College Basketball Best Bets for Today, March 12th

Rough go at it on Friday. Column went 1-6-1 with a few tough beats down the stretch, including getting a push on the total in Davidson-Fordham.

Best bets column is back at it though with several March Madness filled games that will have an impact on Sunday's Selection show. I'm angling several matchups littered across the semifinals and conference championship games.

Let's bounce back and have a day, here are my plays with odds courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Column Record: 94-91-4 (-1.22 Units)

College Basketball Best Bets Saturday March 12th

• Richmond +3
• Memphis-SMU OVER 141.5
• Northern Colorado +4.5
• San Diego State/Villanova ML Parlay (+125)
• Virginia Tech 1H +3 (-105)
• Arizona -1.5
• Abilene Christian +5

Saint Louis (+3) vs. Davidson

These two met on February 19th and SLU was boat raced by the Wildcats 3-point offense. Davidson shot 14-of-24 at home and the Bilks never had a prayer. Ultimately, Davidson won 79-58. This is the A-10's best offense so it's possible that they go off again, but I'm banking on a better defensive performance from the normally stout St. Louis defense.

The Bilks allow the third lowest 3-point rate in the conference and also do a great job of cutting off ball movement from teams, allowing the lowest assist rate in A-10 play. SLU is going to force Davidson to win in isolation situations and I think big man Francis Okoro is up to snuff against versatile big Wildcats center Luka Brajkovic, who scored 16 in the February victory.

Davidson's defense isn't going to challenge SLU's ball handlers, the team's compact defense is going to let the underdogs hoist from beyond the arc. The Wildcats are bottom 25 in the country in 3-point rate and generates the second fewest turnovers. With that being said, the Bilks do a great job of getting at the rim, ranking 12th in the country in near proximity percentage per Haslemetrics (for what it's worth, Davidson is 6th on defense, meaning they allow very few shots at the rim). The game is likely won on if SLU can get some looks inside.

I'll grab this at over a bucket. Less than a month ago, Davidson closed a 1.5-point favorite at home and is now laying 3 on a neutral? I think the Bilks have edges that can come to fruition in this game. If they can get inside I think they match up well on the outside and can limit an explosion from deep.

PICK: St. Louis +3, play to +2.5

Iowa Team Total OVER 75

I'm going to stop fading Indiana after two unsuccessful attempts in the Big Ten Tournament, but I do find myself more and more impressed with this Iowa team. For my money, this team is shaping up to be the most dangerous NCAA Tournament team, playing like a top five team over the past month.

Indiana can throw Trayce Jackson-Davis on Keegan Murray, but this is his third straight high level matchup in three days, I wonder if he can hold up on that end. Not to mention, the Hawkeyes pace is too frenetic for the Hoosiers to keep up. They have the shortest average offensive possession length in Big Ten play and are the best at both protecting the ball and turning their opponent over.

The Hoosiers have been fantastic on the defensive side of the ball, but Iowa has hit this number in all but one of their last 11 games. I'm playing the averages and think the sweet shooting Hawkeyes get to their quota.

PICK: Iowa Team Total OVER 75

Kentucky (-145) vs. Tennessee

When Kentucky has a healthy TyTy Washington and Sahvir Wheeler, they may be the best team in the country. The team is as complete as anyone and I trust them more than their mercurial opponent, Tennessee.

These two met twice this season, once at Rupp Arena in Lexington, when the Wildcats announced themselves as National Championship contenders, winning 107-79, then a second time in Knoxville with Washington and Wheeler hobbled. The game got away from Kentucky, who closed around a PK, losing 76-63.

The two guards look healthy while Tennessee's own guard Kennedy Chandler got banged up in the quarterfinals win over Mississippi State on Friday night, injuring his ankle. Chandler is the straw that stirs the drink for the Vols, and while he came back in, we'll see how he does in his second game in as many nights.

This is a high level matchup, but I see edges for Kentucky on a neutral. Away from home, this Vols team isn't the same, ranking 79th in adjusted offensive efficiency away or on a neutral, per barttorvik.com. The defense is elite (7th) but I trust UK's balance, inside the top 15 on both sides of the ball.

PICK: Kentucky ML -145, 2U

You can find all of Reed's bets HERE!