No teams will secure their position in the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Thursday, but plenty of schools cane boost their resume by adding another big-time victory in March in their conference tournaments. North Carolina vs. Wake Forest features two teams just on the wrong side of the bracket in the latest projections from CBS’s Jerry Palm. The Tar Heels are 5.5-point favorites in the Thursday college basketball odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 148 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Should you include either side in college basketball bets or college basketball parlay picks?
SportsLine’s proven model has simulated every Thursday college basketball game and revealed its best college basketball picks. Combining these three picks into a college basketball parlay would result in a payout of nearly 6-1.
The model simulates every game 10,000 times and is on a 225-165 betting roll (+1873) on all top-rated college basketball picks. Now, here are the best bets for college basketball parlays on Thursday, according to the model.
College basketball best bets for Thursday, March 13
Texas (+6.5) to cover vs. Texas A&M
The Longhorns defeated Vanderbilt, 79-72, on Wednesday to advance to the second round of the ACC Tournament and won one of their two matchups against the Aggies this year. Tre Johnson, one of the top freshman guards in the nation, had an off shooting night, going 6 of 19 from the field on Wednesday, but the Longhorns still won as 2.5-point underdogs. Johnson had 19 points and is averaging 20.2 ppg this season. Texas A&M ranked 12th of 16 SEC teams in scoring (72.2 ppg) and 15th in field goal percentage (41%) in conference games and the model expects enough offense from the Longhorns to cover the spread in this Texas rivalry. FanDuel Sportsbook has the best price at -110:
Iowa (+11) to cover vs. Illinois
The Hawkeyes defeated Ohio State, 77-70, and likely ended any hopes to Buckeyes had of making the NCAA Tournament with a first-round victory in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday. Iowa had three players score at least 15 points, led by senior forward Payton Sandfort’s 17 points. The Hawkeyes have won back-to-back games straight up as the underdog heading into a matchup against Illinois, who has failed to cover the spread in two of its last three games when favored by at least six points. Both Iowa and Illinois have top-15 scoring offenses in the nation this season, so the Hawkeyes can keep pace on Thursday. Caesars Sportsbook has the best price at -110.
Stanford (+10.5) to cover vs. Louisville
Stanford defeated California, 78-73, in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday. Stanford is 4-2 overall over its last six games, led by senior forward Maxime Raynaud. The 7-foot-1 Raynaud is fourth in the ACC in scoring in conference games (19.3 ppg) and third in rebound (9.9 per game). Raynaud had 23 points and eight rebounds against Cal and had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Stanford against Louisville this year. His size could be a problem for Louisville. FanDuel Sportsbook has the best price at -104:
Want more college basketball picks for today?
You’ve seen some of the model’s college basketball best bets for Thursday. Now, get spread, total and money-line picks for every game here, all from the model that’s simulated every game 10,000 times.
Read the full article here
