Our free College Basketball picks are out for Thursday, March 10th, 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!
Syracuse vs #7 Duke – 12:30pm ET
The Syracuse Orange will meet the Duke Blue Devils in this ACC Conference Tournament Quarterfinal matchup. The Orange got a win in their first tournament game against Florida State. Syracuse is 16-16 on the season, while Duke is 26-5 and ranked 7th in the nation.
Marko Nadin
After coach Mike Krzyzewski said goodbye to the home crowd at Duke University, the Blue Devils are continuing their season with a quarterfinal game of the ACC against Syracuse at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Duke has finished the regular season on top of the ACC with a 26-5 record. Duke has won 8 of the last 9 games against Syracuse and are 11.5 points favorites going into this one. This season the Blue Devils defeated the Orange by 25 and 18 points in the two games and a similar scenario is expected in the quarterfinals as well.
The Syracuse Orange finished the regular season 8th in the ACC with a 16-16 record. They are coming off a 96-57 win over Florida State after losing the previous four games. Syracuse was ranked 318th in the nation allowing 75.2 points per game and Duke will put a high-scoring performance in this one. Syracuse has lost the last 4 games against teams with a winning record of over 60%. They have played over the total points margin in 5 of the last 6 games.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Duke -14.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Syracuse Orange come into this game after taking down the Florida State Seminoles in the second round of the ACC conference tournament. They are even at the .500 mark with a record of 16-16 on the season. If they want to make the NCAA tournament they will need to continue to rack up wins in the ACC Conference Tournament. It’s been an up and down season for the Orange as they look to make one final push to get into the big dance, but it certainly won’t be an easy task against the Blue Devils.
Got Cuse tomorrow at noon#ACCTourney | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/pis3qABK9B
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 9, 2022
The Duke Blue Devils had their Cameron farewell party ruined by their rivals, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Now they will be looking to bounce back in this one against a Syracuse team they have already beaten this season. Both times these schools met last season it was Duke that came out on top by double digits. Now the Orange will also be without their best player after Buddy Boeheim was suspended following an incident in their second-round win over Florida State. This is why I expect more of the same in this one as I look for Duke to roll to victory and send Syracuse home for the year.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Duke (-1450)
Noah Dunlap
The Duke Blue Devils open their quest to win the ACC tournament title against a sneaky Syracuse team that can quietly cause problems if you choose to overlook them. The Orange come into this one at 16-16 but have shown, at times, the ability to explode, and just dominate opponents. This was shown in their ACC tournament opener, as they knocked off Florida State by nearly 40.
The problem is that they get a team much better than FSU in their second game, as they take on the 7th-ranked Duke Blue Devils. Duke has one of the most talented lineups in the country, and the size to cause problems, with freshman Paolo Banchero down low. This is a game that I think Duke simply runs away with, as they’re still in the running for a one-seed in the NCAA tournament, depending on how Conference tournament week plays out. The Blue Devils roll.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Duke (-1450)
TCU vs #22 Texas – 12:30pm ET
It feels like both teams’ tournament hopes are riding on the outcome of this game. As the Horned Frogs of TCU meet the 22nd ranked Texas Longhorns in a huge Big 12 conference tournament matchup. The winner of this one will face the winner of Kansas and West Virginia.
Marko Nadin
The Texas Longhorns finished the regular season fourth in the Big 12 with a 21-10 record. Last season they won the Big 12 championship for the first time in school history and are hoping to repeat that this season as well. Their journey begins with a quarterfinal matchup against TCU, a team that they have defeated the last 7 times they played each other. Texas is the ninth-best defensive team allowing only 59.5 points per game for the season. The Longhorns are a 6 points favorites going into this one but have not covered the spread in their last 5 games.
The TCU Horned Frogs finished the season with a 19-11 record that put them 5th in the Big 12. They lost the last two games to Kansas and West Virginia. The Horned Frogs scored and allowed around 68 points per game during the regular season which ranked them just over the 250th place in the nation. TCU covered the spread in 5 of the last 7 games and will do that this time around against the state rival.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: TCU +6 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Horned Frogs come into this game with a record of 19-11 on the season. This one certainly feels like a must-win game for their NCAA tournament hopes. After getting a big win over the Kansas Jayhawks at home a couple of weeks ago, TCU would go on to finish their regular season on a two-game losing streak. That losing streak made their path to the big dance much more difficult. As they will likely need to upset Kansas again and get to the Big 12 conference tournament finals to even get safely on the bubble again.
