Top College Basketball Betting Picks of the Week – March 6th

We’re in the last weeks of the regular college basketball season, as several conferences are opening their end-of-season tournament and others are winding up regular season play. The bracketology is going nuts, with teams sliding up and down the projected seedings on the basis of late-season matchups. Take a look at the NCAA Basketball betting recommendations we have for you as the week unfolds.

Top College Basketball Betting Picks of the Week – March 6th

New year… Fresh courts! Take a peek at what the #MarchMadness courts will look like this year! pic.twitter.com/ZpanBcI2LM

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 5, 2018

Tuesday, March 6

BYU vs Gonzaga (WCC Tournament Final) (9:00pm ET, ESPN)

A lot of people were expecting St. Mary’s and Gonzaga to match up in this game, but this is why the teams play the tournaments. This is nothing new for BYU, who went to Gonzaga last year as 20 ½-point underdogs and won the regular season finale, ending Gonzaga’s dream of an unbeaten season. This year, it was BYU shooting 61 percent and getting a career best 33 points from Yoeli Childs to eliminate the Gaels and advance to the conference final. Childs went 13 for 18, including 3 for 3 from downtown, and picked up six boards. Elijah Bryant added 25 points. BYU has another tall task ahead of them, as they were swept by Gonzaga in the season series this year, and Gonzaga has five consecutive WCC Tournaments. Gonzaga got 26 points from Killian Tillie, who went 10 for 11 and 5 for 5 from behind the arc, in a 28-point thrashing of San Francisco in the other WCC Tournament semifinal. Gonzaga is ranked #7 in the nation and will certainly be prepared for BYU after last year’s debacle. However, it’s hard to beat the same team three times in a row, and the Cougars will have all of the momentum and none of the pressure. Can Gonzaga finish out the tournament? NCAA Basketball Betting Prediction: Gonzaga 80, BYU 76

Wednesday, March 7

Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State (Big 12 Tournament, First Round) (7:00pm ET, ESPNU)

The Sooners and the Cowboys split their matchups in regular season play, with both teams winning at home. Oklahoma beat OSU by 20 at home but then lost in Stillwater by a bucket. The Sooners did win two of their last three down the stretch, beating Kansas State and Iowa State at home but losing at Baylor by 23. Oklahoma has had an inconsistent finish to the season from freshman sensation Trae Young, who did have 15 points against Iowa State but went just 5 for 19 including 1 for 3 from three-point land. Don’t look now, but Oklahoma State is making a case for their own inclusion in March Madness. They finished the regular season winning three of four, including an eight-point win over then-#6 Texas Tech, a nine-point win at Iowa State and an 18-point shellacking of Kansas (after the Jayhawks had already clinched the regular-season title). In that win over Kansas, Kendall Smith had a career-best 25 points, and Mitchell Solomon added 16 points and seven boards. In a neutral-site game, it’s hard to argue against the Cowboys in this one, as the Sooners have basically spent February imploding. NCAA Basketball Betting Prediction: Oklahoma State 77, Oklahoma 70

Thursday, March 8

Baylor vs West Virginia (Big 12 Tournament, Quarterfinals) (9:00pm ET, TV TBA)

It’s hard to remember that Baylor opened with a 2-8 record, thanks to the way they have made hay during Big 12 play. They won six of their last nine games, including victories over Kansas and Texas Tech (both top-10 team) at home, Oklahoma at home by 23 and at Texas. They did lose at Kansas State in their regular season finale, giving them a sub-.500 record in conference play, but if they can win a couple of games in the Big 12 Tournament, they still should have a shot at March Madness, given how deep the conference has been this year. They win with a quick frontcourt and dominance on the boards — but when either of those elements is missing, things go poorly quickly. They face West Virginia in the Big 12 quarterfinals, a team that won four of five down the stretch, including a home win over Texas Tech and a win at Baylor, but who lost at Texas in the regular season finale — and a win that was more important for the Longhorns, who needed it for their March Madness resume. The Mountaineers have never traveled particularly well, and their Press Virginia style has suffered a bit this season from a lack of depth. Can they beat Baylor for a third time and avoid an early exit from the Big 12 Tournament? NCAA Basketball Betting Prediction: West Virginia 70, Baylor 64