Champ Week is officially in full swing, and that means plenty of betting value in the college basketball world.
Our staff is targeting three games in the early afternoon slate, specifically in the Big 12 and ACC.
Read below for college basketball best bets, including three NCAAB expert picks and predictions for Tuesday afternoon, March 11.
(There's a two-leg parlay option below, even though that's not our official recommendation with these picks.)
College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 12:30 p.m. | |
  | 2 p.m. | |
| 2 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma State
These two played each other to end the Big 12 regular season, with Oklahoma State pulling out a surprising 11-point upset as 3.5-point home ‘dogs.
That said, I doubt that the result will hold in the rematch.
Cincinnati took seven more shots from the field and shot over 50% from inside the arc (21-for-41), but the Bearcats lost because they made just seven of their 28 3-point attempts (25%).
Meanwhile, the rim-reliant Cowboys were worthless on the interior (22-for-53 from inside the arc, 42%), but they made all their limited 3-point attempts (7-for-9 from 3, 78%).
The Bearcats would’ve likely won that road game comfortably with more typical shooting splits. ShotQuality graded it as a nine-point analytically-expected win for Cincinnati based on the “quality” of shots taken and allowed.
While the Bearcats lost their final three games of the regular season, the offense trended up as the season progressed behind Jizzle James’ resurgence.
I was very impressed by his performances in losses (but covers) against Houston (18 points, five assists, one turnover) and Iowa State (25 points on 9-for-16 shooting), which is essential to note because Oklahoma State runs a similarly built but far less effective aggressive ball-screen coverage.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s drop-coverage scheme, anchored by Aziz Bandaogo and Dillon Mitchell, is elite at the rim and excellent at defending opposing post-up sets. That's imperative against Oklahoma State’s Abou Ousmane and Marchelus Avery.
I like the two-way matchup for Cincinnati, and I’m banking on some game-to-game positive shooting regression for the Bearcats after last week’s anomalous head-to-head result.
Pick: Cincinnati -5.5 (Play to -6)
Pitt vs. Notre Dame
The Pitt Panthers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will tip off the ACC Tournament on Tuesday afternoon.
Notre Dame posted a record of 14-17 during the regular season. The Fighting Irish went 8-12 in ACC play, but they ended the season with back-to-back wins over Stanford and Cal.
Pitt had an overall record of 17-14 on the season, but it struggled in ACC play (8-12). Jeff Capel's team ended the campaign with a 93-67 win over Boston College.
We're getting a favorable line on the Panthers in this matchup.
Despite Notre Dame's higher seed, Pitt is the better team, and it'll display that on Tuesday.
Pitt has a major advantage on the defensive side of the floor, ranking 39th in points allowed per game compared to the Irish, who rank 258th.
Notre Dame doesn't have enough offensive firepower to keep pace with the Panthers in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.
Pick: Pitt -3.5 (Play to -4.5)
Pitt vs. Notre Dame
By Doug Ziefel
While only seed number separates these two clubs, the Pitt Panthers have a clear edge over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the offensive end of the floor.
The Panthers have generated nearly 60% of their offense from inside the arc, and that's where Notre Dame has been most susceptible, ranking 294th in 2-point percentage allowed.
