Our free College Basketball picks are out for Saturday, March 5th, 2022! Make sure you check our expert College Basketball picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free College Basketball picks for the best games on today’s schedule!
#14 Arkansas @ #13 Tennessee – 12pm ET
This Top 25 SEC matchup is just one of many high-stakes games on the March 5th slate. As the 14th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks travel to Knoxville to play the 13th ranked Tennessee Volunteers. As both teams will be looking for a huge momentum boost to finish the regular season.
Marko Nadin
The Tennessee Volunteers are hosting the Arkansas Razorbacks in the last game of the regular season. Tennessee is currently at a 22-7 record and a perfect 15-0 at home. They are currently on a three-game winning streak coming off a 75-68 win at Georgia. Tennessee has won 4 of the last 6 games against Arkansas. They have been pretty dominating lately covering the spread in 4 of the last 5 games against teams with a winning record of over 60%. The Volunteers have played over the total points margin in 8 of the last 9 games against teams with a winning record.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are 24-6 for the season and 6-2 on the road. They have been playing particularly well lately winning 9 of the last 10 games, losing only to Alabama by 1 point in that stint. Arkansas is coming off 5 straight wins, most recently 77-76 against LSU. The Razorbacks defeated Tennessee 58-48 at home earlier this season. The Razorbacks have covered the spread in 12 of the last 16 games overall and their last 6 road games. Arkansas has played over the total points margin in 8 of the last 9 games against teams with a winning record.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Over 139.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Arkansas Razorbacks are coming into this game ranked inside of the top 15 of the country at 14th in the nation. They are currently 24-6 on the season as they are already a lock for the NCAA tournament in my opinion. They are currently in second place in the SEC with a conference record of 13-4, they hold the tiebreaker over the Kentucky Wildcats and their opponents in this one the Tennessee Volunteers as they are also 13-4. Which makes this game even more meaningful as they would likely drop to 4th with a loss.
One final reminder.
Find your color at https://t.co/ZiLwrLnlcX pic.twitter.com/Ycv1Mau6fJ
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 5, 2022
The Tennessee Volunteers come into this game ranked inside the top 15 of the country as they are currently 13th in the nation. On the year Tennessee has a record of 22-7 and also already have their place locked in the NCAA tournament in my opinion. They are 13-4 inside of conference play which currently has them in fourth. With a win, they could end up as high as second in the conference. They will be looking to finish the season a perfect 16-0 on their home floor. As for the result of this game that is exactly what I see happening as I have Tennessee getting the victory over Arkansas.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee (-265)
Noah Dunlap
On a loaded final weekend of the regular season, we start with a great matchup between two top-15 teams, who both have dreams of making a deep run through the tournament. The Arkansas Razorbacks come into this one at 24-6, and arguably most importantly, they’ve picked up their play even more late in the year. Over the past few weeks, they’ve knocked off both Kentucky and Auburn, and are beginning to look like a team you don’t want to run across at any point through the Big Dance.
They travel east to Knoxville in this one, to take on a Tennessee team that is undefeated at home on the season. The Vols have struggled a bit on the road and in neutral site games though, which could be a bit concerning, as they obviously won’t be getting tournament games at Thompson-Bolling. With this being the final home game for Tennessee, I think Kennedy Chandler and company come out looking to finish off the undefeated year in Knoxville, and I think they do just that. Give me the Vols in a close one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee (-265)
#25 Alabama @ LSU – 12pm ET
In the second featured SEC matchup of the afternoon as the 25th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will travel to Baton Rouge to play the Tigers of LSU. Both teams could use a victory in this one as they both sit on the NCAA tournament bubble.
Marko Nadin
The LSU Tigers are going into the last game of the regular season as 10th in the SEC with a 20-10 record and 14-2 at home. They have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 77-76 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Tigers are among the best defensive teams in the nation as they allow 38.5% from the field and only 27.7% from the three-point line. LSU has covered the spread in 16 of the last 22 home games and 4 of the last 5. They have played over the total points margin in 8 of the last 11 games.
