Our high-quality college basketball picks can help you beat the sportsbooks during the NCAAB season. Our experts deliver ATS and over/under picks on the biggest NCAAB games. We will also help you find the best lines and odds on college basketball, which will maximize your potential winnings.
This page explains how we devise our NCAAB picks. You will also learn more about what college basketball picks entail and discover the best sportsbooks for NCAAB betting.
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The Latest College Basketball Picks Today
This section is regularly updated throughout the regular season and March Madness. Bookmark it and return each week to check out our top college basketball picks.
Free College Basketball Picks Explained
College basketball offers up a ton of great betting opportunities as there are over 350 teams across the 32 Division 1 NCAA conferences. With so many games played a day plus many variables for every game it’s impossible for sportsbooks to get the lines correct for every game.
For sports bettors, this presents a fantastic opportunity to research teams and match-ups and gain an edge that will increase the chance of long-term wagering success. However, bettors face the same problem as the sportsbook as there are so many games and so much information it’s an impossible task to do all by themselves.
This is where picks come in. Sites that offer free picks including Sports Daily spread the work among multiple gambling experts and avid college basketball fans and do the hard work for you. We spare no effort in covering every aspect of the NCAAB, we do in-depth research of team and player statistics in search of the best picks that we deliver with full analysis, and best of all offer them to you absolutely free.
2023 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship Favorites
Houston is the favorite to win the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament. It will boast a strong veteran core and is one of only three teams to rank in the top 10 for offensive and defensive efficiency. Alabama is also a strong team that has a quick offense that isn’t reliant on three-pointers and a steely defense. There are also lots of strong teams further down the list too, so it promises to be a fascinating year.
| Team |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Houston | +750 | +650 | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Alabama | +900 | +850 | +890 | +900 | +890 |
| UCLA | +1000 | +1200 | +1275 | +1400 | +1275 |
| Kansas | +1100 | +1200 | +1125 | +1200 | +1125 |
| Purdue | +1100 | +1200 | +860 | +850 | +860 |
| Arizona | +1400 | +1500 | +1350 | +1400 | +1350 |
| Connecticut | +1600 | +2200 | +2600 | +2500 | +2600 |
| Baylor | +1800 | +1200 | +1500 | +2000 | +1500 |
| Tennessee | +2000 | +2000 | +1575 | +1400 | +1575 |
| Texas | +2500 | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
The Sports Daily’s College Basketball Expert Tips & Predictions
It promises to be another frantic, exhilarating NCAAB season, with lots of talented teams vying for glory. These are our top college basketball picks on the futures markets:
National Championship Winner
The NCAA released its top 16 preview on February 18th and according to them, Alabama is the top overall seed, although sportsbooks don’t completely see eye to eye ranking them as 2nd favorites. Houston, Purdue, and Kansas were the other three teams to make up the NCAA number 1 seed prediction for the tournament.
Houston is actually the sportsbook’s favorite to go on and win the tournament. The NCAA just gives the edge to Alabama due to the Crimson tide defeating the Cougars back in December being one of only two teams to achieve that this season so far with the other team being Temple.
Kansas will be looking to win the tournament for a second consecutive year after they defeated North Carolina by 3 points last year. Texas, UCLA, Arizona, and Baylor made up the number 2 seeds according to the prediction and are also some of the favorites with sportsbooks.
ACC Conference Winner
At the time of writing Houston has already sewn up the regular season championship and the number 1 seed for the AAC championship tournament. They currently have a 26-2 record overall and a 14-1 conference record. They have arguably been the most consistent team in the country this season and one of only three teams that ranks in the top 10 for both offensive and defensive efficiency.
They are heavy favorites to win the conference with the finals taking place on the 9th-12th of March in Fort Worth Texas. They are also current favorites for winning the NCAA national championship. While they haven’t always wowed spectators in every game Head Coach Kelvin Sampson has managed to foster a team that knows how to win games and just gets the job done.
