2025 The Basketball Tournament (TBT) Picks: Friday (7/18)
A new season of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is set to begin today. There are 14 games throughout today’s slate to begin the Round of 64 bracket. Below, I’ve reviewed a few of those games and identified the best bets for each.
With the NBA Summer League wrapping up, there’s still some exciting basketball ahead.
Friday’s Best The Basketball Tournament (TBT) Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook )
Here are our top picks for today's The Basketball Tournament action.
Best Virginia (West Virginia) vs. DuBois Dream
Best Virginia will be the No. 3 seed in the West Virginia regional. It should help playing in West Virginia behind a passionate fan base. West Virginia’s TBT teams are known for their great defense, abundant energy and solid camaraderie. I should also note that Isaiah Sanders, J.D. Witherspoon, James Reese V and Jarrod West are on this team and didn’t play for West Virginia. However, Kedrian Johnson, Toby Okani, Tre Mitchell and Wesley Harris are alumni who did play for West Virginia.
Meanwhile, the DuBois Dream is a non-profit organization in DuBois, Pennsylvania. They’ve never won a tournament game and are constructed of mostly non-Division I (DI) athletes. It’s hard to imagine this team can stick with a talented team like Best Virginia, especially with the game being played in the West Virginia regional.
Let’s back Best Virginia -5.5.
Pick: Best Virginia -5.5 (-115)
La Familia (Kentucky) vs. Strohs Squad (Bowling Green)
In the Lexington portion of the bracket, La Familia is the No. 1 seed. This Kentucky alumni team reached the Final Four of the tournament last season and should be right in the mix again this year.
La Familia will feature the Harrison twins (Andrew & Aaron), Archie Goodwin, Willie Cauley-Stein, DeAndre Liggins and Ansley Almonor, to name a few. There’s so much talent on this roster. These guys have also played in big games and know what it takes to win in a bracket-style format.
They’ll battle Strohs Squad, which is the Bowling Green alumni team. They’re sponsored by a whole bunch of businesses in Bowling Green and will be making their debut in the TBT. However, I should point out that only Marlon Sierra is a Bowling Green State alum on the roster.
Kentucky should be ready to go tonight.
Pick: La Familia -13.5 (-115)
Aftershocks (Wichita State) vs. No Excuses
Like West Virginia and Kentucky, Wichita State is also featured in its own regional. They’ll be the No. 2 seed but are playing in the Wichita Regional. The Aftershocks have been involved in the TBT since 2019 and even made the semi-finals in 2021. They have shown in the past that they can certainly hang around in this tournament.
This team will have Conner Frankamp, Markis McDuffie, Rashard Kelly and Trey Wade.
In addition to Wichita State players, there are familiar names also playing, like Marcus Santos Silva, Nike Sibande, Leyton Hammonds and Marcus Keene. There’s a lot of really intriguing talent on this roster. Plus, some of this talent isn’t even that old.
Meanwhile, No Excuses will look to shock the Aftershocks tonight. This is a team comprised of players from the No Excuses Pro League, a pro-am league based in Houston. This team boasts some intriguing talent, including Brandon Swannegan, Jerran Young and, most notably, Trey Pulliam. I would not be surprised if No Excuses hangs around. I’ll take them at +12.5.
Pick: No Excuses +12.5 (-115)