In about two weeks, we will be at Selection Sunday: the conference tournaments will have ended, and we will know who will fill the NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket. It is the games between now and those conference tournaments that will have a lot to do with how the seeding goes down. There are several matchups for you to take a look at as you think about how to manage your College Basketball betting for the Big Dance as well as for these individual matchups.
NCAA News: Top College Basketball Bets for February 25
#24 TCU Horned Frogs at Texas Tech Red Raiders
(12:00 pm ET, ESPN2) | Texas Tech had an eight-game losing streak at one point this season, but things are heading back up for the Red Raiders. TCU has Mike Miles Jr back from his knee injury, but he is not playing at 100% yet, so DeVion Harmon, who scores 13.5 points per game, would like nothing more than a win for the Red Raiders – a victory over a ranked team that would burnish the Texas Tech tournament resume. Texas Tech to win.
#8 Texas Longhorns at #9 Baylor Bears
(2:00 pm ET, ESPN) | Rodney Terry has only appeared in one NCAA Tournament as a head coach during 10 seasons at Fresno State and Texas-El Paso. However, that number will move to two, as his interim role reading the Texas Longhorns has placed him in the driver’s seat. After Chris Beard was suspended in December and then fired, the program looked like it could lurch into chaos. Terry has restored calm, though, and led Texas to a 15-5 record. As they face Baylor on Saturday, the winner will be in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 title, depending on Texas’ game against Kansas on March 4. Terry could also end up winning Coach of the Year due to his work in a tight spot. However, Baylor has dropped two in a row, and the high-octane offense led by Keyonte George (16.9 points per game) is ranked #2 in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom). Baylor to win.
#14 Kansas State Wildcats at Oklahoma State Cowboys
(2:00 pm ET, ESPNU) | Kansas State went through a tough 1-4 stretch that endangered its status as a top-four seed. Then they beat Iowa State and Baylor back-to-back at home, so at this point, the Wildcats are simply looking to stack up wins to solidify their position in the top quarter of one of the four regions in the bracket. K-State to win.
#6 Virginia Cavaliers at North Carolina Tar Heels
(6:00 pm ET, ESPN) | North Carolina (17-11, 9-8 ACC) is clinging to the outer edge of the NCAA tournament bubble on the strength of program history alone at this point. Pete Nance is part of the Tar Heels’ collapse from last year, as his 46% three-point percentage from last year has plummeted to 28% this time. Last year, North Carolina was in the top four of the ACC in shooting from behind the arc (38%). This year, they are dead last (28%). However, Virginia just lost by 15 points to Boston College, so anything can happen. Virginia to win.
#17 Indiana Hoosiers at #5 Purdue Boilermakers
(7:30 pm ET, FOX) | Indiana has already knocked off Purdue once this year, and if Trayce Jackson-Davis (20.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.9 blocks per game) can control the lane against Zach Edey once again, he could inject some drama into the Wooden Award conversation. Purdue’s time at the top of the college basketball rankings has gotten shaky, but they haven’t fallen as far off the mark as, say, Tennessee. Purdue to win.
#15 St. Mary’s (CA) Gaels at #12 Gonzaga Bulldogs
(10:00 pm ET, ESPN) | It has been 11 seasons since Gonzaga did not win at least a share of the regular season championship of the West Coast Conference. This is a year when this could happen again, though, as St. Mary’s knocked off the Zags at home. Aidan Mahaney leads the Gaels with 15.1 pints per game and makes 41% of his shots from downtown. If he gets hot and Gonzaga starts to panic, the Gaels could snag the outright WCC title. Gonzaga to win.
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