It's March and the Madness is in the air. With college basketball conference tournaments underway, we're searching far and wide for the very best NCAAB bets for Friday, March 15th. Today's college basketball slate gives us hoop heads a ton of opportunity to build the bankroll on our way to March Madness.
Here are my three college basketball expert picks of the day:
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Pick 1: North Texas +5.5 vs FAU
Matchup: North Texas vs FAU
Listen, North Texas' grit-and-grind style makes them a brutal team to play against. They methodically move the ball up the basketball court, and find good looks in their half-court offense. Our computer picks loves North Texas to win this game outright.
The Mean Green are knocking down over 39% of threes versus the average-opponent, good for 11th in the country. Crucially, they do an excellent job of protecting the ball and getting shots up, with an 87% field goal attempt rate.
Florida Atlantic was last year's March Madness darling, but this isn't the same squad. The Owls defeated North Texas twice this season by a total of just eight points. I like the Mean Green to knock down an extra three or two for us tonight and cover the spread.
Pick 2: Ohio +2.5 vs Akron
Matchup: Ohio vs Akron
Ohio has won seven straight games to reach the MAC Tournament semifinals against Akron. The Bobcats defeated the Zips 74-67 on their home floor just two weeks ago, and look set to repeat that outcome on Friday night.
Their aggressive defense forces harries and harasses opponents into turnovers, which they turn into easy offense on the other end. The Bobcats rank 24th in points off of breakaway steals and have shot over 36% from downtown on the year.
Look for Ohio to force a multitude of turnovers and win this game outright.
Pick 3: Providence +4.5 vs Marquette
Matchup: Marquette vs Providence
Providence pulled off what's undoubtedly the upset of the Big East Tournament so far, with a 78-73 victory over Creighton on Thursday night. The Friars held the Bluejays offense to just 37% shooting. Big East Player of the Year Devin Carter went off for 22 points and 11 rebounds.
A look back at some of the best plays of Devin Carter's 1st Team All Big East season. Extended highlights to come soon. pic.twitter.com/GkDQOQih3w
— Friar Basketball (@Kevin_Farrahar) March 11, 2024
While Marquette has been the better team all year on paper, they've struggled since star guard Tyler Kolek was suspended for the remainder of the regular season. With Kolek on the sidelines the Golden Eagles have struggled to replicate his shot and playmaking ability, grinding their offense to a halt. Marquette lost to Creighton in early March by a score of 89-75, and were very nearly upset last night against Villanova.
Sportsbooks are failing to take into account the impact of Kolek's loss on this Marquette team with this line. Sure, all the advanced stats point towards Marquette being the better squad. But, the Golden Eagles have shot under 45% over their past four games, and I just can't lay the points with them. We're going head-to-head with our computer picks in this one. Bet on Providence to cover the spread in this Big East Tournament semifinals matchup.
