As we finish up the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament, staying alive in an NCAA Tournament survivor pool becomes less about strategy (that is what you should have planned for through the first three rounds) and more about navigating which teams you have left to use. If you have teams to select from each half of the bracket, now would be a good time to project how you expect the rest of March Madness to play out, while leaving your National Champion for your very last pick.
By following our advice in each column, here is an example of how one could have made it to this point in survivor pools:
- Round 1 (Thursday): Nebraska -1000
- Round 1 (Friday): Kansas -1200
- Round 2 (Saturday): Arkansas -650
- Round 2 (Sunday): St. John’s -166
- Sweet 16 (Thursday): Purdue -360
- Sweet 16 (Friday): UConn -120
- Elite 8 (Saturday): Illinois -290
Let’s dive into how we can keep advancing in survivor pools.
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2026 NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool Advice: Elite 8 (Sunday)
In case you are a part of an NCAA Tournament survivor pool that forces competitors to select a team from each day of the weekend, I am breaking down my columns into two days. However, if you just need to make one selection from the Elite 8, be sure to check back for Saturday’s breakdown and analysis of the two Elite 8 games from the South and West Regions.
Here is a list of odds for both favorites to win their Elite 8 matchups on Sunday. It would also be wise to consult the folks at PoolGenius as well for their NCAA survivor data.
Elite 8 Odds
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Best Elite 8 Survivor Picks (Ranked in Order)
Michigan Wolverines
If forced to pick between the two No. 1 seeds playing today for survivor pool purposes, Michigan is the smarter play because it is more likely to win today, and because I expect it to be underdogs in a Final Four matchup with Arizona.
Michigan is the most efficient defense in the country, per KenPom. While Tennessee has been able to win games in the NCAA Tournament by out-rebounding teams 124-82, including a plus-21 margin against Iowa State, the Volunteers will find it much more difficult to out-rebound a Michigan team that averages over 40 rebounds per game.
The Wolverines combine an elite defense with an offense that shoots it at the fourth-best rate in the country. I don’t expect a Tennessee offense that ranks 92nd in shooting to keep up.
Duke Blue Devils
As I have said from the opening round, Arizona is my pick to win it all. The fact that they haven’t trailed for a single second through its first three NCAA Tournament wins has done nothing to make me waver from that pick.
Dan Hurley’s UConn team is a live underdog, but Hurley’s teams are 0-3 SU in the NCAA Tournament as underdogs all-time. I like the fact that Duke is 15-0 SU and 10-5 ATS over the last two seasons when playing on one day of rest, while also going 11-0 SU in that same two-year span when allowing 75-plus points in its previous game.
Arizona would also be a likely favorite over Michigan, or whoever comes out of the Midwest Region, in the Final Four. Yet, since I have the Wildcats as the last team standing, and knowing that Duke would be favored in the Final Four on its side of the bracket, I would recommend making the Blue Devils your Final Four NCAA Tournament survivor pool pick, and Arizona your champion (or vice versa).
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.