Side: Tristan Vukcevic: Assists Over 0.5 Why: Our model’s 1.4-assist projection is bolstered by the confirmed absence of starting center Alex Sarr (toe), which locks Tristan Vukcevic into an expanded frontcourt role. With Washington missing eight players including primary playmaker Trae Young, Vukcevic’s high-post passing is essential to the offense; he is already averaging 1.1 assists per game this season and has seen his minutes floor rise to 20+ in recent outings. Against a Knicks defense that allows 27.5 assists per game, Vukcevic is positioned to easily clear this 0.5-assist threshold as a primary facilitator for the second unit.

Wizards vs. Knicks

Side: Will Riley: Rebounds Over 3.5 Why: With the Wizards ruling out leading rebounder Alex Sarr (7.4 RPG) for the second leg of a back-to-back, Riley's rebounding floor is elevated as he assumes a primary frontcourt role in a depleted rotation. Coming off a 40-minute workload earlier this week and starting in six consecutive contests, Riley’s positional length is critical against a Knicks offense led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson that generates significant long-rebound opportunities.

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Florida Gators

Side: Over 144.5 Why: Our 74-possession model is validated by Florida's elite transition offense, which reached a historic peak in Friday's 114-point opening-round performance on 64% shooting. With both rotations at full health in Tampa, we expect Iowa's scoring to accelerate as All-American Bennett Stirtz regresses to his 20-PPG season mean following an uncharacteristic 4-of-17 shooting night in the Round of 64.

Utah State Aggies vs. Arizona Wildcats

Side: Utah State Aggies +11.5 Why: We are backing Utah State +11.5 as they enter this matchup on a five-game win streak, most recently dominating the paint (42-26) in an 86-76 victory over Villanova led by 22 points from Mason Falslev. Arizona remains a high-variance candidate, exemplified by a seven-minute scoring drought in their recent Big 12 championship win over Houston, which validates our assessment of their prone-ness to prolonged offensive lulls. The Aggies' disciplined interior play and Falslev’s Player of the Year form provide the necessary efficiency to exploit these droughts and keep the margin within double digits.

Blue Jackets vs. Islanders

Side: Over 5.5 Why: Our pick for Over 5.5 is reinforced by the Islanders' defensive collapse in yesterday's 7-3 loss to Montreal, where starter Ilya Sorokin was pulled after allowing six goals; notably, Sorokin is projected to make his first back-to-back start of the season today due to injuries to Varlamov. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets enter on a 12-game point streak (8-0-4) and are averaging 3.8 goals over their last five games, including a 5-2 win yesterday. With both teams playing their second game in 24 hours and the Islanders missing key defenders like Alexander Romanov, the offensive conditions are ideal for a high-scoring divisional clash.