Thursday Sweet 16 Open Thread: Schedule, how to watch, lines, picks

Remember last week when we all knocked off at noon and basically shut ‘er down for the day in a basketball haze with 12 hours of hoops and then did the same thing the next day much to the chagrin of our families, friends, and employers? What a couple of days. No productivity, but brackets on brackets and that’s good enough for me.

Today isn’t a nooner but it is the start of more SHOOTYHOOPS action with the opening of the NCAA’s Sweet 16. Sure, there aren’t any Mid-American Conference squads left standing but that shouldn’t stop you from gluing your eyeballs to whatever sort of electronic device you may have to consume the action.

Tonight’s games:

Midwest Regional

CBS will air both games with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller and Dan Bonner (commentary), and Dana Jacobson (reporting) on the call.

No. 7 Michigan Wolverines (26-11) vs. No. 3 Oregon Ducks (31-5), 7:09 p.m.
No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers (27-7) vs. No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (30-4), approx. 9:39 p.m.

West Regional

TBS will air both games with Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Chris Webber (commentary), and Lewis Johnson (reporting) on the call.

No. 4 West Virginia Mountaineers (28-8) vs. No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs(34-1), 7:39 p.m.
No. 11 Xavier Musketeers (23-13) vs. No. 2 Arizona Wildcats (32-4), approx. 10:09 p.m.

If you’re not the television type, all of the games will be streamed on NCAA.com, so that’s an option as well.

Maybe you’re interested in some other activities, so I’ll go ahead and toss out the way I’m leaning for tonight’s contests at the window:
Michigan/Oregon o147.5
WVU/Gonzaga o148.5
Kansas -4.5
Xavier +7.5

We have but a handful of games left before basketball is gone for good. So let’s enjoy each of these nights while we can.