March is upon us and that means madness. Conference Tournament play has begun and has been nothing but entertaining thus far. Upsets, hearts being broken, and number 1 seeds already going down. Not a whole lot of games on today’s slate but definitely an opportunity to make some money. Let’s take a closer look at today’s card and give you our best college basketball picks of the day.
CBB Picks: College Best Bets for Tuesday, March 8th
Boston College vs Pittsburgh
Time: 2:00 p.m EST
TV: ACCN
Let’s hit the big apple for the ACC tournament. Both teams struggled down the stretch coming into the tournament. I think Ithiel Horton and John Hugley give this Pittsburgh offense a little bit of a jolt offensively. Hugley is solid down low and gives you 14.5 points and 7 rebounds per game. Now, with BC they lack shooting the three.
They only have one guy who averages more than 1.5 points per game that shoots over 29% from behind the arch. They don’t have a ton down low either. BC has allowed 70 points in three straight games; the defense has not been there. I think we have a live dog in this matchup. I think Pittsburgh’s shooting will warm up and give them the edge in this matchup. I’m getting +2 in my pocket with Pittsburgh, give me the points with the Panthers.
Pick: Pittsburgh +2
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Jacksonville vs Bellarmine
Time: 5:00 p.m EST
TV: ESPN2
It’s a shame that Bellarmine is ineligible for the big dance this year. When switching over from division 2 to division 1, the NCAA makes you sit out a year. With that being said, this should be a very interesting matchup. Jacksonville is very sound defensively. Bellarmine not so much, they ranked 337th in the country in points given up on a per-possession basis. Jacksonville is 56th in the country on points given up on a per-possession basis, so very good on defense. It’s weird because Bellarmine is ranked 50th in regard to points scored on a per-possession basis.
Both teams play at a relatively slow pace, nothing too fast. Bellarmine does a good job at taking care of the ball, top ten in the country with 9.6 turnovers per game. But what I think is really big for Jacksonville is a guy like Jordan Davis who is great on the glass and can get you second-chance shots. I think Jacksonville will be able to hold in there, both teams have a lot to play for. This should be a close, tight game coming down to the wire. I’m willing to take Jacksonville here at three-plus.
Pick: Jacksonville +3
Wagner vs Bryant
Time: 7:00 p.m
TV: ESPN2
We got a great matchup for the NEC Championship. Bryant is a team that is able to get a lot of shots off but don’t necessarily shoot it all that well. Bryant is shooting as a team, 30.7% from three with fourteen turnovers per game. Wagner is just as bad shooting the ball, 29.2% from three. Alex Morales of Wagner should be the most well-rounded player on the court, 18.2 points per game, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and shoots 36% from three. Wagner does a good job sharing the ball as well. Wagner is also the better defensive team and I think it will travel. I think Wagner will be able to hold in this game, they have the depth. They’ll be able to slow Bryant down with their defense. So, here at +4, +4.5, I’d much rather take the points than lay them.
Pick: Wagner +4.5
