NCAA Tournament: What to watch in Sunday's slate of March Madness games

Defending national champion UConn vs. No. 1 Florida highlights a loaded NCAA Tournament slate on Sunday.

While the men’s NCAA Tournament may have been light on first-round upsets, the upshot is the second round is filled with matchups between top teams. All the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds playing Sunday are still alive as schools battle for a spot in the Sweet 16.

Here’s a rundown of the upcoming second-round action.

The Gators (-9.5 spread according to BetMGM) are a considerable favorite against the Huskies. Both of these teams excel at slowing down opposing offenses, in particular Florida, which held opponents to only 40% shooting in the regular season. Connecticut will also have to find an answer for Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr., a Naismith Trophy semifinalist who can rack up points in a hurry.

This will be an exciting matchup for fans who also have an eye on the NBA Draft. There are several players in this game who are projected to be selected as high as the top 10 come June, including Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, and Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe. The showdown between Flagg and Edgecombe is especially tantalizing, as Flagg is the consensus top player in college while Edgecombe is widely considered to be the fourth-best pro prospect. Will the Bears have enough firepower outside of Edgecombe to keep up with the Blue Devils?

The Fighting Illini are slightly favored in this contest despite entering as the lower seed. This projects to be a close game, as the teams are pretty evenly matched, specifically on the offensive end. The Wildcats finished the regular season ranked 12th in adjusted offensive efficiency, while Illinois finished 13th. Both squads are coming off double-digit wins in the opening round.

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament-march-madness-sunday-rcna197623

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