College Basketball Picks

Stop busting brackets and sign up for the Pickswise March Madness Premium Picks now! Our expert is up +30.7 units over the last 3 NCAA Tournaments and picked Florida at +4000 last year. Get futures picks and daily best bets throughout the entire tournament, all for just $50. Click here to join and get 20% off before Selection Sunday!

How is Tulane taking back this many points? The Green Wave already beat the Owls by double digits earlier this season, and they have covered in the last 3 meetings overall. Temple laying this number may look a bit absurd, but it reflects what the oddsmakers see, not what the market projects. The matchup advantage for Temple starts on the defensive end. The Owls have been most effective when forcing opponents into half-court execution, limiting easy transition opportunities, and turning games into physical possession battles. That style directly challenges Tulane as they are one of the worst rebounding teams on both ends of the court. Tulane won’t be able to find second-chance points, but the Owls will. That could easily lead to separation.

There is also one other element: luck. According to KenPom, Tulane is the 4th-luckiest team in the country. That means in games settled by 6 points or loss, the bounces and variance have all gone the Green Waves’ way, which also indicates that their record is not a true metric of what they bring to the table. Had a few of said bounces gone the other way, the Green Wave would have a worser record and they would likely be taking back even more points here. In a game nonetheless projected to be competitive but controlled, Temple’s defensive consistency, physicality, and home-court advantage can make this a spot where Tulane’s luck runs out. It also makes the Owls the side to lay the points with.

Tulane vs Temple prediction: Temple Owls -4.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -5.

You can bet on our Tulane vs Temple pick with BetMGM, where right now new users can activate your new BetMGM account ⚡ and receive $150 in bonus bets INSTANTLY if your first $10+ wager is a winner!

Stop busting brackets and sign up for the Pickswise March Madness Premium Picks now! Our expert is up +30.7 units over the last 3 NCAA Tournaments and picked Florida at +4000 last year. Get futures picks and daily best bets throughout the entire tournament, all for just $50. Click here to join and get 20% off before Selection Sunday!

We look to the American Conference as we wind down the final days of the season, where the East Carolina Pirates host the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Thursday night. These teams are on opposite ends of the standings, but both still have plenty to play for. ECU is trying to get into the conference tournament, as the American only takes 10 of their 13 teams, and the Pirates currently sit 1 game out of that cut line. For Tulsa, it is about seeding. The American is one of those staggered brackets that really protects top teams, and Tulsa can still take the #2 seed. These teams have not played this season, but I expect Tulsa to pull away, even on the road. Give me the Golden Hurricane -9.5.

There is a large discrepancy between these teams, and you can see it quickly in their rankings. Tulsa ranks around 50th in the major metrics sites, while ECU is around 250. The calling card for the Golden Hurricanes is their three-point shooting, where they make threes at a top-5 rate. ECU is not great at defending those shots. Are home court and senior night enough to raise the Pirates’ level on defense? And is the road venue enough to stifle Tulsa? It shouldn’t be, and I would expect the better team to separate, sooner or later. Give me Tulsa to cover.

Tulsa vs East Carolina prediction: Tulsa Golden Hurricanes -9.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Bet like a Caesar with this AMAZING new customer offer from Caesars Sportsbook, where you can receive a 100% bet match on your first wager up to $250! Become a Caesars member 👥 using the Caesars promo code PWCONTENT250BM, where you can bet on our Tulsa vs ECU picks.

Stop busting brackets and sign up for the Pickswise March Madness Premium Picks now! Our expert is up +30.7 units over the last 3 NCAA Tournaments and picked Florida at +4000 last year. Get futures picks and daily best bets throughout the entire tournament, all for just $50. Click here to join and get 20% off before Selection Sunday!

No. 3 Michigan enters this matchup with a chance to accomplish something no Big Ten team has done since 1976 – finish the season undefeated on the road. The Wolverines are a perfect 10-0 away from home this year as they prepare to face a streaky Iowa team. Michigan is coming off an impressive win over No. 10 Illinois, shooting 52.5% from the floor and outrebounding the Fighting Illini 34-30. Iowa, meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing loss to last-place Penn State, where its defense struggled badly, allowing the Nittany Lions to shoot 64.1%. If the Hawkeyes have a similar defensive issue against the Wolverines, this game could get out of hand quickly. 

