College basketball best bets for Saturday, 3/4: Duke, North Carolina will find the range

Armando Bacot and the North Carolina Tar Heels
Photo of Ricky Dimon

Ricky Dimon

NCAAB

Show Bio

Since graduating from Davidson (The College That Stephen Curry Built), I have been writing about sports -- just about any and all you can think of! -- and coaching tennis in Atlanta, GA. Beyond the four major sports, I am an avid tennis fan and cover the ATP Tour on a daily basis. If I'm not busy writing, you can generally find me on a tennis court or traveling the world wherever a sporting event takes me.

To say that we have a lot to work with while coming up with some best college basketball bets for Saturday would be a massive understatement. How good is the lineup? Well, exactly 76% of the top 25 is taking the court. For those counting, that means 19 top-25 teams are lacing up their sneakers. Eight of them are going head-to-head in 4 all-ranked battles: #2 Alabama vs #24 Texas A&M, #3 Kansas vs #9 Texas, #25 Pittsburgh vs #16 Miami and #8 Arizona vs #4 UCLA. Another fun one could be #12 Tennessee paying a visit to Auburn.

Let’s take a look at my 3 best bets for Saturday.

BetMGM is the king of online sportsbooks, and right now they have a great new customer promotion where you can claim a $1,000 deposit bonus by signing up right now! Click this link to join BetMGM. 

Marquette -11.5 over St. John’s (-115)

There is no reason to think that St. John’s can be competitive in this Big East battle. The Red Storm are wallowing down near the bottom of the conference standings with a 7-12 record, while the Golden Eagles lead the way at 16-3 (24-6 overall). St. John’s is without Montez Mathis and Rafael Pinzon, so this team really goes only 7 deep at the moment. Marquette features 4 guys scoring in double figures and is averaging more than 80 points per game. St. John’s doesn’t have the offensive arsenal to keep up. The Golden Eagles scored 96 points in the first head-to-head matchup this season, and although the Red Storm put up 85 I don’t see the underdogs doing that again.  

You can also read our NCAAB Saturday mega parlay (+1075 odds!)

TCU -2 over Oklahoma (-110)

TCU is the far superior team, so I will happily give such a small about of points – even on the road. After all, the Horned Frogs already boast wins at Baylor, at Texas Tech (last Saturday) and a 23-point beatdown of Kansas inside Phog Allen Fieldhouse. It’s safe to say this program knows how to win in hostile environments. Meanwhile, Oklahoma is a horrendous 4-13 in the Big 12 and has lost 3 of its last 4 at home. All 3 of those recent losses have come by double digits, too. The first meeting between these teams came at TCU on January 24 and the Frogs dominated by 27 points.

You can bet on all of today’s sports at FanDuel Sportsbook, which has a great new-customer offer to take advantage of. If you sign up for FanDuel right now, you can get a No Sweat First Bet worth up to $1,000. Click here to join FanDuel right now. 

Duke vs North Carolina Over 142 (-110)

The previous matchup between these arch rivals was a 63-57 decision in favor of Duke. Such a low-scoring affair is the main reason why Saturday’s total is set at an unusually modest number (142) for this matchup. Thus a prime over opportunity is created, and I’m not too concerned about what happened at Cameron Indoor Stadium a few weeks ago. It’s not like the pace of play was down; North Carolina and Duke simply couldn’t throw it in the ocean. The Tar Heels shot 24-of-70 from the floor and 7-of-27 from 3-point range; the Blue Devils were 24-of-61 (4-of-11 from deep). Duke has won 5 in a row and is averaging 77 points in its last 4, while UNC is averaging 74 ppg in its last 2 even though it faced Virginia last weekend. These squads have too much firepower to be stymied by the other one twice in succession. In what is almost certain to be another close game in this rivalry, I also like Duke +3.5.

Check out all of our college basketball picks

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 bet just $1 and instantly get $200 in bonus bets! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Click here to join Bet365 right now. 

Pickswise is the home of free College Basketball Picks and College Basketball Predictions. With top College Basketball picks available daily, including our College Basketball Best Bets. 

Virginia Bonuses

See All
BetMGM
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Bet on CBB Tournament and get $1,000 Paid Back in Bonus Bets if you Don't Win + $25 Bonus Bet

Register for a new BetMGM account & deposit

Place your first bet and get refunded up to $1,000 in bonus bets if you don't win

Plus receive a $25 Bonus Bet after placing your qualifying wager

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, OH, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Nevada, New York or Ontario
FanDuel Sportsbook
Get a $1,000 No Sweat Bet on any CBB Tournament Game!

