
We are officially done with the regular season of college basketball, and the postseason is set to begin. We are one week away from Selection Sunday, and teams still need to prove that they deserve a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The beauty of college basketball is that practically every team remains eligible for the Big Dance. In most conferences, the winner of the conference tournament earns a spot in the NCAA Tournament. If LSU shocked the world and won the SEC, they would be dancing along with the likes of Alabama and Tennessee.
So, conference tournaments obviously matter, but how do we make the best NCAAB picks? We go back to the tool that helped us all season. We use AI to make predictions. Let’s take bias out of the equation and look at the top AI bets for Monday.
Pick Summary
BYU vs. Saint Mary’s: Over 137 (-110) at Caesars
Northern Kentucky vs. Youngstown State: Youngstown State -2.5 (-120) at FanDuel
San Francisco vs. Gonzaga: San Francisco +14.5 (-102) at FanDuel
BYU Cougars vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels
Monday, March 6, 2023 – 09:00 PM EST at Orleans Arena
Saint Mary’s is expected to earn an automatic qualifier spot if they can beat Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament, and they are the only two teams worth considering in the NCAA Tournament. Every other team in that conference needs a desperate run to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
BYU shouldn’t make that run, but they are going to play with energy in the conference tournament. In fact, they recently only lost by six on the road against Saint Mary’s. In that game, both teams put up 65 points.
Saint Mary’s has one of the best defenses in the country, but BYU has proven that they can at least have a solid performance offensively against them. They don’t need to shatter records to keep things close, but they can get points on the board.
I still think Saint Mary’s wins this game and has a chance to cover, but I like for the over to hit. BYU can feed Fousseyni Traore in the paint early, and the shooters should be able to warm up as the game progresses.
NCAAB Pick: Over 137 (-110) at Caesars
Northern Kentucky Norse vs. Youngstown State Penguins
Monday, March 6, 2023 – 07:00 PM EST at Indiana Farmers Coliseum
The Horizon League is one of the many single-bid conferences, meaning that the winner of the postseason tournament will be the only team to reach the NCAA Tournament. While Youngstown State’s offense faltered against Detroit Mercy, this group still has what it takes to run through the Horizon League.
Northern Kentucky likes to play at a slower pace, but that is harder to do in the postseason when emotions run high. This team also beat Youngstown State early in the conference slate, which is likely playing a factor in the spread. Despite all of these factors, I like Youngstown State to cover, as does AI.
Youngstown State is the better team, and they know that they have to win if they want to reach the NCAA Tournament. This team is playing better ball, and I don’t see the Norse stopping this offense for 40 minutes.
NCAAB Pick: Youngstown State -2.5 (-120) at FanDuel
San Francisco Dons vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Monday, March 6, 2023 – 11:30 PM EST at Orleans Arena
Let’s be honest. The Bulldogs haven’t done much this year to show that they are a true title contender. They haven’t had the death grip that we are used to seeing in this conference, and they’ve had too many close calls for my liking.
In fact, San Francisco almost beat Gonzaga earlier in the season. The Bulldogs also ran away with another matchup between these teams, but the proof remains that San Francisco is capable of contending.
Gonzaga has a reputation for turning up the heat once the conference tournament rolls around, and Drew Timme is an amazing leader who has stepped up recently. I certainly expect Gonzaga to win this game, but this spread is too large for me to trust. Both teams are solid, and too many things can happen with a spread this large.
Gonzaga could suffer an injury. The Bulldogs could win early and put the backups in, winning the game but causing them to fail to cover. Shots could simply not be falling, or San Francisco could get hot.
This spread is nuts for a team fighting for a chance to make the NCAA Tournament, so I’m leaning toward San Francisco.
NCAAB Pick: San Francisco +14.5 (-102) at FanDuel