The second weekend of the 2024 NCAA Tournament comes to a close on Sunday with the final two games of the Elite Eight closing out the contenders for the Final Four next weekend. What was once a 68-team field at the start of the Big Dance is down to six with one more haircut to go before the national championship is decided.
Action begins Sunday at 2:20 p.m. ET as Purdue battles Tennessee in the only game between top-two seeds in this round of March Madness. Duke and NC State then match up as long-time ACC foes who are quite familiar with one another. The teams split a pair of games already this season with the Blue Devils winning 79-64 on the road only for the Wolfpack to pull off a 74-69 win in the ACC Tournament. The teams have split four meetings over the last two seasons, though Duke holds a 5-3 edge since 2019-20.
Not only should you continue to follow your bracket, you could enhance your viewing experience across Sunday's games. Our CBS Sports experts convened to provide you further insight into the Elite Eight with picks straight up and against the spread. Our expert brackets may offer some help, too, especially if you're considering seed-line upsets.
The NCAA Tournament is all about surviving and advancing, but for those plunking down on their coach or pulling up to their desk to consume as much March Madness content as possible, which teams cover their spreads will be quite important as well. The CBS Sports team has been covering the sport extensively all season, and they are not shy with their picks for these games.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports for the rest of the month as NCAA Tournament coverage continues through the end of the Final Four. Let's take a look at our expert picks as the Elite Eight continues Sunday.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
2024 NCAA Tournament: Elite Eight picks
(1) Purdue vs. (2) Tennessee
Sunday, 2:20 p.m. | CBS, March Madness Live: No team -- not even a red-hot Gonzaga -- has provided much resistance to Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. With Zach Edey firing on all cylinders and the Boilermakers backcourt playing with immense confidence, they are set up to continue their march to the Final Four here against a Volunteers team that's lights out defensively but doesn't have the juice to keep pace on offense. Pick: Purdue -3 -- Kyle Boone
| Parrish | Norlander | Palm | Patterson | Boone | Cobb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spread | PUR -3 | PUR -3 | PUR -3 | PUR -3 | PUR -3 | TENN +3 |
Straight up | PUR | PUR | PUR | PUR | PUR | TENN |
(4) Duke vs. (11) NC State
Sunday, 5:05 p.m. | CBS, March Madness Live: Even with Jamal Shead sidelined for the entire second half, Duke could not separate itself from Houston substantially in an eventual 54-51 win. So, this line might seem a little scary, especially with Duke losing to NC State two weeks ago by a five-point margin. Still, I'll go against the grain a bit and lay the the touchdown with the Blue Devils. They match up well on paper with this Wolfpack team, and their guard play -- improved even from two weeks ago -- gives me confidence in taking them to win comfortably. Pick: Duke -6.5 -- Kyle Boone
| Parrish | Norlander | Palm | Patterson | Boone | Cobb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spread | NCST +6.5 | NCST +6.5 | DUKE -6.5 | DUKE -6.5 | DUKE -6.5 | DUKE -6.5 |
Straight up | DUKE | NCST | DUKE | DUKE | DUKE | DUKE |
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