Following Thursday’s 16-game slate for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, buckle in for another day of non-stop action with 16 matchups on Friday, March 20.
From three 7-10 matchups to a pair of 5-12 battles, Friday’s bracket is full of exciting collisions. You can get in on the action with college basketball projections for game winners, point spreads, and the over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
Among a smorgasbord of college basketball projections, what could be the three best Friday NCAA basketball picks for the first round?
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Friday’s Best College Basketball Picks in NCAA Tournament First Round
Friday’s action tips off with No. 10 Santa Clara vs. No. 7 Kentucky at 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS, and the 16-game slate is capped by No. 10 Missouri vs. No. 7 Miami (FL) at 10:10 p.m. ET on truTV.
Keep tabs on the Playbook’s college basketball coverage for predictions for all of Friday’s first-round games. But for now, we’ll focus on our three favorite picks among projections on PrizePicks Team Picks.
All NCAA Tournament spreads and over/unders are via PrizePicks Team Picks. Numbers represent what you will earn if you win — i.e. 2x means a $100 entry pays out $200.
Payouts are live as of publishing. All are subject to change.
No. 10 Santa Clara vs. No. 7 Kentucky Pick on Spread for NCAA Tournament
CBB Spread Pick: Santa Clara +3.5 (1.81x payout) | Kentucky -3.5 (2x)
Time: 12:15 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
- Kentucky is just 4-6 in its last 10 games, paired with a 2-3 against the spread (ATS) record in the past five contests.
- The Broncos are 7-3 over their previous 10 matchups, but they’re 1-3 ATS in their last four as an underdog.
- Among No. 10 seeds, Santa Clara boasts the top efficiency rating on Bart Torvik (29th). UK, meanwhile, has the second-lowest mark for No. 7 seeds (32nd).
- Led by a 45.0% 3-point shot distribution (81st percentile), the Broncos launch 29.0 triples per game (94th percentile).
- Opponents post a 39.5% shot distribution (48th percentile) and 23.4 shots per game (43rd percentile) from deep vs. the Wildcats.
- Santa Clara is in the 95th percentile of offensive rebounding rate, and Kentucky has an underwhelming 71.6% defensive rebounding percentage (50th percentile).
No. 13 Hofstra vs. No. 4 Alabama Pick on Over/Under for NCAA Tournament
CBB Spread Pick: Over 157.5 (1.78x payout) | Under 157.5 (2x)
Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
TV: truTV
- The over is 3-0 in Hofstra and 2-1 in Alabama’s last three games.
- Bart Torvik tabs the Pride in the 87th percentile for the slowest adjusted tempos, compared to the Crimson Tide in the 99th percentile for the quickest paces.
- Alabama G Aden Holloway (16.8 PPG) is likely out on Friday due to an arrest for a felony marijuana charge.
- Opponents shoot only 32.3% from deep vs. Hofstra (79th percentile), and the Tide heavily rely on 12.7 made treys per game (100th percentile).
- The Pride could have an advantage for the possession battle, helping control the pace.
- They sit in the 53rd percentile of defensive rebounding rate, while Alabama is in the 25th percentile of the department.
- If this tempo plays in Hofstra’s favor, it totals 74.5 PPG (50th percentile) and allows only 67.6 PPG (93rd percentile).
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No. 11 Miami (OH) vs. No. 6 Tennessee Pick on Spread for NCAA Tournament
Over/Under Pick: Miami (OH) +10.5 (2.04x) | Tennessee -10.5 (1.78x)
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: TBS
- Miami (OH) torched SMU in Wednesday’s play-in by draining 16-of-41 3-point shots (39.0%) in an 89-point effort.
- Bart Torvik ranks the RedHawks 61st in adjusted offensive efficiency, and the unit racks up 87.3 PPG (99th percentile).
- This is one of the nation’s most potent 3-point attacks, proven by 26.7 attempted triples per contest (85th percentile).
- Tennessee has a fearsome defense that ranks 13th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
- However, the Volunteers cede 25.5 attempts from deep per game (18th percentile) and a 44.4% 3-point shot distribution (10th percentile).
- UT leads college basketball in offensive rebounding rate, but Miami’s 24.5 defensive rebounds per game (87th percentile) could limit extra possessions.
Make Friday NCAA Tournament Picks on PrizePicks
Friday should be another eventful day packed with madness, but can this translate to value in our best CBB picks? Santa Clara and Miami (OH) are a pair of underdogs to watch, while Hofstra could force Alabama into a low-scoring affair.
March isn't just about your bracket. You can make your NCAA Tournament picks for every game on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money if you're right.
Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make real-money predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Keep tabs on the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news all the way through the NCAA Tournament.
