One of the best days of the year is here as the NCAA Tournament tips off this afternoon.
Our staff is targeting four Thursday afternoon first-round games to help you formulate your college basketball betting card.
Read below for NCAA Tournament best bets, including our top four NCAAB expert picks and predictions for Thursday afternoon, March 20.
(There's an option for a parlay below, even though that's not our official recommendation.)
NCAA Tournament Best Bets for Thursday Afternoon
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 12:15 p.m. | |
  | 2 p.m. | |
  | 3:15 p.m. | |
  | 4:35 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. | ||
Creighton vs. Louisville
This will basically be a home game for the Cardinals, as this matchup will be played in Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
Louisville has been tremendous, going 27-7 while winning nine of its last 10 games to end the year.
Creighton doesn't have the same firepower as usual. It ranks just 141st in scoring offense with an average of 75.2 points per game.
On the other side, Louisville has been solid defensively, as its 68.9 points allowed per game ranks 78th in the country.
The Cardinals make it hard for teams to find open looks, allowing them to shoot just 42.5% from the floor.
Louisville also does a great job of keeping teams off the foul line, giving up just 15.7 attempts per game — the 35th-fewest in the nation. The Bluejays rarely get to the line, taking just 16.2 free throws per game, which is 331st in the country.
Another thing the Cardinals do well is force turnovers. Their 12.9 forced turnovers per game ranks 83rd in the country. Meanwhile, Creighton has had problems with turnovers, giving the ball up 12.3 times per game.
Like its defense, Louisville has been solid offensively. Its 78.6 points per game ranks 54th nationally.
The Cardinals are also a very efficient team, as they convert over 45% of their shot attempts.
Louisville is also a very good 3-point shooting team, and its 9.4 makes per game is the 42nd-most in the country. The Cards do a good job getting to the line as well, attempting 20.5 free throws per game and converting 74.4% of those attempts.
Rebounding will also be important here, and Louisville has also been solid on the offensive glass with 9.7 offensive rebounds per game.
The Cardinals are led by All-ACC guard Chucky Hepburn, who should dominate Steven Ashworth in this one.
Take Louisville to cover the short spread, as it'll advance to the Round of 32.
Pick: Louisville -2.5
SIU Edwardsville vs. Houston
By Sean Paul
The Houston Cougars are probably the scariest team in America when it comes to facing inferior mid-majors.
Houston is the second-best defensive team in America, holding teams to 43% shooting from 2, forcing turnovers 27% of the time and shooting just 30% from deep.
In four true mid-major matchups for the Coogs, they beat two of the four by 29 points or more.
They beat a top-100 Troy team — a 13-seed in the NCAA Tournament — by 20 and Hofstra by 26. I expect a pretty similar result to those two meetings, as SIUE sits outside the top 250 in KenPom’s offensive efficiency metric.
Plus, Kelvin Sampson won’t let up. He’s not letting his team take its foot off the gas, so expect a 30-plus point win here.
Pick: Houston -28.5 (Play to -30)
McNeese vs. Clemson
I like McNeese to hang tough in this one and have a chance late to pull off the outright upset.
I don’t think people realize how significant of a loss the Dillon Hunter injury is to the Tigers.
Chase’s younger brother is a capable shooter from behind the arc and is very sound with the ball in his hands as well.
Clemson doesn't have a ton of depth behind him in the backcourt, which will put all the more pressure on Hunter and Jaeden Zackery.
When it comes to the Cowboys, I don’t think the news of Will Wade likely leaving for NC State after the tournament is much of a distraction.
If anything, I could see Wade using this as a rallying point for his team, preaching a “last hurrah” type of mentality within the locker room.
That could give an already plenty talented McNeese team even more confidence.
Additionally, the Cowboys' aggressive defensive nature could speed up Clemson and force the Tigers into some turnovers.
Clemson isn’t going to want to play at a crazy fast pace, which could lead to a bit more possessions than usual. That's another factor that could keep this game competitive throughout.
Ultimately, I just think 7.5 is far too many points for a 12 seed in McNeese that has plenty of talent and is taking on a Clemson team without one of its better perimeter options.
I don’t know if the Cowboys will have enough firepower to pull off the outright upset, but I’m comfortable backing them to stay inside this number.
Pick: McNeese +7.5 (Play to +7)
Georgia vs. Gonzaga
The Georgia Bulldogs and Gonzaga Bulldogs will tip off the Big Dance in Wichita, Kansas.
The Bulldogs are dancing for the first time since 2015. Mike White’s team posted a strong record of 20-12 while playing in the best conference in America.
