March Madness underway! Major conference tournaments are underway, and some of the big names are starting to take the court. Let’s dive into some college basketball bets on DraftKings Sportsbook!
I’ll be adding to this article with plays throughout the end of the Thursday card. Will likely start a new article for plays on Friday.
Rutgers vs. Michigan (Thursday 12pm ET)
Michigan ML (-140) — 1-unit
Michigan -2.5 (-110) — 0.5-units
Rutgers limps into this one losing six of its last eight, also going 2-6 ATS in those games. While Michigan has lost two in a row, they’ve been heartbreakers that came right down to the wire. The Wolverines have hung around to cover numbers, on a 5-0 ATS run, and should be hungry to get an outright victory. Prior to the two-game losing streak, Michigan was hot, winning six of its previous eight. One of those wins came on the road at Rutgers, winning by 13 and a 5.5-point dog.
Iowa State vs. Baylor (Thursday 12:30pm ET)
Baylor -4.5 (-110) — 1.5-units
Baylor was a massive favorite at home on Saturday against a stumbling Iowa State team, and the Bears were one of my favorite moneyline parlay pieces of the season. I was dead wrong about that game, with the Cyclones dominating for the majority of the game. It was one of the more unlikely outcomes of the season, but Iowa State took down this Baylor squad twice in the regular season. I have to imagine this is where a veteran Baylor team gets its revenge. The Cyclones are fantastic on defense, but I don’t think they can shutdown the Bears yet again, and they certainly don’t have the offense to keep up with Baylor if that’s the case. Baylor has a veteran backcourt, a freshman stud in Keyonte George, and multiple bigs to throw at the Cyclones. I think they advance into a fantastic Friday matchup against Kansas.
Wake Forest vs. Miami (Thursday 12pm ET)
Pittsburgh vs. Duke (Thursday 2:30pm ET)
MIA/Duke ML Parlay (+100) — 1.5-units
This one tipped by the time I got the extra analysis in, but Miami is in a really good spot in the ACC, and a team I have a future on to win this tournament.
As for Duke, this number has grown a lot since opening with the Blue Devils laying just 3.5. While Pitt has been a great bet as a dog this season, I like how Duke has been playing of late. The Blue Devils might just be getting all of their talent to get it together at the right time of the year.
Ohio State vs. Iowa (Thursday 2:30pm ET)
Iowa -2.5 (-110) — 1-unit
Number has moved a bit since open, and I’m good with it up to -3.5. Ohio State was a somewhat surprising favorite over Wisconsin on Wednesday, but dominated the game early and backed into a victory. That poor second half by the Buckeyes may carry into an early afternoon game here. Iowa has been lights out recently, and Ohio State won’t have the offense to keep up.
West Virginia vs. Kansas (Thursday 3:00pm ET)
Kansas -3.5 (-110) — 1-unit
Tough situation going on for Kansas with Bill Self’s health issues. Still, this team knows what it has to do and should be able to rally around the situation. West Virginia beat a Texas Tech team on Wednesday night that had a lot of negativity surrounding it, and now has to come back and play an afternoon game against a far superior team. Advantage Jayhawks.
North Carolina vs. Virginia (Thursday 7:00pm ET)
UNC +2 (-110) — 1.5-units
UNC ML (+125) — 0.5-units
The Tar Heels are shaping up as one of my favorite plays of the day. The number is moving toward Virginia, likely because Armando Bacot rolled an ankle yet again on Wednesday night. His teammates expect him to be out there and so do I. UNC was a massive disappointment this season, but they really need this game for their tournament hopes. The offense was surging against BC, and should it continue to do so against UVA, we know the Cavs don’t have the firepower to keep up. We just saw that play out in a home game for the Heels, and this one should be a similar atmosphere.
Arkansas vs. Auburn (Thursday 7:00pm ET)
Arkansas ML (-125) — 1-unit
This one moved a lot, but I’m alright with laying 2.5 with the Hogs. Auburn played some tough games last week and faired well. They have some veteran guard leadership, but I think in this matchup the athleticism and talent of a team like Arkansas will ultimately prevail. Eric Mussleman always has his teams ready to go at this time of year.
TCU vs. Kansas State (Thursday 9:30pm ET)
KSU +2 (-110) — 1-unit
The home team won both regular season matchups in pretty dominant fashion, with TCU taking the last matchup. I like the revenge spot here for KSU in the conference tournament, with a crowd that should be more in the Wildcats’ favor. Eddie Lampkin will not be playing for the Frogs, giving K-State a nice advantage in the paint.
Place your college basketball bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.