NCAA Tournament College Basketball predictions & best bets for second round Day 1: Duke & UCLA keep rolling

Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the UCLA Bruins
Photo of Caleb Wilfinger

Caleb Wilfinger

NCAAB

Show Bio

Deputy Editor for Pickswise with years of experience handicapping and giving out winning picks. Lover of all US sports and Southampton FC.

After a wild and unpredictable regular season, this year’s NCAA tournament has got off to a terrific start. We’ve got 8 more games on tap for Saturday, as the college hoops action should be electric for 12 consecutive hours. Thanks to a brutal Drake defeat, I went 1-2 on my Day 2 best bets, which brought me to 15-8 over my last 23 best bets in this column, so let’s keep the momentum going!

Let’s take a look at my best bets for Saturday, but make sure you also check out our March Madness basketball picks for the day’s biggest games.

If you’re looking to get more out of your bets, then Caesars is the sportsbook for you. It’s the only sportsbook with Caesars rewards AND has a great sign-up offer where you can get up to $1,250 back on your first bet! Click here to sign up.

 

Money line parlay: Duke over Tennessee & UCLA over Northwestern (+120)

Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.

A number of college basketball blue bloods will highlight the Round of 32 slate on Saturday, and we’ll be focusing on Duke and UCLA in a money line parlay for our first best bet. The Blue Devils are 3-point favorites against the Tennessee Volunteers, while the Bruins are 7.5-point favorites over the Northwestern Wildcats. However, due to end-of-game variance expected with a single-elimination tournament, I’d rather stay away from laying points. Instead, I’ll opt for a money line parlay that pays out at about +120 odds.

For starters, Duke has looked extremely impressive over the course of the last month, including a convincing run en route to an ACC tournament. I was skeptical of how that would translate to the Big Dance, but Duke was rock solid in a dominant victory over Oral Roberts on Thursday. While I wouldn’t ordinarily expect the Blue Devils to benefit from a horrendous shooting performance from their second consecutive opponent, they have the fortune of playing a Tennessee team that can’t do much right on the offensive end at the moment. The Volunteers clearly miss point guard Zakai Zeigler, and I expect their struggles from the field to continue against a red-hot Duke defense. 

Over in the West Region, the UCLA Bruins should feel comfortable in their second round matchup against Northwestern. The Wildcats play excellent defense and do just enough on offense to get by. Well, that happens to basically be a much lesser version of UCLA. The Bruins are an effective offense that still ranks 24th in adjusted efficiency at KenPom, while they also have the top defense in the nation at KenPom and BartTorvik. Even without PAC-12 defensive player of the year Jaylen Clark, UCLA should cause major problems for the Northwestern backcourt and I expect the Bruins to control the pace and tempo of this game on the other end. Look for a convincing victory as UCLA hits the second weekend for the 3rd straight season.

DraftKings Sportsbook is giving new customers $200 in bonus bets if they sign up right now and bet $5. That’s all there is to it! Grab this amazing sign-up offer by clicking this link.

Penn State Nittany Lions +5.5 vs Texas Longhorns (-110)

Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.

Penn State’s recent stretch is something we’ve seen before in March, typically among teams that have the profile of a “cinderella” story. A few weeks ago, the Nittany Lions were in danger of missing the NCAA tournament entirely, but Micah Shrewsberry’s team has been playing like a top-25 team in recent weeks. It took a pair of buzzer-beating victories to end the regular season to put Penn State on the right side of the bubble, before 3 straight wins in the Big Ten tournament brought it within one shot of knocking off Purdue in the Big Ten title game. Now in their first tournament game in 12 years, the Nittany Lions thrashed Texas A&M on Thursday, thanks to a great defensive effort and outstanding shooting performances from Jalen Pickett, Andrew Funk and more.

Penn State is an elite shooting team from behind the 3-point, as the Nittany Lions take and make threes at a top-5 rate in the nation. That’s how this stout Texas defense can be beaten, especially considering that the Longhorns will have a considerable edge in the paint. Penn State plays at a very slow tempo and this should favor the underdog Nittany Lions as they’ll try to limit the possessions and keep the ball out of the hands of Texas’ dynamic guards. If the Longhorns don’t shoot for a high percentage from the 3-point line, Penn State will certainly be live in this one. I’ll take the points with the Nittany Lions one more time.

Need a new sportsbook? Check out SuperBook, which is the top-rated sportsbook in Vegas and has a great new customer offer where you can claim up to $250 as a sign-up bonus when you use promo code “Pickswise”! Click here to join SuperBook.

 

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
DraftKings
Get a +1000 Odds Boost for Any Golfer to Win The Masters

Create a New DraftKings Account

Make Your First Deposit Of $5+ Into Your Sportsbook Account

Following Sign Up, You’ll Be Issued With One (1) Single-Use +1000 Odds Surge Token For Any Golfer To Win Any Tournament

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
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.
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.