Blake Krass breaks down the best teams to target and to avoid for Saturday of the Round of 32 for March Madness survivor pools.

March Madness continues on Saturday with the Round of 32. Around the country, everyone is filling out brackets and picking their national title winner. However, one of the best ways to get in on the action this March is with a survivor pool.

The $1 Million Men’s College Basketball Tournament Survivor pool is live on DraftKings. You can join plenty of other pools for March Madness on DraftKings as well.

Read my piece on March Madness survivor pool strategy here.

Here are my best picks and teams to avoid for the first day of the Round of 32.

March Madness Survivor Pool Second Round Strategy

My First Round survivor pool picks were Arkansas and Kansas. Those are two teams that I was confident in making it through the First Round, but not winning their second round games. Arkansas ended up getting a favorable second-round draw after High Point upset Wisconsin. In March, that is sometimes how things go. That being said, this Second Round is a very tricky time to make picks. The one and two seeds will have by far the most favorable matchups, but it is best to save them for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. The best teams to pick in this spot are either one or two seeds that you don’t plan on using in future rounds, or picking teams like Arkansas that ended up with a more favorable draw than originally expected.

Second Round Survivor Best Pick for Saturday 3/21

Illinois over VCU

My favorite survivor pool pick for Saturday’s games is Illinois. The Fighting Illini played great in the Round of 64, blowing out Penn by 35 points. Illinois is one of the best offensive teams in the country, and proved it by scoring over 100 points in its opening game. Now, they get a favorable matchup in the Round of 32 after VCU upset North Carolina. VCU was trailing for almost the entire game, but came back against a worn-down UNC team. It was a lengthy battle for VCU, and the Rams should be feeling the effects on Saturday. While VCU is feeling physically and emotionally drained, Illinois is feeling fresh and confident after a simple blowout win.

The Fighting Illini rank second in the nation in offensive rating. VCU should really struggle to get stops, allowing Illinois to cruise to a win. However, if the most likely outcome takes place, Illinois will be facing Houston in the Sweet 16. That is a battle of two great teams that will likely go down to the wire. There is no chance that Illinois would be a survivor pick in the Sweet 16, unless Houston somehow gets upset. That makes Illinois an ideal choice to use here. They are one of the biggest favorites on the board in the Round of 32, but will likely be an underdog in the Sweet 16.

Second Round Survivor Favorite to Avoid

Gonzaga over Texas

Gonzaga is a team that could be a popular pick on Saturday that I am avoiding. The Bulldogs did not look great in the Round of 64. Gonzaga ended up beating Kennesaw State by nine points, but the game was close almost the entire way. This is not one of Mark Few’s best teams, and it’s hard to trust them against any opponent. Meanwhile, Texas has more momentum than anyone in the tournament. They have already won two games, beating NC State in the First Four and then upsetting BYU in the Round of 64.

The Longhorns are a very talented team that struggled for consistency in the SEC. However, they have a coach with a lot of tournament experience, and it’s clear the team is in a groove. Texas ranks 13th in the nation in scoring, making it a dangerous opponent for anyone. Over the last 14 NCAA Tournaments, five teams from the First Four have made the Sweet 16. So, there is a history of these teams finding a groove and making a run. Texas is not a team that I would want to get in the way of at this point in the tournament.