SEC Conference Winner
With just a few games left of the regular season Alabama Crimson tides sit top of the SEC conference and look likely to claim their 11th regular season title. Sportsbooks have them as the second favorites to win the NCAA tournament this year just behind Houston which Alabama actually defeated in their game on December 10th, 2022. The NCAA actually ranked Alabam as the Overall no1 seed in its top 16 preview released in February.
Head coach Nate Oats has put a lot of faith in youth this year with three regular starters being freshmen. One of them is the exceptional talent Brandon Miller who most would agree has been the best freshmen player in the country this season. He is averaging 19.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1.9 assists a game.
Pac 12 Conference Winner
Arizona was the favorite to win the Pac 12 at the start of the season after winning the 2021-22 season. However, it looks like UCLA is going to finish top this year with just a few more games to play. The Bruins have a veteran core featuring Jaime Jaquez Jr and Tyger Campbell who have both had solid seasons. Freshman forward Adem Bona has also been impressive in his debut season.
UCLA went to the Final Four in 2021 and lost to UNC in the Sweet 16 last season. It is the most successful team in Pac 12 history, but it has not won the conference since 2013. Now is the time to put that right.
What are College Basketball Picks?
College basketball picks are predictions on how a game will end. Most of these college basketball predictions focus on which team will cover the point spread, but some college basketball picks focus on the over/under line or the moneyline. You will also find some college basketball picks on futures markets, such as the national champion and the winner of a specific conference.
Anyone can make college basketball picks. However, some elite handicappers have a long-term track record of profitability with their NCAAB picks. They have a remarkably detailed knowledge of NCAA basketball, and they also use the most sophisticated analytics available to produce insightful college basketball picks.
College Basketball Picks Against the Spread (ATS)
The best college basketball picks predict which team will cover the spread. Sportsbooks decide which NCAAB team is the favorite to win a game. They focus on areas such as recent results, team news, head-to-heads and home advantage. They then give the favorite a points handicap, creating a point spread. You normally find odds of -110 on either team covering that spread.
This is an example of a college basketball point spread:
- Villanova -4.5 vs. Michigan (-110)
- Michigan +4.5 vs. Villanova (-110)
In this example, Villanova is the 4.5-point favorite. If you bet on the Wildcats to cover the spread, they would need to win by 5 or more points. A $110 bet would net you a $100 profit if they were successful. A bet on Michigan +4.5 would pay off if it won the game or lost by up to 4 points.
College basketball picks against the spread simply predict which team will cover the point spread.
College Basketball Picks and Parlays
A parlay is a combination of two or more predictions on different college basketball games. For example, you might like four picks at March Madness:
- North Carolina +2.5 vs. UCLA (-110)
- Arizona -1.5 vs. Houston (-110)
- Gonzaga -8.5 vs. Arkansas (-110)
- Kansas -7.5 vs. Providence (-110)
If you had $80, you could divide it up and place $20 on each team covering. If they all succeeded, you would earn a profit of $72.72. However, if you combined them for a four-leg $80 parlay, you would be paid a profit of $982.67.
The profit you earn from each leg rolls over to the next leg. That ensures the total profit compounds, resulting in large payouts. However, all four teams need to cover for the bet to pay off.
Parlays are tricky, as the house edge increases with each leg you add. For that reason, very few handicappers give out parlay college basketball picks. However, you can take your favorite college basketball picks and roll them together for a parlay if you like.
Compare the best march madness college gambling websites for 2023.
College Basketball Consensus Picks
Consensus picks are simply a measure of what bets the public is putting their money on. Public consensus gives bettors an indication of how much action sportsbooks are taking on each side of a bet. The numbers are usually displayed as a percentage and can display both the percentage of the number of bets wagered and the percentage of money wagered on each side.
Using consensus picks can help you decide what side of the bet you would like to be on. You can bet with the public or against them. It can also give you an indication of where the veteran and professional bettors are placing their money if there is a discrepancy between the percentage of wagers vs the percentage of money.
For example, if you see a game between two teams has 60% of the number of wagers on team A but 60% of the percentage of money wagered is on Team B this indicates the professional bettors favor team B as professional bettors tend to bet larger amounts. Professional bettors know their stuff and will have a reason for placing their bet on team B so it could be profitable to take that bet.
