The college basketball season is down to 15 games left in the NCAA tournament, a handful of games in the NIT, and the College Basketball Crown. That’s all we’ve got left. However, the slate for the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament is only power programs, and should be an absolute banger. We’ve found three college basketball picks that you’ll want to have on your card for tonight’s games. Let’s get into it.
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College Basketball Preview, Picks, and Best Bets for March 26
Matt Dewoskin ATS College Basketball Picks Record (Est 11/3/2025)
All Selections: 217-180-5
Perfect 3-0 Cards: 21-112
Iowa (9) vs Nebraska (4)
Start Time: 7:30 PM EST
Iowa enters this game with a 23-12 overall mark and a 20-15 mark overall against the spread. Nebraska comes into this matchup with a 28-6 overall record and a 19-15 mark overall ATS.
These two teams played twice this year. Iowa won and covered as a short favorite at home, while Nebraska won and covered as a 4.5-point favorite at a neutral site in the Big Ten conference tournament. The conference tournament game did go to overtime.
Iowa won and covered against Clemson in the first round as a short favorite, and upset Florida as a 10.5-point underdog in the second round. Nebraska won and covered as a 13.5-point favorite against Troy in the first round, and beat Vanderbilt as a short underdog in the second round.
This is a matchup in which coaching matters. The job that Iowa coach Ben McCollum has done in the first two rounds has been a master class. Iowa doesn’t have elite athletes, but they’ve been able to put themselves in a position to win against teams that do, and that comes down to coaching…and shot making. Iowa got Clemson and Florida to let the Hawkeyes dictate pace, limit possessions, and generally harass their opponents out of the game. The Hawkeyes know their system, make shots, and already have a win over Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers don’t get enough credit for their defensive effort this year. Nebraska has a top-10 defense this year. However, Iowa has proven they can beat Nebraska and took them to overtime in the conference tournament. Iowa has the better coach, and the Hawkeyes have proven they can survive and advance. Let’s continue to ride the hot program that might have the best coach in the nation. Lock up Iowa to cover and win as the short underdog.
Best Bet: Iowa +1.5
Arkansas (4) vs Arizona (1)
Start Time: 9:45 PM EST
Arkansas enters this matchup with a 28-8 overall record and a 23-13 overall mark ATS. Arizona comes into this game with a 34-2 overall record and a 21-15 mark overall ATS.
Arkansas won and covered against Hawaii in the opening round as a heavy favorite, but snuck past High Point as an 11.5-point favorite in the second round. Arizona beat up against the Long Island Sharks in round one, but got hooked as a 12.5-point favorite against Utah State.
Arkansas had head-to-head matchups against Duke, Houston, and Florida this year. The Razorbacks lost by nine to Duke, lost by nine to Houston, and lost by 34 to Florida. They’re only catching 7.5 points against Arizona. The concern here is that Arkansas runs one of the shortest rotations in the country. The Razorbacks typically only play seven guys and rely on Darius Acuff, Trevon Brazile, and Meleek Thomas to log heavy minutes. The short bench likely catches up to Arkansas, and they let Arizona pull away late.
Arizona can send multiple waves of athletes against Arkansas. They have one of the deepest front courts left in the tournament, and experienced, senior guards to control the pace and defend the perimeter. This game will stay close for the first 30 minutes, but Arkansas runs out of gas late, either due to workload or foul trouble. Arizona wins and covers. Arkansas looks like the fake sharp play of the Sweet Sixteen, and it’s hard to find a handicapper on social media touting Arizona. Lock up the Wildcats and fade the Twitter geniuses.
Best Bet: Arizona -7.5
Illinois (3) vs Houston (2)
Start Time: 10:05 PM EST
Illinois enters this game with a 26-8 overall mark and a 19-15 record overall ATS. Houston comes into this game with a 30-6 overall record and an 18-18 mark overall ATS.
Illinois Won and covered as a heavy favorite against Penn in the first round and VCU in the second round. Houston won and covered as a heavy favorite against Idaho in the first round, and then won and covered against Texas A&M in the second round.
Illinois played UConn in the non-conference slate and Michigan in conference play. They lost and failed to cover as a short favorite against both power programs. Houston has two losses against Arizona, but Illinois isn’t on the same level as the Wildcats. Illinois has size, but they lack toughness. The Fighting Illini also haven’t faced too many teams that can defend down low and at the perimeter. Houston can do both.
The Cougars also have an experience edge. Houston has a few new pieces, but they’ve had a lot of the same guys in their program for multiple years and have been through the tournament grind before. This game is also in Houston, and the Cougars should have a home-court advantage, essentially. Houston can handle teams with size, they can score, and they still defend like Houston is known for. Let’s lock up the Cougars to win and cover as a short favorite in a favorable environment.
Best Bet: Houston -2.5
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis of every college basketball game in the 2025-26 season, tune in to The College Basketball Experience. Colby Dant, Moneyline Mac, and Noah Bieniek talk about each game on the entire slate. Listen for input on ATS and moneyline college basketball picks every night!
