The First Round of the NCAA Tournament isn't over, as we have four late-night games to bet on.
Here's NCAA Tournament best bets and our staff's four late-night college basketball picks on Friday, March 22.
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College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 9:20 p.m. | |
  | 9:40 p.m. | |
  | 9:55 p.m. | |
  | 10:05 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Longwood vs. Houston
Making its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the one-seeded Houston Cougars will face the 16-seeded Longwood Lancers in what should be a one-sided affair.
I’ve circled this game after Houston suffered a blowout loss in the Big 12 Championship game. Houston has been at the top of the heap this season, and this spot has bounce-back game written all over it.
We’re laying plenty of points and this play could be perceived as square, but I believe that math and motivation favors the Cougars, even when laying 23.5.
Houston enters this game with four losses and features the best overall defense in the nation, ranking first in Defensive Efficiency. That’s a nightmare matchup for the Longwood offense that ranks 199th nationally in Offensive Efficiency.
Longwood has issues protecting the rock this season, ranking 243rd nationally in Turnover Rate (18%). It'll likely see its problems exaggerated, as the sly Cougars are known to force turnovers at one of the nation’s highest rates.
Houston isn’t known for being an offensive powerhouse because of its slow tempo, but it's still a very efficient group, ranking 16th nationally in Offensive Efficiency. The Coogs shouldn’t face too much resistance against a Longwood defense that ranks 167th in Defensive Efficiency.
Perhaps Longwood can get scrappy and keep it close, but the value is with the nation’s best defense looking for a bounce-back game.
Pick: Houston -23.5 (Play to -24.5)
James Madison vs. Wisconsin
By D.J. James
James Madison is a trendy upset pick, but the Dukes are a top-60 in KenPom for a reason.
Remember, they upset Michigan State to tip off the 2023-2024 season.
The Dukes shoot over 36.4% from deep, crucial to upsetting Wisconsin. The Badgers are among the nation’s worst 3-point defenses, allowing opponents to shoot at a 37.1% clip (345th).
Wisconsin isn’t much better on the interior. JMU shoots over 54% from 2-point land, while the Badgers allow opponents to shoot over 50%.
Wisconsin is a better offensive team than a defensive one. The Badgers don’t turn the ball over, and they shoot around 53% from inside the arc. James Madison often struggles to defend from 2-point range, so keep an eye on this matchup.
That said, Wisconsin rarely shoots from 3-point range, and JMU boasts one of the nation’s best 3-point defenses. The Dukes don’t allow many 3-point attempts and hold opponents to less than 29% shooting.
The Dukes almost turn the ball over at an identical rate to the Badgers, but James Madison can turn opponents over and score in transition.
Finally, Wisconsin only rebounds defensively, while the Dukes crash on both ends of the floor.
Wisconsin can win this one, but JMU should cover. Take the Dukes to +4.
Pick: James Madison +5.5 (Play to +4)
TCU vs. Utah State
By John Feltman
With the Mountain West Conference participants failing to meet pre-tournament expectations, it appears the market is overreacting.
TCU and Utah State play similarly, but the Aggies have the Mountain West Player of the Year on their roster.
Great Osobor will be the game’s most talented player, and the Frogs rank 206th nationally in 2-point shooting allowed. I recognize that the Aggies are amongst the worst teams in the country shooting the triple, but their offense doesn't function around the perimeter.
The Frogs are the better 3-point shooting team, but they don’t take many. Besides, the Aggies rank third nationally in 3-point shooting allowed, so getting good looks from deep will be awfully tough.
Jamie Dixon’s team loves to get out in transition whenever possible, but the Aggies are an elite transition denial defense. They'll force the Frogs to operate out of the half-court, where they're their weakest.
There's concern about the Aggies' interior defense, but they protect the basketball consistently and should have a field day scoring inside.
I recognize the Mountain West is off to a poor start to the tournament, but I’ll gladly take the points with the best player on the floor in my corner.
Pick: Utah State +4.5 (Play to +3)
Grand Canyon vs. Saint Mary's
By Matt Gannon
Coach Bryce Drew and Grand Canyon have a real chance to make a move against this vulnerable Saint Mary's team.
Although the Gaels advanced through the WCC and earned a five-seed, they largely failed to meet the pre-season hype.
Sophomore guard Aidan Mahaney leads the team in scoring but didn’t take a significant step forward from an impressive freshman year. Saint Mary’s is deserving of a five-seed, but I don’t see the firepower or “next gear” for this squad.
If you want to advance in the NCAA Tournament, you must have a go-to guy, and I don’t see that in Mahaney.
Grand Canyon controlled the WAC for most of the year. The Antelopes had a few hiccups during the regular season but took care of business when it mattered.
Guards Tyon Grant-Foster and Ray Harrison should have athletic advantages on the perimeter. I expect them to go to the rim as much as possible to create offense, allowing easy layups, free-throw attempts and kick-outs to open shooters.
Coach Drew is experienced and knows how to upset a higher seed in a tournament setting. Grand Canyon is the more athletic team, starving to take the next step.
I expect a close battle from the tip, so I’m happy to take the points.
