Forget the NBA at least for today because college basketball is king. The first real wave of NCAA Tournament games arrives this Thursday, including USC vs Providence and Seton Hall vs. Gonzaga—our picks for best games to bet on today.
And for more top March Madness first round action, check out our preview of Arizona vs. Wichita State.
Line: USC Trojans (+1.5) vs. Providence Friars (-1.5); total: 150.0– view all NCAAB lines
We’ve seen USC head coach Andy Enfield work his magic with the FGCU Eagles before. This time around, he’ll look to guide the Trojans to the next round when USC faces the Friars later tonight.
The Trojans will brandish a high-scoring offense against Providence. They are scoring 80.8 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting. The Friars, however, will parade a stout defense that limits opponents to only 69.7 PPG.
USC is 5-1 ATS in its last six games when the Trojans are underdogs by two points or fewer. Providence is 5-0 ATS in its last five games overall.
It’s the Big East tournament champion versus the West Coast Conference’s tourney titlist later tonight, as Seton Hall squares off with Gonzaga in the first round of the Midwest Region. The Pirates are scoring 74.8 PPG, while their defense surrenders only 67.8 PPG. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, racks up 79.5 PPG, while their opponents notch 66.8 PPG.
These two teams look evenly matched on paper that this game might be decided as to which side does better at the foul line. Seton Hall is making 66.6% of their free throws, while the Bulldogs are much better with a 76.0% clip. Seton Hall is 4-0 SU and ATS in its last four games. Gonzaga is 5-0 SU and 4-0-1 ATS in its past five outings.