Best College Basketball Betting Sites
Our experts have reviewed hundreds of college basketball betting sites over the past five years. They focus on the quality of the odds and lines, the bonuses, the user experience, payout speeds, security and other important factors. Our reviewers ultimately decided that these are the best college basketball betting sites right now:
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Latest College Basketball News and Rumors
How Do College Basketball Computer Picks Work?
Computer picks are simply picks made by an AI algorithm that bases its pick on statistics. The picks given are achieved by a program running thousands of computer-generated simulations using whatever statistics and data are entered into the database. Computer picks are only as good as the data that they use and the more data a computer program has to run its simulations the more accurate its picks are likely to be.
One of the major advantages of computer picks is it has no bias and uses complex mathematical equations to generate the likelihood of a result for the most part no mathematical errors. It would take months or years for a human to do the work a computer program can do in mere seconds and a computer isn’t swayed by feelings and it doesn’t have a favorite team or player.
However, the fact a computer pick is solely based on empirical data can also be a disadvantage. It cannot take into account certain human factors like the mood of players, if a player is carrying a slight injury, fan atmosphere, or a coach’s tactical changes.
Bettors should use computer picks as just another tool in their arsenal when selecting what bets to make, they do not guarantee success. Using computer picks plus your own knowledge and observations is a far better strategy than just blindly following what the computer says every time.
Where to Find College Basketball Expert Picks
The Sports Daily provides expert college basketball picks each day, so bookmark this page. If you want more insight, check out the student newspapers or campus publications for both teams, as they will feature detailed team news and interviews.
Some sportsbooks also provide college basketball picks. For example, there is a dedicated NCAAB section within BetUS TV, in which handicappers give out their best college basketball picks during the season.
How we Make College Basketball Picks and Predictions
It takes a great deal of effort to come up with profitable college basketball picks on a regular basis. These are some of the key areas that are experts focus on:
Conduct Very Thorough Research
Our handicappers have been watching non-stop NCAAB action for many years. They start focusing on the upcoming season long before any odds are published. They know everything there is to know about the coaches, roster changes, returning upperclassmen and new impact players.
They build up contacts on campus and learn of any breaking team news before mainstream media outlets. That allows them to react quickly. Their in-depth knowledge of college hoops helps them predict mismatches and gauge when a team may run out of steam. In short, pro college basketball handicappers are experts in their field and they have a relentless thirst for knowledge.
Use Advanced Statistics
Our handicappers have proprietary algorithms at their disposal when creating their college basketball picks. They go a lot deeper than simply analyzing each team’s home and away ATS and over/under record.
They pore over a wealth of data on both teams and spent hours crunching the numbers in a bid to gain an edge over the competition. Their expert knowledge of the sport helps them assess the data, tease out trends and make astute picks.
Find the Best Betting Lines
Pro handicappers pounce on soft overnight lines quickly and mercilessly. They will spot any weaknesses in a line and exploit it straight away. They also seek opportunities to fade the public close to tipoff, when public sentiment may cause a line to move too far in an unpopular team’s favor. By keeping a constant eye on the lines, they often spot arbitrage and middling opportunities.
At the most basic level, you should always hunt out the best college basketball odds and lines before you place a particular bet at any time. Doing so will significantly improve your long-term prospects on ending the NCAAB season in profit.
Check More of Our College Basketball Betting 2023 Guides
- College Basketball Betting Guide – Best NCAA Basketball Betting Sites Ranked & Reviewed.
- The Latest NCAAB Odds – Compare the Best College Basketball Odds.
- NCAAB Moneyline Odds Explained – Learn How to Win College Basketball Moneyline Bets.
- College Basketball Futures Odds Explained – Guide on How to Win College Basketball Futures Bets.
- College Basketball Spread Odds Explained – Expert Guide on How to Win College Basketball Spread Bets.
- College Basketball Totals Odds Explained – Guide on How to Win College Basketball Totals Bets.
