Jon Rothstein Breaks Down Thursday's Sweet 16 Games

This is March!

Check out our breakdown below for Thursday's Sweet 16 games.

Breaking Down Thursday's Sweet 16 Games

UConn vs. San Diego State

A rematch of last season's national title game, this is essentially a road game for the Aztecs, who will face the Huskies at TD Garden in Boston. To have any chance to beat UConn, San Diego State needs to go over the top of the Donovan Clingan and the Huskies' defense. That's easier said than done as the Aztecs shoot just 31.3 percent from three-point range. Brian Dutcher's squad has its hands full. There's a reason San Diego State is a 10.5-point underdog, per the college basketball odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Illinois vs. Iowa State

A fascinating contrast in styles, this is great offense against great defense. Both of these teams also won their respective conference tournaments in the Big Ten and the Big 12. Keep an eye on the Illini's wing tandem of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask, who are combining to average more than 55 percent of Illinois' points in the NCAA Tournament.

Arizona vs. Clemson

This is a fascinating contrast in styles. The Wildcats -- who will be playing in front of a pseudo home crowd in Los Angeles and are a 7.5-point favorite -- want to play as quickly as possible while the Tigers want to take the air out of the ball. Clemson was successful with that formula against Baylor, holding the Bears to just 64 points after they scored 92 against Colgate in the Round of 64. If this game gets above 70, it favors Arizona. If it stays below 70, it favors Clemson.

Alabama vs. North Carolina

Great guards? Check. Fun styles of play? Check. Star power? You better believe it. This game has the makings of a potential shootout between two teams who are more than capable of putting up 100 on a given night. It is an overwhelming -340 favorite to be Thursday's highest-scoring game. Keep an eye on the head-to-head matchup in the backcourt between North Carolina's RJ Davis (21.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists) and Alabama's Mark Sears (21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists).

Looking for NCAA basketball odds? Check out all of the college basketball odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Jon Rothstein is not a FanDuel employee. The reporting of Rothstein is not subject to FanDuel's verification and does not represent the views or input of FanDuel. Betting based on Rothstein's reporting will not guarantee a successful outcome. Always do your own due diligence and use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

Rothstein has been a college basketball insider for CBS Sports since 2010 and a contributor to the CBS Broadcast Network since 2016. He joined FanDuel in 2022 as a Content Creator. Rothstein is also the host of the College Hoops Today Podcast via Compass Media Networks.