Saturday features a small college basketball slate with 4 high-major schools taking the floor on the 28th day of March 2026. It’s the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament as the field gets whittled down to 4 teams. A quartet of schools will be playing in their respective regional finals on Saturday night.
Will Illinois defeat Iowa by 8 points or more at the Toyota Center in Houston? Can Arizona win and cover against Purdue in San Jose in the late game on Saturday night? Read on for our Saturday CBB Best Bets March 28 article.
CBB Best Bet: Iowa +7.5 over Illinois
I like the Hawkeyes in this game. There is significant potential value in backing Iowa to cover the 7.5-point spread as neutral-site underdogs against Illinois on Saturday night. The Hawkeyes boast a 5-2 ATS record in neutral-site games this season.
They’ve bounced back well this year, going 2-0 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest and 9-5 ATS when playing an opponent on equal rest in 2025-26. The underdog spot is highly appealing here, as Iowa is 6-5 ATS as an underdog this year. Expect a gritty Big Ten battle where the Hawkeyes keep the margin close throughout.
Final score projection: ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI 74, IOWA HAWKEYES 71.
CBB Best Bet: Purdue +6.5 over Arizona
I’m taking the Boilermakers in this contest. Purdue is well-positioned to cover the 6.5-point spread as neutral-site underdogs against Arizona on Saturday night. The Boilermakers thrive outside conference play, going 8-6 ATS in non-conference matchups, and they are 6-4 ATS at neutral sites this year.
Furthermore, the Boilers excel in this spot, posting a 3-1 ATS mark as underdogs this season. They also carry momentum into this game with a 4-2 ATS record over their last 6 games overall.
And finally, Purdue owns this head-to-head matchup, sitting 3-0 straight up and 3-0 ATS in their last 3 meetings with the Wildcats. Expect a fiercely competitive clash in which Purdue should have a real chance to win at the horn.
Final score projection: PURDUE BOILERMAKERS 82, ARIZONA WILDCATS 80.
Saturday CBB Best Bets March 28
- Iowa Hawkeyes +7.5
- Purdue Boilermakers +6.5
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