The Alabama Crimson Tide is 5th in the SEC with a 19-11 record. They have won 5 of the last 7 games but are coming off a blowout 87-71 loss to Texas A&M. Alabama is ranked 12th in the nation scoring 80.2 points per game but at the same time, they allow 76.1 which ranks them 329th. Alabama has won the last 5 games against LSU, most recently 70-67 in January. Alabama has covered the spread in 13 of the last 16 games following a double-digit loss but has done that in only one of the last 7 games.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: LSU (-172)
Tony Battalio
If you would’ve asked me three weeks ago if I thought that the Alabama Crimson Tide were going to miss the NCAA tournament I would’ve called you crazy. However, after poor play over the last couple of weeks, it is becoming a real possibility, as they come into this game desperately needing a victory. They are currently ranked 25th in the nation and have a record of 19-11 on the season. If they manage to lose this one and have an early exit in the SEC conference tournament they could find themselves sitting at home when Selection Sunday finishes.
LSU will face Alabama in the regular season & home finale on Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m., live on CBS.
Senior Tribute will begin at 10:40 a.m.
📝 https://t.co/I6Z8n9oodR pic.twitter.com/OSnOLgCNEt
— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) March 5, 2022
The LSU is coming into this game with a record of 19-11 on the season. Much like Alabama they also desperately need a victory if they want to have a better chance of being included in the big dance this season. LSU is currently in the middle of the pack in the conference with a record of 8-9 through 17 games. I think playing at home gives the Tigers an extra edge in this one and I think it will be the reason they get the win over Alabama to close out the regular-season schedule.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: LSU (-172)
Noah Dunlap
After a hot start to the year through non-conference play, the LSU Tigers have faltered in SEC play, which has to have fans a bit concerned. The good news is that they’ve managed to stay afloat, coming in at 20-10, and I think that is going to be enough to get them in the tournament, though it’s a massive fall from where they saw themselves two months ago. To make matters worse, they’ve lost three of their last four, which doesn’t give me much optimism that they somehow turn it around for March Madness.
Now Alabama heads over to Baton Rouge, to try to improve on their 19-11 record. The weird situation with this matchup is that while LSU has a better record, I don’t think you can find many people that think they’re the better team. The Crimson Tide have multiple big wins, including over Gonzaga and Houston, and that’s the primary reason they’re still pretty solidly in the tournament. Even with this one being on the road, I’m actually going to take Bama here, as I think they hit just enough shots to get by the struggling Tigers.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Alabama (+142)
#21 Texas @ #6 Kansas – 4pm ET
This ranked Big 12 matchup has a lot riding on it. As the 21st ranked Texas Longhorns could really use the win to boost their bubble standing. While the sixth ranked Kansas Jayhawks need a win to keep their number one seed hopes alive going into the conference tournament.
Marko Nadin
The Kansas Jayhawks are going to the last regular season game as a top seed in Big 12 with a 24-6 record including 15-1 at home. They bounced back in the last game with a 72-68 win over TCU after losing two straight games to Baylor and TCU. Kansas is among the top 25 teams in points per game with 78.9 and field goals percentage with 48.6%. Senior Ochai Agbaji is having a great season averaging 20.2 points and 5.2 rebounds. Kansas has covered the spread in 8 of 16 home games this season and in 5 of the last 10.
