Elite 8 Bracket: Predictions, Odds, Updated Schedule and More

It's on to the Elite Eight for the Auburn Tigers, 97-80 upset winners over top-seeded North Carolina. They will meet second-seeded Kentucky, as the Wildcats emerged with a 62-58 triumph over Houston.

While that should be a thrilling game, it will almost certainly play second fiddle to the East Regional final between Michigan State and Duke.

The Spartans were on top of their game and overwhelmed LSU 80-63, while Duke gained revenge on Virginia Tech with a 75-73 win. The Hokies beat Duke in late February.

NCAA Tournament Friday Night Results

Sweet 16

No. 2 Michigan State 80, No. 3 LSU 63

No. 5 Auburn 97, No. 1 North Carolina 80

No. 1 Duke 75, No. 4 Virginia Tech 73

No. 2 Kentucky 62, No. 3 Houston 58

NCAA Elite Eight Schedule and Odds

All times ET; point spreads according to B/R Betting.

Saturday

No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Gonzaga (-4), 6:09 p.m., TBS; Gonzaga 62, Texas Tech 61

No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 1 Virginia (-4.5), 8:49 p.m., TBS; Purdue 68, Virginia 65

Sunday

No. 1 Duke (-2.5) vs. No. 2 Michigan State, 5:05 p.m., CBS; Duke 76, MSU 73

No. 5 Auburn  vs. No. 2 Kentucky (-1.5), 2:20 p.m., CBS; Kentucky 83, Auburn 78

All games can be live-streamed via March Madness Live.

Texas Tech vs. Gonzaga

For those who think basketball is a speed game played by brilliant athletes who only want to play run and gun, buckle up when getting ready to watch the Red Raiders and Bulldogs.

Both teams are ferocious on defense, and it's going to be difficult to score on either of them. Texas Tech was at its best in shutting down a consistent Michigan offense in the Sweet 16, playing a physical style and suffocating the Wolverines.

Gonzaga proved to be better than Florida State, using a sharp offensive effort to pull away in the final minutes.

Texas Tech concentrated on stopping Michigan's perimeter attack and did a brilliant job. However, the Red Raiders are going to have to change their concentration because Gonzaga is going to attack off the dribble and take the ball into the paint.

Texas Tech lives to attack on defense, and the Red Raiders rank 11th in taking the ball away from their opponents, while Gonzaga ranks 11th in ball security.

Texas Tech's offense is keyed by guard Jarrett Culver, who is likely to be a first-round selection in the NBA draft this year. Culver is averaging 18.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor.

Culver is getting help from guards Davide Moretti and Matt Mooney, who are averaging 11.6 and 10.9 points, respectively.

Gonzaga is led by big man Rui Hachimura, who is averaging 19.6 points and connecting on 59.9 percent of his shots. Brandon Clarke can also dominate for the Bulldogs with 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Texas Tech should be able to play with Gonzaga for 40 minutes, but the top-seeded Bulldogs will prevail by the narrowest of margins.

Purdue vs. Virginia

Did anyone have Purdue getting to the Elite Eight?

Nevertheless, the often-overlooked Boilermakers continue to play fundamentally sound basketball, and they have passed all their tests in the tournament.

Purdue earned its spot in this matchup against Virginia by outlasting Tennessee 99-94 on Thursday night in overtime. Carsen Edwards made the two free throws that forced the extra session and finished the game with 29 points.

Edwards, who is averaging 23.8 points per game and connecting on 83.4 percent of his free throws, is Purdue's go-to scorer. However, he gets plenty of help from Ryan Cline, who is scoring 12.8 points per game and connecting on 41.1 percent of his three-point attempts. Center Matt Haarms is a third scoring option with an average of 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Virginia turned up the defensive clamps in eliminating feisty Oregon 53-49. The Cavaliers rely on a superb defense that allows 54.8 points, ranking first in the country in that category.

De'Andre Hunter is Virginia's top scorer, as he is averaging 15.2 points and connecting on 52.1 percent of his shots. Kyle Guy is right behind, as he is scoring 14.9 points and connecting on 42.7 percent of his three-point shots.

This is another tough defensive game, and while Virginia comes in as the favorite, Purdue moves on to the Final Four.