Selection Sunday is almost here, but first, it's time to wrap up the conference tournaments. Several conferences. will have championship games on Saturday; others feature semifinal matchups with the title games to follow on Sunday. Fans will certainly not have a shortage of exciting games to bet on. For today's best college basketball picks & predictions, I'll focus on the Big Ten Conference.
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Saturday’s Best College Basketball Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Big Ten Tournament Semifinal: No. 23 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 3 Michigan Wolverines
Both teams faced a serious challenge in the quarterfinals. Wisconsin needed overtime to beat Illinois 91-88. Michigan held on to survive Ohio State, winning 71-67. Wisconsin handed Michigan one of its two losses earlier in the season in a 91-88 barnburner.
The Badgers’ 91 points were the most scored against the Wolverines this season. The key to Wisconsin's upset in the regular season was going 15-of-33 from three-point range compared to 8-of-25 for Michigan. The Wolverines rank No. 7 nationally in perimeter defense (29.7%).
Wisconsin's speed and guard play will keep them in the game, but Michigan's depth and size advantage in the frontcourt will wear them down. The Wolverines’ defense will step up against the Badgers, keeping the score from getting out of hand.
Pick: Under 161.5 Points (-110)
Big Ten Tournament Semifinal: No. 18 Purdue Boilermakers vs. UCLA Bruins
Purdue earned its way to the semifinal round with a dominant 74-58 win over No. 11 Nebraska in the quarterfinals. They did a lot of things right, but one key to the win was the 17 points they scored off turnovers.
UCLA earned its spot with an upset win over Michigan State. The Bruins led by 11 at the half, 44-33. Michigan State came roaring back in the second, outscoring the Spartans 51-44, but fell short in the end. When these two teams met during the regular season, Purdue was a 5.5-point road favorite, but lost by two points when Tyler Bilodeau hit a late three-pointer to put UCLA ahead.
Both teams are driven by exceptional guard play. Purdue with Braden Smith and UCLA with Donovan Dent. Both are excellent playmakers who excel at getting the rest of the team involved. The Boilermakers will look to use their size advantage down low to win the rebound battle. UCLA will want to force turnovers and generate more points off them.
I'd pick Purdue to win, but I don't trust them to cover. They'll likely use their size advantage in the frontcourt to slow things down, but Dent will keep the Bruins within striking range. I expect the score to look much like the regular-season matchup. This game should go under the total.
Pick: Under 147.5 Points (-110)
