College Basketball Picks and March Madness Best Bets

Free College Basketball Expert and Computer Picks For Every Game March 12, 2026

Idaho Vandals logo IDHO @ Montana Grizzlies logo MONT Wed, Mar 11 • 11:30 PM ET
1 Expert Pick
MoneyLine
Montana Grizzlies logo MONT (+115)
Best Odds
Pick made: 8 hours ago
Ed Scimia image
Ed Scimia
Betting Analyst

Montana won both regular season matchups against the Vandals in regulation, and has beaten Idaho in nine straight games. Money Williams (20.6 ppg) has been the leading scorer in the Big Sky this year and will make the difference in taking his team to the big dance. I’m taking the Grizzlies to win outright.

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Iowa Hawkeyes logo IOWA @ Ohio State Buckeyes logo OSU Thu, Mar 12 • 12:00 PM ET
1 Expert Pick
Spread
Ohio State Buckeyes logo OSU +1.0 (-116)
Best Odds
Pick made: 5 hours ago
Jason Logan image
Jason Logan
Senior Betting Analyst

Looking at the Ohio State Buckeyes’ final stretch of Big Ten play, that bad loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes looks like an aberration. Ohio State finished the final month of conference play 6-4 SU (7-3 ATS) with the other defeats coming against Michigan, Virginia and at Michigan State. In fact, OSU posted the fifth highest net rating in the conference during that span. Iowa, which backed into the postseason on a 2-6 SU slide (3-5 ATS), needed an insane 31-4 run for that win over the Buckeyes. An exhausted Hawkeyes squad will get the Ohio State’s best in this Big Ten rematch.

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North Carolina State Wolfpack logo NCST @ Virginia Cavaliers logo UVA Thu, Mar 12 • 12:00 PM ET
1 Expert Pick
Spread
Virginia Cavaliers logo UVA -4.5 (-116)
Best Odds
Pick made: 5 hours ago
Chris Hatfield image
Chris Hatfield
Betting Analyst

NC State's whole offense is built on two things: Transition scores and big cutting actions from the high post. Guess what Virginia does better than almost anyone in the country? Defend exactly those two actions. That was on display in the 29-point thumping in the first meeting.

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Providence Friars logo PROV @ St. John's Red Storm logo SJU Thu, Mar 12 • 12:00 PM ET
1 Expert Pick
Spread
St. John's Red Storm logo SJU -10.5 (-116)
Best Odds
Pick made: 37 minutes ago
JD Yonke image
JD Yonke
Betting Analyst

St. John’s dominated the Big East, winning 16 of its last 17 games — and going 11-6 ATS in that span — to wrap up the regular season crown. 


Playing in the confines of their home arena, the Johnnies still have a job to do in the tournament. Rick Pitino won’t have his squad overlook Providence, which went 1-1 against them in the regular season and caused a full-on melee less than a month ago. 


Pitino has a storied career in March and is 6-1 ATS in postseason games during his stint with the Red Storm.

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What are Covers’ College Basketball Free picks and predictions?

Covers’ college basketball analysts have over 25 years of experience making smart basketball picks from the season’s opening tip to March Madness and the Final Four.

We find the best college basketball odds and share our picks and NCAA basketball best bets for the biggest games of the basketball season right here on this page.

Our picks are researched and analyzed by experienced sports bettors looking for an edge to get the best value from their NCAAB betting.

Free College Basketball Expert Picks

Making smart NCAA basketball picks means looking beyond the favorites. Our free expert NCAAB picks will include a wide variety of bet types and markets.

Free College Basketball Point Spread Picks

College basketball point spreads even the odds between two teams, offering bettors as close to an even pick as possible. Our analysts research vital stats, matchups, injuries, and more to give you the best possible edge before making your NCAAB point spread bets.

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Covers’ analysts make college basketball Over/Under picks throughout the NCAA basketball season. Betting on NCAAB Over/Unders means picking whether you think the combined total score of a game will be Over or Under a specific total set by oddsmakers.

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Betting on the college basketball moneyline means picking which team will win a game outright. While less common than picking the spread or a prop, our analysts will always look for high-value NCAA basketball moneyline picks if they feel it’s the best bet.

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There’s always value in college basketball props. Our team scours through game, team, and player props to try and find opportunity and value. From player points to total threes made, expect well-researched NCAA basketball prop picks from Covers.

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