Best College Basketball Picks and Predictions Today (How to Bet Conference Tournament Games)

Reed Wallach | Mar 11, 2025

Feb 12, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Jamir Watkins (1) brings the ball up court against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

We have a loaded slate of college basketball on Tuesday, with major conference tournaments tipping off and some title games in the mid-major ranks. 

While Gonzaga vs. St. Mary’s will feature the best game of the night in the WCC Championship Game, there is plenty of betting action across the first round of the likes of the Big 12 Tournament and the ACC Tournament. 

Here’s three bets to get you started for conference tournament week in college hoops. 

Best College Basketball Bets Today, March 11th

• Florida State vs. Syracuse OVER 149.5
• Utah vs. UCF UNDER 157.5
• Saint Mary’s (+3.5) vs. Gonzaga

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Florida State vs. Syracuse Prediction and Pick

This game figures to be a shootout, given the pace of each team and the current form of the Syracuse offense. 

The Orange have been scorching from the perimeter over the last month, shooting nearly 40% from deep over the last seven games while playing at a top 100 pace, per Bart Torvik. With that in mind, the team is still 2-5 in this sample size as the team is 342nd in effective field goal percentage allowed. 

The team will struggle to slow down Florida State’s up-tempo offense that has an elite bucket-getter in Watkins on the wing and an offensive scheme that is reliant on getting to the rim and finishing from close against a suspect Syracuse defense. 

The first meeting featured 164 points, and the Orange defense makes me confident that this game can fly over the total yet again. 

PICK: OVER 149.5

Utah vs. UCF Prediction and Pick

I don’t trust either team’s offense to clear this sky high total, despite playing in an uptempo affair. 

The first meeting points to an under as well. UCF won at home 76-72 in a game that closed with a total of 160.5, and there is good reason to go to the under yet again. 

Utah’s defense is elite at shutting off the rim for opponents, ranking second in near-proximity field goal percentage allowed in the country, per Haslametrics. That’s impactful against UCF, which is a poor three-point shooting team that ranks 219th in the country and is far more reliant on putting pressure on the rim to generate its offense. 

Meanwhile, Utah has been terrible away from home all season, ranking bottom 10 in the country in Haslametrics away-from-home rating as the team plummets on offense on the road. This season, Utah’s offense is 309th in effective field goal percentage in games outside of Salt Lake City. 

All roads lead to the under for me in this Big 12 Tournament matchup.

PICK: UNDER 157.5

St. Mary’s vs. Gonzaga Prediction and Pick

The Bulldogs have struggled with the Gaels in both matchups this season, as the team can’t match Saint Mary’s on the glass. 

The team is +19 across the two games in the rebounding department, which is incredibly impactful against Saint Mary’s meticulous pace that features the fourth slowest pace in the country, per KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric. 

This is a clash of styles, with Gonzaga countering with a frenetic tempo, constantly running up the floor to hunt transition opportunities. However, Saint Mary’s has been able to dictate each matchup, and with its fantastic rebounding, I believe Randy Bennett’s squad can do it for a third time. 

Also, keep an eye on Gonzaga’s shaky perimeter defense. The team grades out below the national average in spot up points allowed per possession, which can open up for a big game from the Gaels' wings from beyond the arc.

PICK: Saint Mary’s +3.5

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