Updated March 22, 2026, 12:13 p.m. ET
March Madness continues to hum along into Sunday’s matchup between the top-seeded Florida Gators and ninth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA Tournament second round.
The Gators come in as favorites in the South Region battle, having dispatched the Prairie View A&M Panthers in a historic 114-55 beatdown in the opening round. The Hawkeyes got by the eighth-seeded Clemson Tigers in the round of 64, 67-61, and are aiming for their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2015.
Ahead of the next stage of the Big Dance, the CBS Sports Expert Picks panel offered their takes on Sunday night’s matchup. Gary Parrish, Matt Norlander, Chip Patterson, David Cobb, Cameron Salerno and Isaac Trotter all unanimously picked the Orange and Blue to prevail, sending them to their second straight and 12th all-time Sweet 16 appearance.
“Though still early in his tenure, Todd Golden’s NCAA Tournament experience continues to grow with each round. Credit Florida for handling business in the first round against Prairie View, showing up in Tampa as a heavy home favorite and delivering as expected,” Patterson begins.
“The Gators could be in line for another double-digit win against an Iowa team that was just 4-9 against Quad 1 opponents entering Selection Sunday. The Ben McCollum–Bennett Stirtz combination has been excellent, but it faces a much tougher test against Florida’s size and athleticism,” he continues.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
“While Florida is not an elite shooting team, its versatile frontcourt can disrupt passing lanes and limit Stirtz’s impact. The Gators may not have looked their best in the SEC Tournament, but their focus appears to have sharpened with the start of the NCAA Tournament.”
CBS Sports has Florida favored by 11.5 points over Iowa as they face off for the first time in program history. The action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TBS.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.