The Texas Longhorns are 4th in the Big 12 with a 21-9 record and 3-7 on the road. They have lost 3 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 68-61 loss to the defending champions Baylor Bears in a game in which the Longhorns made only 17% of their three-point attempts. Texas allows only 59.1 points per game which ranks them 8th in the nation. They have won the last 3 games against Kansas, most recently 79-76 at the beginning of February. Texas has covered the spread in only 3 of their last 10 games.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-255)
Tony Battalio
The Texas Longhorns come into this game ranked 21st in the nation. They have a record of 21-9 on the season and are already likely going to go to the NCAA tournament regardless of what happens between now and Selection Sunday. However, a win in this one could be huge for their seeding probabilities. It would also give them a little bit of revenge for the loss to Kansas in football by dashing the Jayhawks’ hopes at a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. Texas is currently on a one-game losing streak after dropping their last game to the Baylor Bears.
back at it tomorrow pic.twitter.com/NxEdxaXNCB
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) March 5, 2022
The Kansas Jayhawks found themselves in trouble once again the other night as they almost lost their second straight game to the Horned Frogs of TCU. Kansas comes into this game with a record of 24-6 on the season and ranked inside of the top ten of the nation at 6th in the country for now. They are still in the hunt for a number one seed in the NCAA tournament as well but they certainly do not control their destiny at this point. As for the result of this one I have the Kansas Jayhawks getting the win over Texas to close out the regular season.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-255)
Noah Dunlap
Can the Kansas Jayhawks hang onto their slight edge in the Big-12, as we come into the final game of the regular season? They’ve been the best team in the conference for much of the year, apart from a few games that they simply forgot to play in, and now they look to solidify that point by locking up a regular-season conference title, though the Baylor Bears aren’t far behind, and are simply looking for one slip. Kansas, after losing two in a row, finally got back on track with a win over TCU in their last game, and now they’re looking to close out the year the same way.
However, they’re taking on a Texas Longhorn team in this one that could easily be up to the challenge, as they’re a defensive-minded team that plays physically and causes plenty of disruptions. This is the main reason that they’ve managed to hang onto a 21-9 record, seeing as their offense struggles mightily a lot of the time. In the end, I think these offensive problems rear their head in this one, as I don’t think they’re able to score enough to hang around with Kansas for 40 minutes. Take the Jayhawks, at home, with relative ease.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-255)
North Carolina @ #4 Duke – 6pm ET
Tobacco Row gets renewed in this one as the North Carolina Tar Heels travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium for what could be the final Duke Carolina game of Coach K’s legendary career. Both teams will be looking for a huge win going in the ACC Conference Tournament.
Marko Nadin
The Duke Blue Devils are hosting the North Carolina Tar Heels in one of the most expected games in recent NCAA history. This will be the last home game for coach Mike Krzyzewski who is retiring after spending 43 years in charge of the Blue Devils. The average ticket price is around $5,300 which is more expensive than all but three Super Bowls since 2010. The Blue Devils are going into the game with a 26-4 record which puts them on top of the ACC. Duke has won the last 7 games and is coming off a 86-56 win over Pittsburgh. The Blue Devils won the first game against UNC this season 87-67.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are second in the ACC with a 22-8 record. They have won 4 straight games, most recently 88-79 in overtime against Syracuse. UNC has won two of the last three games against Duke. The Tar Heels will be short-handed in this game as Juston McKoy, Dawson Garcia, and Anthony Harris will miss the game with injuries. UNC has covered the spread only twice in the last seven games following against the spread win and only once in the last 5 games against teams with a winning home record over 60%.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Duke (-750)
Tony Battalio
There is no rivalry more iconic in college basketball than the one that is separated by Tobacco Road. As the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils have written many of the chapters in the history of the sport of college basketball. Once again on Saturday night, another chapter will be written, as this will be the final game in the career of legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Tar Heels will be looking to spoil the party as they come into this game with a record of 22-8 on the season. North Carolina is still dangerous enough to win the ACC conference tournament so there is always a chance these teams will meet again.
