. The Gators excel at protecting the paint, backed by the 5th-best two-point defense and 7th-best defensive rebounding rate in the country. Their size and depth inside can create problems for an Iowa team that relies heavily on scoring inside. 

Meanwhile, Iowa does a good job forcing turnovers on the defensive end. The Hawkeyes rank 15th nationally in defensive turnover rate, which could disrupt Florida’s rhythm at times. The Gators won’t get as many fast-break points, and their possessions will be limited due to how slow Iowa plays on offense. 

Again, Florida should win this game as the better and more complete team. However, Iowa has shown it can frustrate elite offenses and slow them down. That points us to the under, especially since the Hawkeyes will struggle to score consistently. 

  • PICK: Under 145.5 Total Points (-110 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
 

St. John’s vs. Kansas Prediction: Sunday, 3/22

This might be the most anticipated game on Sunday’s slate. St. John’s and Kansas meet up with a Sweet 16 berth and a meeting with Duke on the line. It’s Rick Pitino vs. Bill Self. It’s a pair of top-10 defenses. It’s Darryn Peterson on one side and Zuby Ejiofor on the other. Which team should we back? 

St. John’s enters in much better form than Kansas lately. The Johnnies handled Northern Iowa in the first round with a 79-53 victory. Some thought Pitino and Co. could be on upset watch, but the win was never in doubt. St. John’s is now 20-1 in its last 21 games with 4 straight double-digit wins. 

On the other hand, Kansas has looked shaky over the past month. The Jayhawks are just 5-5 over their last 10 games with each of those losses being double-digit margins. They took care of Cal Baptist in the first round, but it was just an 8-point win that featured a near-collapse in the final 10 minutes. 

We know both teams will bring it on defense. Kansas and St. John’s rank 9th and 10th in the country in defensive efficiency, respectively, at KenPom. We could see some scoreless stretches on both ends of the floor as the defenses set the tone. So, it comes down to which offense we trust more. 

Kansas having the potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick in Darryn Peterson certainly helps, but St. John’s owns a few key edges offensively. More specifically, the Johnnies’ ability to avoid turnovers and grab offensive boards will be key in this game. 

St. John’s is 29th nationally in offensive rebounding rate, with Zuby Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell manning the paint. Meanwhile, Kansas was 11th in the Big 12 and 165th in the country in defensive rebounding. That can create enough second-chance point opportunities for the Red Storm. Conversely, KU is 225th nationally in offensive rebounding rate and could struggle to score inside. 

Kansas also has major issues forcing turnovers. The defense is elite overall, but the Jayhawks rank an ugly 340th in the country in defensive turnover rate. That’s a problem against St. John’s, which had the lowest offensive turnover rate in the Big East and ranked 50th in the country in that area. 

On the other end, St. John’s has the defensive stoppers to match up with Peterson. The Johnnies boast length at every position while defending both the perimeter and paint well. The Jayhawks’ supporting cast will need to step up in this matchup, but that hasn’t consistently happened in over a month. 

Let’s take St. John’s to cover the spread en route to the win. They not only hold some key statistical edges, but the Johnnies pass the eye test better than Kansas right now. The Jayhawks seemed a bit dysfunctional in the final stretch of the regular season, and they aren’t playing anywhere close to the level we saw in January/early February. 

  • PICK: St. John’s -2.5 (-125 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
 

Best College Basketball Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 3/22

  • Kentucky +5.5 (-118 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
  • Arizona -10.5 (-140 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Motiejus Krivas, Arizona – Over 9.5 Points (-135 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
  • Virginia +3.5 (-145 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
  • UCLA vs. UConn Under 137.5 Total Points (-115 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • UConn -4.5 (-110 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Aiden Sherrell, Alabama – Over 13.5 Points (-115 on BetMGM Sportsbook)

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