Selection Sunday for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is just two days away now, which means that we’re in the middle of the major college basketball tournaments. The smaller conferences have already finished their tournaments, so such automatic qualifiers as Furman, winner of the Southern Conference, will make their splash in the Big Dance – and for Furman, it’s their first trip since 1980. Looking at the college basketball betting picks for today, we have a key matchup between Connecticut and Marquette, two teams from the Big East who are both headed to the Big Dance but who are looking for conference bragging rights, and a matchup between Iowa State and Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament, coming after the Cyclones beat Baylor for the third time this season to advance to face the regular-season champs.
NCAA News: Best College Basketball Bets for March 10
Connecticut Huskies (-3.5) vs Marquette Golden Eagles (O/U 146.5)
6:30 pm ET | Connecticut (25-7) is the slight favorite over Marquette, despite the fact that the two teams split their Big East games this season and Marquette comes in as the top seed. The Huskies took down Providence on the conference quarterfinals on Thursday, and the 73-66 win showed how great the Huskies can be for 32 minutes – and how poorly they can play for the last eight – but they still held on for the win. The Huskies went into the locker room up, 35-19, at halftime, and they grew that lead as large as 26. As a team, they shot 53% overall and 43% from behind the arc. They outrebounded Providence by ten, but even with those statistical advantages, Providence went on a run late, getting within five with just over a minute remaining. It took a three-ball from Alex Karaban to deliver the final blow for the Huskies. Jordan Hawkins led the way with 19 points, and Tristen Newton added 16 points and seven assists.
Marquette (26-6) had to play St. John’s back-to-back, both in the regular-season finale and in the conference quarterfinals. The Golden Eagles won in a track meet on Saturday, 96-94, and then they needed overtime and a rally to survive the Red Storm in the quarterfinals on Thursday, 72-70. Tyler Kolek had 19 points – all in the second half and overtime, including the free throws that gave Marquette their final lead with 15.8 seconds remaining in the extra frame. Marquette fell behind by 14 during the first half, and they had a late lead in the second half, but St. John’s got the tying layup with 4.6 seconds left. Will Marquette have anything left in the tank for Connecticut? Marquette to cover.
Iowa State Cyclones (+4.5) vs Kansas Jayhawks (O/U 130.5)
7:00 pm ET | Iowa State (19-12) split their two games with Kansas in the regular season, with both teams winning at home. In both games, Iowa State won the battle of the boards, but they still lost at Kansas by two. They did deliver a 68-53 beating on their own home court. The Cyclones come in on the momentum of a win over Baylor that saw Iowa State shoot 49.2% and dominate the glass, getting 44 boards to just 17 for the Bears – including 21 offensive rebounds. Baylor was up three at the half, but Iowa State outscored Baylor by nine in the second half to get the win. The boards are where Iowa State shines, as they have a +2.2 rebounding margin for the season. Their defense is stout as they permit just 62.2 points per game, 19th in the nation. The team is fifth in defensive efficiency – but just 326th in tempo, which could work in Kansas’ favor if the Jayhawks can up the pace of the contest.
Kansas (26-6) saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end against Texas in the regular season finale, but they started another run in the Big 12 quarterfinals, beating West Virginia handily. The Jayhawks shot 52.4% from the floor and limited the Mountaineers to just 44.6%, including just 21.1% from distance. The Jayhawks come in with a +1.5 rebounding margin on the season but lost that battle both times to Iowa State. They rank ninth in the nation in defensive efficiency – and just 80th in tempo. Can Iowa State lure Kansas into a slow game that they win at the end? The Cyclones have more on the line here, as they are still on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Adding another win over Kansas to their resume would boost their case tremendously. Iowa State to cover.
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