Picks for 3/20/26
College Basketball
2:45 PM EST
Rotation # 773
Louisville +5.5 over Michigan State (loss)
There is no doubt that Tom Izzo is an outstanding coach, and that Jeremy Fears Jr. is one of the best ball handlers in the game, but after the injury to Divine Ugochukwu, I question if the Spartans have the guard play to make a deep tournament run, as they rely so much on Fears. Louisville has multiple guards who can score and, more importantly, handle the basketball, even with Mikel Brown being sidelined. Michigan State isn’t a team that creates many turnovers, so I don’t know if they will be able to handle players like Ryan Conwell or the long, athletic, sizeable guard J’Vonne Hadley. Sananda Fru can make life hard for the Spartans in the paint and on the glass. The Cardinals can play at a fast pace and have the overall talent to keep this game closer than State might like. Take Louisville.
Rotation # 773
Louisville +5.5 over Michigan State (loss)
There is no doubt that Tom Izzo is an outstanding coach, and that Jeremy Fears Jr. is one of the best ball handlers in the game, but after the injury to Divine Ugochukwu, I question if the Spartans have the guard play to make a deep tournament run, as they rely so much on Fears. Louisville has multiple guards who can score and, more importantly, handle the basketball, even with Mikel Brown being sidelined. Michigan State isn’t a team that creates many turnovers, so I don’t know if they will be able to handle players like Ryan Conwell or the long, athletic, sizeable guard J’Vonne Hadley. Sananda Fru can make life hard for the Spartans in the paint and on the glass. The Cardinals can play at a fast pace and have the overall talent to keep this game closer than State might like. Take Louisville.
College Basketball
7:10 PM EST
Rotation # 788
Gonzaga -6.5 over Texas
Sean Miller has done well in his first year in Austin, but he will need an offseason to put together a team capable of playing defense and creating turnovers. Miller has kept it simple in the tournament, feeding big man Matas Vokietaitis, which worked well against a BYU team that wasn’t defensively sound. Gonzaga coach Mark Few will have his team ready and force Texas to play at a pace they don’t want to. The Bulldogs are an outstanding rebounding team and have all the tools to make a deep tournament run. It would be a bonus if they could get Braden Huff back at some point. The Longhorns do have size and a lot of experienced players, but you can’t fix defensive woes overnight. Look for Graham Ike to be a beast in the paint and for Mario Saint-Supery to take advantage of a Longhorns team that doesn’t defend the three-point line very well. Take Gonzaga.
7:10 PM EST
Rotation # 788
Gonzaga -6.5 over Texas
Sean Miller has done well in his first year in Austin, but he will need an offseason to put together a team capable of playing defense and creating turnovers. Miller has kept it simple in the tournament, feeding big man Matas Vokietaitis, which worked well against a BYU team that wasn’t defensively sound. Gonzaga coach Mark Few will have his team ready and force Texas to play at a pace they don’t want to. The Bulldogs are an outstanding rebounding team and have all the tools to make a deep tournament run. It would be a bonus if they could get Braden Huff back at some point. The Longhorns do have size and a lot of experienced players, but you can’t fix defensive woes overnight. Look for Graham Ike to be a beast in the paint and for Mario Saint-Supery to take advantage of a Longhorns team that doesn’t defend the three-point line very well. Take Gonzaga.
College Basketball
9:45 PM EST
Rotation # 785-786
High Point/Arkansas Over 169.5
High Point might be the only true mid-major Cinderella team left on the board at tip-off tonight. 37-year-old Flynn Clayman has done a fine job as his team dominated the Big South, but I question if he can outcoach a John Calipari who was coaching before he was born. The Razorbacks are a conditioned team that will shorten their bench and play at a frantic pace. The Panthers are OK with that because they like to play at a fast tempo as well. High Point can play above the rim with Terry Anderson and Rob Martin and will look to pick on an Arkansas defense that isn’t any good, much like many SEC teams this year. Razorbacks freshman Darius Acuff Jr. is simply unstoppable and should have a monster offensive night against weaker competition. High Point had a soft schedule and a weak non-conference schedule, and probably won’t be able to handle players like Trevon Brazile or Malique Ewin from giving their team second-chance points. High Point has a quality bench and will not quit, no matter the score. Look for an entertaining game. Take the Over.
9:45 PM EST
Rotation # 785-786
High Point/Arkansas Over 169.5
High Point might be the only true mid-major Cinderella team left on the board at tip-off tonight. 37-year-old Flynn Clayman has done a fine job as his team dominated the Big South, but I question if he can outcoach a John Calipari who was coaching before he was born. The Razorbacks are a conditioned team that will shorten their bench and play at a frantic pace. The Panthers are OK with that because they like to play at a fast tempo as well. High Point can play above the rim with Terry Anderson and Rob Martin and will look to pick on an Arkansas defense that isn’t any good, much like many SEC teams this year. Razorbacks freshman Darius Acuff Jr. is simply unstoppable and should have a monster offensive night against weaker competition. High Point had a soft schedule and a weak non-conference schedule, and probably won’t be able to handle players like Trevon Brazile or Malique Ewin from giving their team second-chance points. High Point has a quality bench and will not quit, no matter the score. Look for an entertaining game. Take the Over.