Conference tournament action turns up a notch, as the next wave of teams joins the party. Here are my predictions for a trio of games featuring matchups from the Big East, ACC, and Big 12.
Top College Basketball Best Bets for Today
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, player performance and the transfer portal, head RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.
Creighton 
vs. Seton Hall 
The Pirates have played at an elite level defensively for much of the season, ranking 13th nationally in adjusted efficiency, although they have two critical weaknesses.
First, they don't box out very often, ranking 261st in defensive rebounding percentage. Second, and the more critical note in this matchup, is the fact that they often send opponents to the foul line. Seton Hall ranks 321st in free-throw attempt rate allowed, including the worst mark during league play. This is welcome news for Creighton, as the Bluejays made a league-best 77 percent of their foul shots during the conference season.
Aside from the charity stripe, Creighton shoots the ball well from all over the court. Against Big East opponents, the Bluejays made 54 percent of two-point attempts and 36 percent of three-point attempts, yielding the third-highest effective field goal percentage in the Big East. The Bluejays posted the highest three-point attempt rate and percentage of points of three-pointers during the Big East conference season, making them a dangerous team when they're firing on all cylinders, as they demonstrated when they won at Connecticut (91-84).
In contrast, at the other end of the court, we have a Seton Hall team that struggles to score points. During league play, the Pirates made just 47 percent of shots inside the arc (worst) and 28 percent of shots beyond the arc (worst), yielding the worst effective field goal percentage in the Big East. Their saving grace is usually offensive rebounding, posting the best mark in the conference, although Creighton's defense ranked second-best in the Big East in defensive rebounding percentage, thereby neutralizing their usual advantage.
I'm taking the points in this spot.
College Basketball Best Bet: Creighton +2.5
There are so many ways to get in on the CBB betting action ahead of March Madness. Claim over a thousand dollars in bonuses by signing up at the best sports betting sites using the best sportsbook promos.
Louisville 
vs. Miami 
An important note for this game: star freshman and potential NBA lottery pick Mikel Brown will miss the entire ACC Tournament, in hopes of being ready for the NCAA Tournament (per CBS Sports).
We never want to overreact to injury news, but Brown led the team in percentage of possessions used, recording the fourth-highest mark among all qualified ACC players. They weren't empty, possessions, either. In addition to knocking down 38 percent of three-pointers against conference opponents, he also had the 11th-highest assist rate and 16th-highest fouls drawn rate among ACC players.
That said, Louisville still has enough talent to beat Miami, as it recently showed when it did so this past Saturday, 92-89. Even still, I like the Hurricanes' odds at getting revenge.
Despite having one of its best shooting performances of the season, Louisville still needed a game-winning three-pointer to steal the win. Miami held the lead with under 30 seconds remaining, so the outcome easily could've flipped.
In a rematch, I trust Miami's offense a bit more. During the ACC conference season, the Hurricanes' offense ranked among the top four in efficiency, two-point field goal percentage (56 percent), free-throw attempt rate, offensive rebounding, and effective field goal percentage. Louisville, on the other hand, attempted three-pointers at the fourth-highest rate among all D-1 teams, so it truly sinks or swims depending on how it does from long range.
Defensively, the Hurricanes have high marks in several fundamental areas. They logged the best defensive rebounding percentage during league play and also ranked among the top four in turnovers and free-throw attempt rate allowed. Louisville's defense, for comparison, ranked 11th in turnovers and 10th in free-throw attempts allowed.
I'm going with the Hurricanes in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Miami +1.5
Check out Caesars Sportsbook this season and use the Caesars Sportsbook promo code for one of the top college basketball betting promos out there.
TCU 
vs. Kansas
The Horned Frogs collected an impressive assortment of victories during the regular season, taking out the likes of Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa State, and Texas Tech. One big one got away, however, as TCU led by nine points at Kansas with just over a minute remaining before the home team pulled off the unlikely comeback to send the game into overtime and win.
Regardless, on paper, the Jayhawks hold an edge over the Horned Frogs at both ends of the court. But, at the same time, TCU hasn't performed poorly. The Horned Frogs finished among the top nine teams during the Big 12 conference season in both offensive and defensive efficiency. With the ball, they ranked among the top four Big 12 teams in rebounding and free-throw attempt rate, underscoring their physicality.
From a bigger picture perspective, these teams have trended in different directions over the past month. TCU has won nine of 10 games, including wins against Iowa State, Texas Tech (on the road), and Cincinnati. Kansas, meanwhile, has lost four of seven games, including losses at Arizona State (70-60) and against Cincinnati (84-68).
Maybe Darryn Peterson will make me rue this pick, but he also played 32 minutes in the first game, which TCU led a significant portion of, before blowing a nine-point lead with a minute to go.
I'm taking the points.
College Basketball Best Bet: TCU +5.5
Check out BetMGM Sportsbook to bet on National Championship Odds, and use this BetMGM Bonus Code for a great welcome offer.
Thursday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Thursday:
- Creighton +2.5
- Miami +1.5
- TCU +5.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sources, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
