Our college basketball best bets for tonight include Donovan Dent and UCLA to challenge MSU in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

...

Tyler Everett

By Tyler Everett

Sports Betting Editor

0

Share

Newsweek is a Trust Project member

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

Tonight's men's college hoops slate is loaded with must-see matchups across the country, as the ACC, Big 12 and Big East semifinals take place. Elsewhere, the quarterfinal rounds of the SEC and the Big Ten tournaments are also on tap.

Sign up now for Newsweek Sports Betting 📩

This evening's action is headlined by No. 18 Purdue vs. No. 11 Nebraska (6:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network), No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 2 Arizona (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) and No. 14 Kansas vs. No. 5 Houston (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN).

Below, let's jump right into our 5 best college basketball ATS bets for Friday, March 13.

Trade On Men's College Hoops Conference Tourney Action At Kalshi

Via the markets below, you can trade on the winner of each of the games we're breaking down in this piece over at Kalshi.

Use Kalshi Promo Code WEEK For $10 Bonus On Conference Tournament Action

Use the link below or click here to get started at Kalshi as we enter the final weekend of the college basketball regular season. You will receive a $10 bonus after registering and placing $100 worth of trades.

Note: the odds below come from DraftKings as of Friday afternoon.

No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 2 Arizona (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Best bet: Under 144.5 (best odds: -105 at DraftKings)

The Cyclones (27-6, 12-6 Big 12) and the Wildcats (30-2, 16-2 Big 12) have been two of the top teams in the country all season. Neither, however, looked elite on the offensive end when these teams met on March 2, as both teams had more turnovers than assists.

Iowa State shot just 29 percent from the floor in a 73-57 loss while knocking down just seven of its 30 3-point attempts. Arizona also struggled against the Cyclones, shooting 46 percent from the floor, including 6-for-18 from outside, with 15 turnovers.

There's enough talent on both sides to wonder whether we'll see another turnover-filled slugfest, but the Under is hard to resist. Iowa State is No. 5 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 4 in defensive turnover rate, while Arizona is No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, No. 2 in effective field goal percentage defense, No. 23 in defensive rebounding rate and No. 2 in opposing 2-point field-goal percentage, per Barttorvik.com.

Related: Is there a more effective defensive big man than 7-foot-2 Wildcats C Motiejus Krivas (8.3 rebounds per game, 1.8 blocks per game)??

Add it all up, and whether you watched Round 1 between these teams or not, Under 144.5 offers a ton of value.

UCLA vs. No. 8 Michigan State (9 p.m. ET, BTN)

Best bet: UCLA +5.5 (best odd: -110 at bet365)

There are a couple of tempting plays in this one, including Donovan Dent to have another big night after recording a triple-double in his team's win over Rutgers on Thursday.

But player props, especially for assists, are hard to come by, so let's focus on the case for UCLA (22-10, 13-7 Big Ten) to cover, if not pull off the upset, against Michigan State (25-6, 15-5 Big Ten). MSU beat the Bruins 82-59 back in East Lansing on February 17.

UCLA fell behind 43-23 at halftime of that game and ended up allowing one of Michigan State's best offensive days of the season. The Spartans drained 14 of 27 3-point attempts and shot better than 53 percent from the floor (29-of-55).

The Bruins have been solid defending the 3-point line all season, holding opponents to just 31.2 percent from deep. UCLA also enters the game on a roll, with five wins in its last six games. The Bruins' hot streak started with an overtime upset of Illinois. Four of those victories came by at least 13 points, including a 72-52 blowout of Nebraska.

Given Dent's strong recent play (he is averaging 10.8 dimes per game over the last six, with just turnovers, total, in that stretch), UCLA has a legit chance to pull the upset.

Whether you prefer a safe play on the spread or a bigger swing at the underdogs to win outright, the Bruins are worth a close look tonight.

Clemson vs. No. 1 Duke (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Best bet: Under 134.5 (best odds: -110 at FanDuel)

The ACC Tournament semifinal battle between Clemson (24-9, 12-6 ACC) and the banged-up Duke Blue Devils (30-2, 17-1 ACC) promises to be a slugfest in a rematch of Duke's 67-54 regular-season win over the Tigers.

Duke is without point guard Caleb Foster and big man Patrick Ngongba II, while Clemson is dealing with the absence of one of its only two players who averaged at least 10 points per game this year, Carter Welling.

Clemson shot just 35 percent from the field in its loss to Duke in Durham. Brad Brownell's team will likely look to keep the pace as slow as possible tonight after a low-possession clash in the regular season saw Duke pull away after Clemson trailed just 31-26 at halftime.

Duke put up 80 points last night in a close win over Florida State, but it finished with almost as many turnovers (15) as assists (17). Right now, it's clear that there are going to be some growing pains offensively as the Devils adjust to life without Foster or Ngongba.

No. 14 Kansas vs. No. 5 Houston (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Best bet: Under 139.5 (best odds: -115 at DK)

On the surface, Kansas (23-9, 12-6 Big 12) has been a solid offensive team this season. The Jayhawks' adjusted offensive efficiency of 119.2 is No. 48 nationally, and they are coming off strong offensive nights in a 104-85 win over Kansas State and a 78-73 win over TCU in their last two games.

Darryn Peterson and Co. have struggled to get going against the best defensive teams they've faced, though, and that includes tonight's opponent. Kansas lost to Iowa State 74-56, Arizona 84-61 and Arizona State 70-60 in Big 12 play.

KU actually beat Houston (27-5, 14-4 Big 12) 69-56 earlier this year. Both teams struggled from the floor that night, especially the Cougars. Kansas held Kingston Flemings and Co. to just 56 points on 32 percent field-goal shooting, with both teams combining for 18 assists and 20 turnovers.

One more reason to like the Under here is the fact that Kansas finished with fewer than 70 points despite making 18 free throws (!) on 20 attempts in the regular-season meeting.

To me, it all adds up to another rock fight between two teams that have combined for fewer than 140 points in regulation in three straight meetings dating back to last year.

Oklahoma vs. No. 17 Arkansas (9:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Best bet: Over 167.5 (best odds: -110 at DK, bet365)

At least one matchup tonight appears to have "track meet" written all over it. Led by dynamite freshman Darius Acuff Jr., the Razorbacks (23-8, 13-5 SEC) average 90.2 points per game. It's also notable that they've cracked 80 points in 24 of 31 games this season.

Oklahoma (19-14, 7-11 SEC) has also been much better at scoring (82.8 ppg, No. 40 nationally) than getting stops (76.9 ppg allowed, No. 262).

The total in the only regular-season meeting between these teams "only" reached 161, but given that Arkansas managed to score 83 points while shooting just 2-for-17 (not a misprint) from 3-point range, it will likely take 90 points to win this one.

Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.

View 0 Comments

Request Reprint & Licensing

Submit Correction

View Editorial & AI Guidelines