It may be the Sweet 16, but for eight teams, the ending will certainly be sour.

March Madness has its eyes set on the Elite Eight, with the final four tickets to the regional finals getting punched on Friday night. There's plenty of intrigue left in the tournament, too.

The NC State Wolfpack has an opportunity to continue making its run to through March when they take on Marquette. And, love 'em or hate 'em, it just wouldn't be March without Duke making a deep run. Head coach Jon Scheyer has an opportunity to help guide the Blue Devils to the school's first Elite Eight since 2022, and his first Elite Eight as a head coach. He does, though, still have a long way to go in catching his predecessor.

Here's how USA TODAY Sports experts believe Friday night's games will turn:

March Madness expert picks: Sweet 16

The clock strikes midnight for NC State, according to our experts, with Marquette downing the Wolfpack on Friday night. Elsewhere, there may be an upset brewing, with a No. 1 seed getting sent home.

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Here's how USA TODAY Sports' experts feel the remainder of the Sweet 16 will fall:

(2) Marquette vs. (11) NC State

Dan Wolken: Marquette

Paul Myerberg: Marquette

Jordan Mendoza: Marquette

(1) Purdue vs. (5) Gonzaga

Dan Wolken: Purdue

Paul Myerberg: Purdue

Jordan Mendoza: Purdue

(1) Houston vs. (4) Duke

Dan Wolken: Houston

Paul Myerberg: Duke

Jordan Mendoza: Houston

(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Creighton | 10:09 p.m.

Dan Wolken: Creighton

Paul Myerberg: Creighton

Jordan Mendoza: Creighton

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket predictions: Expert picks for Sweet 16 games