It’s March. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/rsC9Uthnv4
— #22 Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 10, 2022
The Texas Longhorns can breathe a little bit more easily as they are coming into this game with a 21-10 record. They are currently ranked 22nd in the country. Much like TCU, Texas also finished the season on a two-game losing streak after dropping back-to-back games to Kansas and Baylor to finish the year. The last time these two teams got together it was TCU that came out on top with a 75-66 victory over Texas in Austin. As for the result of this meeting, however, I have the Longhorns getting the victory and advancing to the semifinals.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas (-250)
Noah Dunlap
This Big-12 quarterfinal is an all-Texas affair, as Texas takes on TCU. Both of these teams finished the season as probable tournament teams, Texas for sure, while TCU is somewhat sweating it out, but I do think they’re a virtual lock at this point. The Longhorns are looking to win the Big-12 tournament title for a second straight year, though they’re probably going to have to pick up their play a bit if they want to repeat. They have one of the best defenses in the country, but their offense has the potential to be their demise this year, as they tend to disappear. This is why, despite the Horned Frogs struggling on the defensive end, I’m going to take them to at least cover the spread, as I don’t think Texas’ offense can score enough to get to the number. Texas wins late, but it comes in an extremely tight one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: TCU +6 (-110)
Northwestern vs #24 Iowa – 2pm ET
The Northwestern Wildcats come into this one off of a comeback win. Their present is getting to play the 24th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in this Big Ten Conference tournament matchup. Iowa comes into this one looking to get into the Quarterfinals and meet Rutgers tomorrow.
Marko Nadin
The Iowa Hawkeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats will collide in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. The Hawkeyes finished fourth in the conference with a 22-9 record. They finished the regular season with a 74-72 loss to Indiana. Keegan Murray is having a terrific season averaging 23.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Iowa has the fifth-best offense in the country scoring 83.3 points per game. The Hawkeyes have won the last 7 and 9 of the last 10 games against Northwestern and they are 7.5 point favorites going into this one. Guard Patrick McCaffery, who averages 10.5 points per game this season, will not play in this game.
The Northwestern Wildcats finished the season in 10th place in the conference with a 15-15 record. They are coming into this game after defeating Nebraska 71-69 in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. Northwestern had a 14-point deficit at halftime but managed to come back and win, led by Pete Nance who finished the game with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Wildcats defeated Iowa the last time in 2017.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa (-345)
Tony Battalio
Northwestern pulled off an amazing 15 point comeback to knock off Nebraska in the first round of the Big Ten conference tournament. Now they get to face off with the Iowa Hawkeyes for a date in the quarterfinals on Friday with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It has been a rough season for Northwestern as they come into this game with a record of 15-15 on the year. After starting the season with a great 9-2 record in non-conference play, the Big Ten conference schedule became their downfall as they went 7-13 and finished near the bottom of the standings.
📍 Indy #Hawkeyes x #B1GTourney pic.twitter.com/rOZ2JHVDgG
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) March 9, 2022
The Iowa Hawkeyes come into this game with a record of 22-9 on the season. A win in this game over the Cornhuskers would almost certainly lock them into an NCAA tournament spot this year. They finished the regular season in fifth place in the conference after losing to the Illinois Fighting Illini on the final day of the regular season, which cost them a spot in the top four and a double-bye. As for the result of this game I have the Iowa Hawkeyes getting the victory over Northwestern.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa (-345)
Noah Dunlap
This matchup in the Big Ten tournament gives us an extremely shaky Northwestern team (they’re one of the worst in the conference) taking on an Iowa team that has shown flashes of brilliance this year but also shown the possibility of struggling as well. The Wildcats held on to take care of Nebraska in the previous round, with a two-point win, while Iowa will be playing in their first game of the tournament.
The Hawkeyes come into this at 22-9 on the year, and while they’re already a virtual lock to make the Big Dance, they still can improve their seeding with a strong performance in the Big Ten tournament. That would have to start with a win over an overmatched Northwestern squad, and I think that’s exactly what we get. Give me the Hawkeyes with ease.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa (-345)
Oklahoma vs #3 Baylor – 7pm ET
The Oklahoma Sooners and Baylor Bears will be facing off for the third time this season. Both of the previous two times the Baylor Bears got the win. Now Oklahoma is in a must-win situation if they want to make the NCAA tournament this season. While Baylor’s quest for the number one overall seed continues.
Marko Nadin
The Baylor Bears finished the regular season on top of Big 12 with a 26-5 record and are starting their journey to try to defend the championship with a conference quarterfinal game against Oklahoma. Baylor has won the last 8 games against the Sooners and is going into this one as 8.5 points favorite. Baylor finished the regular season with 5 straight wins which certainly takes their confidence to the highest possible level. Baylor has won 15 of the last 21 games playing on a neutral field.
