With football in the rearview mirror, attention shifts to college basketball as March Madness looms. Tonight’s schedule is light, with no ranked teams in action and less than 20 games on the slate. There are still some games that warrant attention.
Here are SportsGrid’s favorite picks for Friday’s college basketball action.
7:00 p.m. ET – Villanova at Georgetown
Spread: Villanova (-10.5) | Moneyline: Villanova (-610) | Total: 139.5
Where to Watch: CBSSN | Location: Capital One Arena in Washington, DC
Betting against the dregs of the Big East has been a profitable enterprise this season as both DePaul and Georgetown have struggled even to be competitive lately. Since beating DePaul by three points, the Hoyas have dropped nine straight games. Four of the past five contests have been in blowout fashion, and beyond Jayden Epps, Georgetown has very little quality to present an opponent with a challenge. Villanova is only 6-7 in the Big East but has been playing better recently, with convincing wins over Seton Hall and Providence in two recent contests. The SportsGrid model likes Villanova to exceed expectations in this contest. The Wildcats are favored by 10.5 points, but the model has them winning this one by 18.8 points. They are -610 on the moneyline. There’s not much value there, but the model projects Villanova to win this game 95% of the time.
SportsGrid’s Best Bets: Villanova (-10.5) and Villanova (-610) | SportsGrid Projections: 5-stars
10:00 p.m. ET – New Mexico at San Diego State
Spread: New Mexico (+6.5) | Moneyline: New Mexico (+220) | Total: 152.5
Where to Watch: FS1 | Location:
The most meaningful game of the night occurs in San Diego as the Aztecs of San Diego State host the New Mexico Lobos in the highly competitive Mountain West. This league is projected to get five or six teams into the NCAA Tournament, and the race at the top is intriguing. Utah State leads at 9-3, with New Mexico and SDSU trailing at 8-4. The loser of this game goes two games back, and the winner puts the heat on the Aggies. New Mexico is a 6.5-point underdog, but they beat San Diego State by 18 points earlier this season. The Lobos have also won four straight on the road (Air Force, San Jose State, Wyoming, and Nevada). The SportsGrid model likes San Diego State to win, but there is a five-star projection on the Lobos to cover the spread.
SportsGrid’s Best Bets: New Mexico (+6.5) | SportsGrid Projections: 5-stars
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