Top College Basketball Picks and Predictions Today (Back UNC Wilmington, Gonzaga and More on March 8)
Looking for some bets to make in college basketball in conference championship week?
The BetSided team has you covered with picks from Reed Wallach and Joe Summers using the odds at WynnBET for today's games:
Delaware vs UNC Wilmington Prediction and Pick
Woohoo! Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your accountant - we get another day to bet UNC Wilmington as an underdog! We cashed on the best underdog bet in sports yet again yesterday and we're going right back to the well today.
The Seahawks are now 12-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last 13 as an underdog and have won 11 of those outright. That's not a typo. UNC Wilmington has eleven wins in their last 13 games as an underdog! That's insane! They've won five straight overall and just as they have all year, they're finding ways to win even in games they're not playing well.
Meanwhile, the Fightin' Blue Hens jumped out to an early lead against Towson and never looked back, controlling the game from start to finish in an extremely inspired performance. However, I do have some concerns ahead of today's matchup.
Delaware's rebounding has been a thorn in its side all year and they allowed Towson to nab 17 offensive rebounds last night. The Tigers just couldn't hit shots, going a pathetic 31% from the field and 17.4% from beyond the arc. Perhaps that was because of Delaware's defensive pressure, but their defense ranks only 208th in adjusted efficiency on the year so I think it's more likely that Towson was simply missing.
It's possible UNC Wilmington has an equally poor shooting performance but I'm willing to bet that won't be the case. Even if it is the case, the Seahawks are in the 92nd percentile in offensive rebounding over their last five games and nabbed a combined 26 offensive boards in their two wins over Delaware. With their rebounding advantage and a 98th-percentile ranking in turnover percentage over their last five, UNC Wilmington will have plenty of opportunities to score.
I love this Seahawks squad with all my heart and will continue backing them until I can't anymore. The Fightin' Blue Hens have covered as a favorite just once in their past four tries and I think UNC Wilmington just has too many advantages. Give me the Seahawks to punch their ticket to the big dance and give us at least one more game to enjoy the spoils of the best underdog bet in sports.
Pick: UMC Wilmington +110 -- Joe Summers
Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.
Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga Prediction and Pick
Saint Mary's is more than capable of hanging here, head coach Randy Bennett is one of the best game planners in the country, but I don't see another upset for the Gaels against the vaunted Zags.
As simple as it sounds, I think we see Gonzaga's best after the road loss to end the regular season. The extra motivation is all this team needs, ranked the best by KenPom and all major advanced metrics websites, to overwhelm a methodical Gaels offense that is disciplined but lacks the firepower to keep pace with Chet Holmgren and the Bulldogs on their best night.
Few's team won't get many clean looks, but I see them keeping St. Mary's at bay for most of this one. The underdogs are the No. 1 turnover team in the country, but the Bulldogs turn it over less than any other team in the WCC. If the Zags are protecting the rock, they are going to find ways to put the ball in the hoop either inside or out. Not to mention if the Bulldogs can rebound off of misses.
I also like that San Francisco made the Bulldogs semifinal victory close at the end with some sloppy play in the final few minutes, fueling a more focused Zags team in the title game.
LEAN: Gonzaga -13 -- Reed Wallach
All of Reed's college basketball plays can be tracked here, his best bets column for college basketball is 91-82-3 for +4.58 units.
Georgia Tech vs. Louisville Prediction and Pick
I'm not all to sure why Louisville is receiving credit from the oddsmakers in this one. The Cardinals look like they have no interest in continuing on this season, dropping their last four games to close out the regular season by an average margin of 17.8 points.
Meanwhile, Georgia Tech presents a unique 1-3-1 zone defense that isn't the easiest to prep for, and a Cards team that is just going through the motions may not have much interest in competing in this one, and Josh Pastner's team just beat Boston College in overtime to cap off the regular season.
Georgia Tech's offense is brutal at times, but Louisville is bottom three in ACC play in turnover rate while GT's zone generates turnovers at the second highest clip, which can create easy buckets against a sloppy Louisville offense. I see that, coupled with a motivation edge, enough to take GT as small underdogs.
LEAN: Georgia Tech +105, play to -110 -- Reed Wallach