NCAA® Men's Sweet 16® Preview: What to Watch With Sling TV

After an exciting opening to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, here’s what to watch for in the Sweet 16® and beyond.

UPDATE: TBS has concluded its coverage of NCAA Men’s March Madness®. To watch the remaining games with CBS, download the NCAA March Madness Live app to watch on desktop or mobile, or subscribe to Paramount+ to stream the games.

How does it feel to be one of the 16 teams left in NCAA Men’s March Madness ®? In a word: Sweet.

The field for College Basketball's Sweet 16 ® is set. Nearly half the teams are No. 1 or No. 2 seeds, an indication of how “chalky” the tournament has been so far. In fact, the lowest seed still alive in the tournament is No. 10 Arkansas, and with Hall of Fame coach John Calipari at the helm, they’re hardly a Cinderella. But what the first two rounds may have lacked in upsets, they made up for in quality. That should carry over into the Sweet 16, where some of the best teams and top players are on a collision course with win-or-go-home stakes. Here's a look at the four games available with Sling, followed by a preview of each.

2025 NCAA® Men's March Madness®: Sweet 16, plus NIT Games on ESPN

Subscribe to Sling Orange to watch the most games with Sling!

How to Watch the 2025 NCAA Sweet 16 with Sling

With the Sweet 16 broadcasts split between TBS and CBS, Sling will carry four of the eight games (watch CBS games on desktop and mobile by downloading the NCAA March Madness Live app or subscribe to Paramount+ to stream the games). Here’s a look at the 2025 Sweet 16 games available on Sling. To watch these games, plus the NCAA Women’s and NIT tournaments on ESPN, use the link below to subscribe to Sling Orange.

https://main--sling--aemsites.aem.page/aemedge/fragments/try-sling-orange

NCAA Games on Thursday, March 27, 2024

https://youtu.be/y639KZd9Iok?si=-PwWOVb9S0uSpoer

#4 Maryland vs. #1 Florida - 7:30pm ET, TBS

Although this is one of three matchups between No. 4 and No. 1 seeds (an indication of how chalky this year’s tournament has been), both Florida and Maryland were nearly knocked out in their second round matchups. The Gators trailed the defending champion UConn Huskies for much of the second half before pulling away in the final few minutes, while the Terps needed a buzzer beater to get past the pesky Colorado State Rams. Those results leave both teams battle-tested, but Florida is the heavy favorite in this one, and with +350 odds to win the tournament, they trail only the Duke Blue Devils (+210) as the overall favorite.

#10 Arkansas vs. #3 Texas Tech - 10:00pm ET, TBS

The much-hyped second round showdown between coaching legends John Calipari and Rick Pitino was somewhat of a bust, as Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks handled St. John’s 75-66. Even better news, injured star Boogie Fland returned to the lineup against St. John’s and Adou Thiero may be healthy enough to return to the floor for Thursday’s matchup against Texas Tech.

As for the Red Raiders, they too are hoping for positive injury news, as third-leading scorer Chance McMillian could return for the Sweet 16. But in their second round win over Drake, he wasn’t really missed, as Darrion Williams (28 pts, 5 assists) and JT Toppin (25 pts, 12 rebounds) took control. Texas Tech is a -5.5 favorite, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the injury report before laying any bets.

NCAA Games on Friday, March 28, 2024

#3 Kentucky vs. #2 Tennessee - 7:30pm ET, TBS

These SEC rivals will face off for the third time this season in the Sweet 16, with Kentucky winning the first two games. Former Wildcat Mark Pope has exceeded expectations in his first season as head coach, taking his team beyond the first weekend for the first time since 2019. But the third time could be the charm for Tennessee. Their smothering defense held UCLA to just 25 first half points in the second round, and their previous losses to Kentucky came down to abysmal 3-point shooting (14-63 or 22.2%). The Vols are -4.5 point favorites in this game, but Kentucky has been better than expected all year and has the confidence they can win once again. This should be a good one on Friday.

#4 Purdue vs. #1 Houston - 10:00pm ET, TBS

Houston and Purdue have been two of the most consistent programs in college basketball over the past several years. Lucky for Purdue, this game takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, making it close to a home game for the Boilermakers. Still, Purdue is heavily reliant on the 3-point ball, which is a strength for Houston’s defense, as opponents have been shooting just 30.6% from beyond the arc. This game could come down to the performance of star Purdue guard Braden Smith. The Naismith Player of the Year finalist was second in the nation in assists, averaging 8.5 per game. If he can help facilitate for his teammates and exceed his 16.5 points per game average, he might be able to lift Purdue over a Houston team that’s favored by -7.5 points.

Key Dates

• Sweet 16®: March 27-28 (TBS, CBS)
• Elite 8®: March 29-30 (TBS, CBS)
• Final Four®: April 5 (CBS)
• Championship: April 7 (CBS)

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