Ahead of a massive Saturday college basketball slate, we have some strong betting value for Friday's regular season matchups.
So, dive in below for college basketball best bets, including our staff's four expert picks for Friday's regular season games on March 8.
College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Akron vs. Western Michigan
By Matt Gannon
Akron has been atop the MAC standings all season long, but it’s playing some of its worst ball at the wrong time. The Zips are currently tied for first in the league and can’t afford to drop another game to a lesser team.
In terms of talent alone, Akron laps Western Michigan, and the metrics agree with that. The Zips have significant advantages on both sides of the ball in terms of 3-point percentage allowed and 2-point percentage made.
In short, this means they should do a great job defending Western Michigan's 3-point attempts while being able to get what they want inside on the offensive end.
This is a major bounce back spot for the Zips, and I wouldn’t be shocked if this game gets ugly.
These two have already played against each other, resulting in an 11-point win for Akron. Expect a similar result here.
Pick: Akron -8.5 (Play to -10)
Boise State vs. San Diego State
Boise State +8
By D.J. James
The Boise State Broncos have likely their toughest matchup on the road on Friday at San Diego State.
The last time these two played, the Broncos won at home, so a bounce back from their loss to Nevada on Tuesday could be in the cards here.
Boise State likes to shoot the 3 more often than getting the ball into the paint; it’s hitting about 35% from deep. San Diego State ranks in the top 10 in opponent 3-point rate, but the Aztecs allow teams to shoot a ton of 3s.
Alternatively, the Broncos are amongst the most frequent users of the post-up. The Aztecs are abysmal at guarding post-ups and rank in the bottom 70 in the country in guarding the block.
They also don’t guard the rim too well on drives, which means Boise State could own an edge offensively on the interior.
SDSU is efficient at attacking the rim, and Boise State is permitting opponents to shoot over 51% from 2-point range. Jaedon LeDee can be a problem inside, and he can get to the free-throw line.
If Boise can limit the fouls – even though it’s prone to fouling other teams – it can negate what could be a deficit in attempted free throws. Even still, SDSU fouls a lot on defense, so Boise needs to try getting the ball inside.
Take the Broncos to +6 in this game.
Pick: Boise State +8 (Play to +6)
Boise State +8
Boise State will conclude the regular season with a road game against San Diego State, and I believe there are a number of reasons to be all over the points that oddsmakers are offering in this Mountain West finale.
The last time these two teams played, Boise State emerged victorious with a final tally of 67-66 on its home court. In fact, the Broncos have won five of the last six meetings against the Aztecs, with three wins being determined by just a single point and all five being determined by single digits.
Boise State has thrived on the road this year, going 6-3. Since the 2022 season, the Broncos are the only Mountain West team to have one game in every conference venue. This is a team that travels well and is accustomed to performing well in hostile environments.
The Broncos will need one more outstanding road performance this evening with the Mountain West Conference title on the line. A win tonight — coupled with a Utah State loss — will give Boise State a share of the conference title. This screams motivation for the visiting Broncos.
San Diego State will pose some resistance, but I think the eight points are too many, and bettors should jump on this.
Boise State is the top rebounding team in the country, ranking first in defensive boards by grabbing 77.7% of opposing misses this year. Limiting second chances will be important as it faces a San Diego State team that ranks 184th in the nation in effective field goal percentage.
Another area that Boise State has an advantage is 3-point shooting. The Broncos are making 34.9% of their 3-point attempts relative to 32.0% for San Diego State. The contrast might not seem large, but that 2.9% is the difference between a 120th and 271st ranking, respectively.
My model is projecting Boise State as 4.5-point road underdogs, and I recommend taking points. I would play this down to six should the market move from here.
Pick: Boise State +8 (Play to +6)
Under 136.5
By John Feltman
The Broncos blew a great opportunity on Tuesday to lock up a regular-season share of the Mountain West title. Now they travel to San Diego to take on the Aztecs with their title hopes on the line.
It's a great spot to take an under, and there are a few reasons that lead me in this direction.
First off, both teams run their offenses at a slow pace, with neither of them eager to strike early in the shot clock.
Secondly, the Broncos and Aztecs are outstanding defensively out on the perimeter.
These teams are in the middle of the pack when it comes to attempting shots from deep, but I don't expect either of them to sustain too much success in that area.
The Broncos are also the No. 1 defensive rebounding team in the nation, which will prevent the Aztecs from getting easy second-chance buckets.
There's a slight concern that the Broncos' interior defense will get exposed, but as long as they stay out of foul trouble, they shouldn't get burned too badly in that area. The Aztecs get the majority of their scoring from beyond the arc and at the charity stripe, so remaining disciplined and efficient in that area is crucial.
With a lot at stake, I expect a lot of nerves from both of these teams, and that correlates well with their slow-tempo approach.
These defenses are more than capable of putting on a show, so I expect it to be a low-scoring contest.