Sign up for a new FanDuel Sportsbook account

Make a first-time deposit of $10+, and then place your first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook

New customers get their first bet paid back in bonus bets up to $1,000 if you lose!

Must be 21+. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable free bets that expire 14 days after receipt. See full terms at fanduel.com/sportsbook.
DraftKings
Bet $5+ any College Basketball Pre-Game ML And Get $150 in Bonus Bets if your Team Wins

Sign up for a new account with DraftKings Sportsbook and make your first deposit

Make your first deposit and bet $5+ on any pre-game ML

Get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins

Gambling Problem? Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MD/MI/NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in OH/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min. $5 bet. $150 issued as bonus bets that expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com..
Unibet
Virginia Bettors- Get a $100 Free Bet for the CBB Tournament

Register for a new Unibet account & make a deposit

Place your first bet up to $100 free!

Get refunded up if you lose up to $100

New players only. Terms & conditions apply. 21+. VA only.
bet365
Bet $1 on the CBB Tournament and Get $365 in Bonus Bets at bet365!

Register for a new bet365 account

Place qualifying bets of $1 or more

Get $365 in bonus bets - no matter if your bet wins or loses

New Customer Offer. Deposit required. Bonus Bets added to Bonus Bet Credits balance. Bonus Bet risk excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits, and exclusions apply. Must be physically located in VA.
WynnBet
Bet $100 on the CBB Tournament & Get $100 Bet Credit

Register for a WynnBET account today.

Deposit & Wager $100 on any sports market (odds -120 or greater).

Get a $100 Bet Credit.

Must be 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
BetRivers
Get a $500 Free Bet for the CBB Tournament

Sign up for a new BetRivers account using promo code PICKSWISE

Make your first deposit & get up to $500 in free bets

To get $500 in free bets, wager $500

Must be 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-BETS OFF
Caesars Sportsbook
Your First Cash Bet on the CBB Tournament Is On Caesars Up To $1,250

Sign up for a new Caesars Sportsbook account and Place your 1st wager of $10 or more

If you lose, you get 100% of your stake back as a Bet Credit - up to $1,250.

AND win or lose, you’ll also get 1,000 Reward Credits® and 1,000 Tier Credits.

21+. Terms and conditions apply.
DraftKings
Get a $1,000 Deposit Bonus when you bet on the CBB Tournament

Create a new DraftKings Sportsbook account and make your first deposit (min $5)

DraftKings will match 20% of your deposit up to $1,000 total

To get a $100 bonus, deposit $500

21+. Terms & conditions apply.
BetMGM
Get $1,000 Paid Back in Bonus Bets if you Don't Win your CBB Tournament Bet

Register for a new BetMGM account & deposit

Place your first bet up to $1,000!

Get refunded up to $1,000 in bonus bets if you don't win

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Nevada, New York or Ontario
TVG
Get Your First Single-Horse Win Wager Back Up to $200 if you don't win

Register for a new TVG account and make a deposit

Place your first single horse win-type bet up to $200

If your horse doesn't win you'll get a refund up to $300

21+. T&C's apply. Please gamble responsibly.
TwinSpires
Get a $200 Sign-Up Bonus with Twinspires Racebook!

Open your TwinSpires.com account using offer code BET200

$200 bonus cash will be credited in increments of $100 for every $400 wagered

To earn the full $200 bonus players must wager $800 within 30 days

21+. Terms and conditions apply.
Underdog Fantasy
First deposit is 100% matched up to $100 with Underdog Fantasy

Sign up for a new account with Underdog Fantasy

Make your first deposit

Every dollar (up to $100) will be matched! Deposit $25, get $50; deposit $100, get $200, etc

Must be 21+ to play. Terms & conditions apply
Owners Box
First Time Deposit Bonus Up To $500

Sign up for a new DFS account with OwnersBox

User's first deposit will be matched up to $500 in site-credit

Join one of their Daily NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL contests

You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age to receive deposit bonuses, participate in Contests, or win prizes offered through OwnersBox Contests. In jurisdictions, territories, and locations where the minimum age for permissible use of Contests is greater than eighteen (18) years old, you must meet the age requirement in your local jurisdiction or territory.