Tuesday March 3 Top College Basketball Betting Picks and Predictions

March Madness is right around the corner.

These are Deadspin’s top college basketball bets on Tuesday March 3.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs

The Crimson Tide continue to go a bit overlooked because of some early-season losses. They don’t have any bad losses, though, and it’s clear they struggle against teams with high-level bigs. The only game that they lost against a team without a dominant frontcourt was Vanderbilt, but Devin McGlockton and AK Okereke combined for 20 points and 20 rebounds.

The Bulldogs have flashed this season, but they lack consistency. More importantly, Georgia doesn’t have the size to make Alabama struggle here.

Somto Cyril is a solid option, but he’s consistently in foul trouble, and he generally doesn’t play big minutes. If he’s off the floor, Georgia is entirely too small to take advantage of this matchup. Dylan James isn’t going to give this team the same problems as some of the other bigs they’ve faced.

Ultimately, this game is going to be a track meet between two teams that focus on offense. The difference is that Alabama has more players they can consistently rely on, and I prefer their coaching by a wide margin.

We’re getting a great price here because it’s always difficult to win on the road in the SEC, but I’m backing the more talented team here.

Where to Bet: Alabama moneyline | -120 at BetMGM

BYU vs. Cincinnati

This is one of the most interesting matchups on the slate. Cincinnati doesn’t have any room for error at this point if they want to make March Madness. They need to win their final two games and make a run in the tournament. BYU is firmly in the NCAA Tournament, but they’re playing for important seeding.

The Bearcats feature an outstanding defense, and I don’t trust BYU’s shooters. Day Day Thomas is an elite on-ball defender, and he should help neutralize Robert Wright in this matchup. Without Richie Saunders, they don’t have the shooters to consistently find points in this matchup.

On the other side, Cincinnati’s found a new way to play offense. They’re playing through Moustapha Thiam, who’s been outstanding in recent games. They’ve also been running plenty of sets with Baba Miller and Thiam as the pick-and-roll options together.

AJ Dybantsa is the type of player who can keep a team in any game. He’s taking on a massive role without Saunders, but Cincinnati has multiple bodies they can throw at him.

Although I prefer the high-end stars of BYU, it’s going to be tough without Saunders. Cincinnati has solid depth with several players who can make key shots while they play through their bigs.

I’m backing the home team that needs the win over a road team that wants it.

Where to Bet: Cincinnati moneyline | -130 at DraftKings Sportsbook