🔜 “Senior Night” for #CoachK pic.twitter.com/XnUhMiJqSX
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 5, 2022
As for the Duke Blue Devils, they come into this game ranked fourth in the nation. They are likely going to be one of the number one seeds in the NCAA tournament if they win this one and cap off the double by winning the ACC conference tournament. Duke has won the ACC regular-season championship already as they are currently 16-3 inside of the conference. They are on a seven-game winning streak at the moment and as for the result of this game is a concern I think they will complete the sweep over the Tar Heels with a win in coach K’s last game at the arena he made famous.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Duke (-750)
Noah Dunlap
In what is sure to be an emotional night for everyone involved, as it’s Coach K’s last game at Cameron Indoor, the Duke Blue Devils take on their rival North Carolina Tar Heels. Duke comes in looking to virtually lock up their claim to a one-seed come tournament time, and with the way they’ve been playing, I think they have a really good shot at doing it. They’ve won seven straight, and in their previous meeting against UNC, they took care of business with a 20-point win.
Now, it is important to point out that the Tar Heels are playing much better now than they were at the time of the first meeting, as they currently sit at 2nd in the ACC, though I’m not sure that’s going to matter here. They’ll be without multiple people due to injuries, and even if they were fully healthy, I see no way that the Blue Devils fall in Coach K’s last game in Durham. Duke rolls.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Duke (-750)
#16 USC @ #17 UCLA – 10pm ET
The college version of the battle of Los Angeles will take place in this one. As the 16th ranked Trojans will take on the 17th ranked Bruins in a huge Pac-12 matchup. As both teams will look to add a big win to their resumes before the conference tournament starts.
Marko Nadin
The battle for LA will close the regular season in the Pac 12. The UCLA Bruins are second in the conference with a 22-6 record including 13-1 at home. UCLA is coming of a 77-66 win over Washington which was their 6th win in the last 7 games. The last time they defeated USC was back in 2019. UCLA has covered the spread in 6 of the last 7 home games and in 8 of the last 11 games against teams with a winning road record. They have played under the total points margin in 10 of the last 11 games against teams with a winning record over 60% and in 6 of the last 7 games following a win.
The USC Trojans are currently at 25-5 record including 9-2 on the road. They lost 91-71 in the last round to the Arizona Wildcats which was their first loss after six straight wins. The Trojans have won the last five games against UCLA. They have covered the spread in 6 of the last 7 games against teams with a winning record over 60% and in 8 of the last 11 road games. They have played under the total points margin in the last 5 games against teams with a winning record. USC is an 8-point underdog going into this match and will be able to cover that spread.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: USC +8 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The USC Trojans come into this game ranked 16th in the country. They will be looking to cap off the regular season by taking out their rivals, the UCLA Bruins for the second time this season. As the first time these two teams met it was the Trojans who came out on top by a score of 67-64 at home. USC comes into this one at 22-5 on the season but their poor quality of losses will likely keep them far away from the number one seed line. They are currently 14-5 in the Pac-12 conference as they are tied with UCLA and the winner will finish in second place.
Just like last year, our regular season ends in Pauley on Saturday.@2Teazy vibes only. pic.twitter.com/pNsLTqXP1G
— USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hoops) March 5, 2022
The UCLA Bruins come into this game with a record of 22-6 but much like USC their poor quality of their losses will keep them out of the conversation for a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. The Bruins have had a crazy season that has been interrupted several times by Covid cancellations and it has really thrown off their rhythm on multiple occasions. They will be looking to end the regular season on a high note and split the season series with a win in this one as a potential third matchup is looming between these two teams in the Pac-12 conference tournament. However, as for the result of this game I don’t see it happening as I have USC getting the victory.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: USC (+280)
Noah Dunlap
UCLA is the better of these two teams, and currently second in the Pac-12, but the one problem is that as of late, USC has simply owned them. The Trojans have won five straight in this series, despite UCLA making the Final Four last year, and looking like a team that has the potential to do the same this year if they can get healthy. The Bruins have won six of their last seven, though, which should give them momentum coming into this one.
USC enters this one at 25-5, including playing really good ball as of late. They’ve won six of their last seven, even though they did lose their last game at the hands of the Arizona Wildcats. Both of these teams are clear tournament teams, which makes this one even more intriguing in the last game of the regular season. In the end, I’m going to take UCLA to get the job done, ending the losing streak to the Trojans, and taking this battle of LA.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: UCLA (-360)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
