We've officially reached the best time of the year: March. The first official conference tournament begins on Sunday — the ASUN — and we're gearing up for an awesome month of hoops.
In celebration, our staff has three best bets for the first Saturday of the month.
So, read below for college basketball best bets and odds, including three NCAAB picks and predictions for Saturday, March 1.
(It's not our official recommendation, but you can parlay these picks below.)
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 p.m. | |
  | 4 p.m. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
UConn vs. Providence
This line is far too low given the state of the Providence roster. Corey Floyd Jr. is back and Christ Essandoko is a role player who could return for this game, but Jabri Abdur-Rahim is a major factor, and he's done for the season.
Without him, Providence is a completely different team with a much lower ceiling.
The ceiling was already limited, as we've seen throughout the Friars' schedule. Providence has gone 1-8 against the KenPom top-50, with the lone win coming back on Dec. 3. In that game, Providence shot its best 3-point percentage of the season (55%), while BYU shot one of its worst (28%).
Without that insane shooting disparity, this team doesn't have the talent on either end of the floor to compete with top level teams. UConn has had its struggles, but it's still leagues better than Providence.
You may worry about the Huskies winning and covering this one on the road, but Connecticut has been ferocious away from home, winning at Creighton, Marquette and Texas this season.
Beyond that, Providence's home court isn't what it once was. Ed Cooley went 60-49 ATS and 70-39 SU in Big East games as the head coach of the Friars. Kim English is just 7-10 ATS and 8-9 SU in that same situation.
There's just nothing to suggest Providence can compete here. I like UConn at this number, and I'll even explore some escalating alternate lines.
Pick: UConn -5.5 (Play to -8.5)
Alabama vs. Tennessee
By Doug Ziefel
The best conference in the country has yet another marquee matchup on tap. The No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, to take on the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers.
This clash has all the makings of a classic. The stakes are high, and contrasting styles make the result key for future matchups in March.
However, the road team offers value, as its style of play allows it to take control of this matchup with one run.
The Tide are the fastest team in the country in terms of adjusted tempo. That means they’re going to push the pace and put up a ton of shots. Nearly 48% of those shots are going to come from beyond the arc, and they’ve converted those at a solid rate, ranking 109th in the country.
While Tennessee is the best defensive team in the nation, it allows its opponents to take shots from long range. In fact, it ranks 339th in defensive 3-point rate. This is typically a sound strategy, as contested perimeter shots don't pan out.
Still, Alabama's extreme volume and offensive rebounding ability allows it to build momentum if the 3s start to fall.
On the other end of the court, Tennessee doesn’t present that offensive upside. The Vols rank 93rd in effective field goal percentage and have generated 75% of their offense from either beyond the arc or in the paint.
Those are two areas where the Crimson Tide match up well defensively, and any cold run could create some separation on the scoreboard.
Pick: Alabama +3.5 (Play to +2.5)
Arizona vs. Iowa State
While the bubble gets all the attention this time of the year in college hoops, there are equally important games being played between teams trying to improve their seed line.
The difference between a three- and a four-seed this season could be the difference between running smack dab into Auburn or Duke in the Sweet 16 as opposed to the Elite Eight.