The Wolverines have the best offense in the Big Ten, averaging 89 points per play in conference play. Yaxel Lendeborg leads the way with 14.3 points per game, but Michigan will need other players to step up, as they’ll be without L.J. Carson for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury. Iowa will rely heavily on Bennett Stirtz, who is averaging 20.5 points per game, but he’ll face a tough challenge against a Michigan defense that holds opponents to 68.7 points per game and just 37.8% shooting. Michigan plays at a fast pace, dominates the glass, and has far more depth than Iowa. Expect the Wolverines to control the pace after opening tip-off and have no issues running up the score in this matchup. 

Michigan vs Iowa prediction: Michigan Wolverines -9 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Michigan vs Iowa predictions.

Stop busting brackets and sign up for the Pickswise March Madness Premium Picks now! Our expert is up +30.7 units over the last 3 NCAA Tournaments and picked Florida at +4000 last year. Get futures picks and daily best bets throughout the entire tournament, all for just $50. Click here to join and get 20% off before Selection Sunday!

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights travel to East Lansing to face the Michigan State Spartans in a Big Ten matchup that projects to be a defensive grind, with the total sitting at 141.5. Michigan State has built its identity around physical defense and rebounding dominance. The Spartans allow just 62.8 points per game, ranking among the better scoring defenses in the country while also grading highly in adjusted defensive efficiency metrics. Head coach Tom Izzo continues to emphasize controlling the glass and limiting second-chance opportunities, and the Spartans have responded with a +13.3 rebound margin while averaging more than 41 rebounds per game. Guards like Jeremy Fears Jr. help stabilize the offense, while forward Jaxon Kohler anchors the interior presence that fuels Michigan State’s physical style of play.

Rutgers enters the matchup averaging about 70.2 points per game while shooting roughly 41.5% from the field, numbers that highlight the offensive inconsistency the Scarlet Knights have dealt with throughout the season. Instead, Rutgers relies heavily on half court execution and defensive pressure, which naturally slows the pace and reduces total possessions. In the teams’ previous meeting this season, Michigan State escaped with an 88-79 overtime win, but that result required extra minutes and featured unusually efficient shooting from both teams. Typically, Rutgers games trend slower because of their defensive structure and ability to force opponents into long, contested possessions. Against a Michigan State team that also prefers to control tempo rather than push the pace, the script points toward extended half-court sets and limited transition opportunities. If both defenses dictate the rhythm, this Big Ten clash should turn into a physical, methodical contest where points come at a premium.

Rutgers vs Michigan State Prediction: Under 141.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Rutgers vs Michigan State predictions.

Stop busting brackets and sign up for the Pickswise March Madness Premium Picks now! Our expert is up +30.7 units over the last 3 NCAA Tournaments and picked Florida at +4000 last year. Get futures picks and daily best bets throughout the entire tournament, all for just $50. Click here to join and get 20% off before Selection Sunday!

The DNA of many plays that I make is rooted in fading hype, or going against the grain when it comes to public perception. As such, Memphis would traditionally tick a lot of boxes. But there are exceptions. To put this frankly, the Bulls are the better team and they are getting ready for what could be a deep run through the American Athletic Conference Tournament and then March Madness.

USF is projected to make the NCAA Tournament field. In fact, some have South Florida situated as a fabled #12 seed, which already puts them into a scenario where they can be a potential upset orchestrator as the 5/12 pairing in the Men’s Basketball Tournament is notorious for such events. However, let’s bring this to back to their assignment here against the Tigers. The Bulls already whacked the Memphis by 21 in Tampa just weeks ago, and Memphis hasn’t really done anything since then to help their cause. The Tigers have dropped 6 straight, and they seem to be getting more imperiled in each game that they play. Most notably, a 16-point drubbing they took most recently on Sunday thanks to East Carolina. Until Memphis proves it can actually play some form of credible basketball, fade them. Bulls roll.

South Florida vs Memphis prediction: USF -6 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to the number.

Now you can bet any of our USF vs Memphis predictions at FanDuel Sportsbook, which has a great new-customer offer to take advantage of. If you sign up for FanDuel right now, you earn a welcome bonus worth up to $100 if your first $5 bet wins! Use this link 🔗 to join FanDuel right now and learn more.