On the final day of the college basketball regular season, the Big Ten has a full slate of games. But there are also four conference tournament title games, meaning four NCAA Tournament auto bids are on the line.
There's betting value to be had, too, specifically in three games.
So, read below for college basketball best bets, including three top NCAAB expert picks and predictions for Sunday, March 9.
(Our official recommendation isn't a parlay, but there's an option 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. | |
  | 2 p.m. | |
  | 3 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. | ||
Winthrop vs. High Point
By Sean Paul
Big South Championship Game
The two hottest Big South teams meet in the title game, which is fitting.
The Winthrop Eagles have won 10 of their past 11 games, but the one loss came by 22 points to High Point.
On the flip side, the Panthers' only two conference losses came in road games, the most recent on January 16. That means we're nearly two months removed from High Point's most recent loss.
High Point already beat Winthrop by 20+ twice, so what happens in the third meeting? While I don't foresee another beating of that caliber, I think High Point will win by double digits. I mean, winning two games that easily isn't some fluke, and the Panthers are just the better team — plain and simple.
But why is High Point better?
The Panthers have a very special offense. They hold the honor of being the only non-high-major team inside the top 30 of KenPom's offensive efficiency metric.
High Point is a very effective 2-point scoring offense, shooting 61% from that area since February 1. Plus, it ranks in the top 10 in offensive rebounding rate in the same span.
The main culprit for the offensive boards is seven-footer Juslin Bodo Bodo, who boasts the nation's top offensive rebounding rate.
Alan Huss has guards — namely Kezza Giffa and Bobby Pettiford — who live at the foul line. They should be able to take advantage of a foul-happy Winthrop team. Plus, the Panthers shoot a very efficient 76% from the stripe.
A lot of teams can't hang with Winthrop if they don't have depth. The Eagles deploy a top-10 tempo in America that can tire teams out.
That won't be a worry for High Point, as its rotation can go 10 or 11 deep. Even the back end of the rotation — guys like Trae Benham and Abdoulaye Thiam — started for HPU last year. Also, Terry Anderson is becoming a pivotal Swiss Army knife who should play a winning role here.
The Eagles' offense is good in two areas: They get to the foul line more than anyone in America (48% FTA/FGA) and are shooting 41% from deep since February, up from 34% on the year.
However, Winthrop is a dreadful foul-shooting team, sitting at just 66%. It doesn't matter how much a team gets to the line — if they don't go in, then it's just empty opportunities.
For Winthrop to have any shot, it likely needs to force turnovers. That's just not in High Point's DNA, as it gives the ball away just 15% of the time.
I think High Point will bully Winthrop on the glass. The Eagles have two awesome starting forwards — Kelton Talford and K.J. Doucet — but both are just 6-foot-7. That leads to rebounding woes, as they're sitting 262nd in defense rebounding rate.
Even if Bodo Bodo can't play long due to the game's pace, Huss can pivot to talented freshman Josh Ibukunoluwa and Canadian forward Simon Hildebrandt.
High Point is the best team in the Big South by far, and the late-game gaffes against Radford won't haunt it here.
This is a double-digit win to clinch a tourney berth.
Pick: High Point -6.5 (Play to -9.5)
North Alabama vs. Lipscomb
By Sean Paul
ASUN Championship Game
These two ASUN juggernauts split the season series, with each team winning in their respective homes.
This game takes place in Lipscomb's home, as it's the top seed in the league tournament.
Lipscomb looked in danger of not even making this matchup. Queens pushed the Bisons to the brink of defeat — leading by 10 with four minutes left — but Lipscomb survived.
It's been an easier path for North Alabama, which blew out Austin Peay and Jacksonville by 15+ points. However, both games were at home.
The Bisons might seem one-dimensional, given their reliance on perimeter shooting (47% of their shots come from 3). But they aren't so reliant on shooting to where a poor percentage for one night is an auto loss. Their constant movement and spacing helps create a 57% 2-point percentage.
Shooting is very important, though. I know that's obvious, but it's even bigger in Lipscomb's case. Lipscomb went just 7-of-28 from 3 in its loss to North Alabama and went 11-of-27 from 3 in its win.
Lipscomb's lineup features a trio of sharpshooters — Jacob Ognacevic, Gyasi Powell and Joe Anderson shoot 37% or better from downtown. The most important piece to the puzzle, though, is probably Will Pruitt, who defended UNA's star Jacari Lane in the first two games.
The interesting thing is how Lipscomb contained Lane. The Bisons hard-hedged on screens, and it resulted in a few errant passes. Since UNA lacks a shooting threat at the five, both opposing five men — Charlie Williams and Grant Asman — stayed close to the paint and helped cut off driving lanes.
The Bisons' defense is no slouch, ranking just outside KenPom's top 100 in defensive efficiency.
If it's another one-on-one game for North Alabama's guards, it bodes well for Lipscomb. Typically, that's how North Alabama's offense operates, ranking 350th in KenPom's A/FGM metric.
The Bisons also boast a pretty noticeable height advantage. Ognacevic is 6-foot-8 and Williams is 6-foot-10, and North Alabama has just one rotation player — Cornelious Williams — who stands above 6-foot-8.
That should lead to a clear advantage, especially with the bigs' ability to shoot and rise up over the smaller Lions.
North Alabama is shooting the cover off the ball lately, converting at a 40.9% clip since February 1. However, the Lions shoot 3s on just 30% of their possessions, so UNA is looking to drive it more than shoot it. It also doesn't turn the ball over, giving it away just 12% of the time.
The best way to beat Lipscomb is with a true post-up threat. But North Alabama doesn't have a real post-scoring threat, as Williams is more of a clean-up-mistakes guy than someone head coach Tony Pujol creates a play for.
All in all, Lipscomb playing at home with its play style should lead to a pretty difficult game for North Alabama. I'll take the sharp-shooting Bisons up to -5.
Pick: Lipscomb -5.5
Oregon vs. Washington
For important context, this result has zero impact on the Big Ten Tournament seeding. Oregon is locked into the eighth seed, while Washington will miss the league tournament after a brutal season.
So, this game means nothing.
The Ducks could mail it in after winning six straight to close the season, especially on the road with nothing to play for.