The Oklahoma Sooners finished the season 7th in the Big 12 with a 17-14 record. After losing four straight games, the Sooners won the last three of the regular season. Guard Elijah Harkless who averaged 10 points per game for the season will not be able to play against Baylor due to an illness. Oklahoma is among the top 30 teams in the nation shooting 47.7% from the field. They have covered the spread only once in the last 10 Thursday games.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor (-360)
Tony Battalio
The Oklahoma Sooners have had a disappointing and lackluster season. As they come into this game with a record of 17-14 on the season. They have to win this game and likely win the entire Big 12 conference tournament if they want to qualify for the NCAA tournament this season. They finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak after getting wins over Kansas State, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State. Now they will need to use that momentum to keep their season alive until at least Friday with a win.
Closed the regular season with confetti 🏆🎊
📽 𝙁𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 powered by @HEB #SicEm 🐻 | #CultureofJOY 🏀 pic.twitter.com/lFHTmneAdU
— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) March 8, 2022
The Baylor Bears come into this game as one of the top teams in college basketball this season. After an amazing turnaround that led to a national championship last season, they will be looking to return to the top of the mountain and defend their crown and go back to back for the first time since the 06-07 Florida Gators did it? The Bears come into this game as the number three ranked team in the nation with a record of 26-5 on the season. As for the result of this game I have Baylor beating Oklahoma for the third time this season.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor (-360)
Noah Dunlap
This is a Baylor win all day, every day. The Bears are one of the best teams in the country, arguably the best team in the conference, and have won eight straight over Oklahoma. Right now, Baylor is almost certainly in as a one-seed in the NCAA tournament, and the only thing that I think could jeopardize that is a loss in this one.
Oklahoma comes in at 17-14, and after looking good in non-conference play, they fell apart a bit in Big-12 play, and are now on the outside looking in, in terms of the tournament, and would arguably need to win the conference tournament title to get the automatic bid to make the Big Dance. Unfortunately, their eight-game losing streak to the Bears gets stretched to nine in this one, as the Sooners just don’t have enough to hang around for a full 40 minutes. Take Baylor with ease.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor (-360)
Iowa State vs #14 Texas Tech – 9:30pm ET
Iowa State enters this game with a record of 20-11 on the season. While Texas Tech comes into this one with a record of 23-8 and ranked 14th in the nation. The winner of this game will meet the winner of Baylor and Oklahoma in the semifinals on Friday.
Marko Nadin
The Texas Tech Red Raiders finished the regular season with a 23-8 record that put them in third place in the Big 12. They are coming off a 52-51 loss to Oklahoma State in the last regular-season game. Texas Tech is ranked 14th in the league allowing only 60.7 points per game and 8th allowing 26.8 rebounds per game. The Red Raiders have won 7 of the last 9 games against Iowa State but the Cyclones managed to win once this season. Texas Tech has covered the spread in 7 of the last 8 games following a loss.
The Iowa State Cyclones started the season with 12 consecutive wins but in the end, they finished 7th in Big 12 with a 20-11 record. The Cyclones lost the last two regular-season games scoring only 36 points against Oklahoma State. Iowa State is scoring only 67 points per game this season which is 5 less than they allow. They are an 8.5 points underdog in this game and have covered the spread in the last 4 games on a neutral field.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (-315)
Tony Battalio
The Iowa State Cyclones come into this game with a record of 20-11 on the season. They could use a win in this game over a highly ranked top fifteen team to boost their chances at getting an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament, provided they don’t win the Big 12 conference tournament. The Cyclones finished the regular season on a two-game losing streak after dropping games to Oklahoma State and Baylor which severely damaged their resume and bubble standing. Now they will be looking to bounce back with a much-needed victory.
𝐀𝐏 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝟏𝟐 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 pic.twitter.com/gM0zuthncg
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) March 9, 2022
The Texas Tech Red Raiders come into this game ranked just inside the top 15 in the nation at 14th in the country. They finished the regular season with a record of 23-8 on the season. They lost two out of their final three on the season to subpar teams like Oklahoma State and TCU which took them out of the running for a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. As for the result of this game, however, I have them getting the victory over Iowa State to advance to the semifinals of the Big 12 conference tournament.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (-315)
Noah Dunlap
After the first month and a half of the season, this would’ve been a must-watch basketball game, as the Iowa State Cyclones started 12-0, and looked like one of the nation’s best teams. However, they cooled down in conference play and finished at only 20-11. They’ve lost two straight to end the year, including an incredibly embarrassing performance against Oklahoma State, where they only managed 36 points. Right now they’re a borderline tournament team, and while I think they’re in, a bad performance in the Big-12 tournament could put them on the bubble.
The Red Raiders of Texas Tech come in as one of the best teams in the Big-12, though they’ve slowed down a bit after a monstrous start in conference play. One of the biggest questions with them is whether their offense can get enough production to allow them to make a deep run, as they have one of the best defenses in the country. They’re currently 23-8 on the year, and with better offensive performances, they would almost certainly be a top-7 team or so. As for this matchup, even with questions about scoring ability, I like the Red Raider defense to lead the way, pushing them past the Cyclones in this one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (-315)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
