Football 
Tennis 
Horse Racing NCAA Basketball Friday Best Bets: Conference Tournament Madness
NCAA Basketball Friday Best Bets: Friday, March 10th
We are on the verge of the official start of the March Madness Tournament, but for our resident college hoops expert Ej Garr it’s been madness from the beginning of the campaign! It’s Conference Tournament Championship Weekend around the landscape of NCAA basketball, and tickets have already been punched to the field of 68 programs that will go dancing in the big tourney!
Ej has a MAC Semifinal match to discuss along with a tip from a Semifinal from the Big12 Conference Tournament, Is that Kansas again, Ej? You bet it is, now let’s take it to the court!
In this article:
- Toledo Rockets vs Ohio Bobcats Preview
- Toledo Rockets vs Ohio Bobcats Best Bet
- Kansas Jayhawks vs Iowa State Cyclones Preview
- Kansas Jayhawks vs Iowa State Cyclones Best Bet
Toledo Rockets vs Ohio Bobcats Preview
March 11, 22:00 (UK time)
Hi, how are you? Good, I hope! So, do you know when you expect a high-scoring game to take place and then you watch it happen and just laugh while cashing a betting ticket?
Yeah, that’s what we’re going to do with this first game of my two previews today. That total says 163, and let me tell you right now when I saw anything less than 172 I would have still taken this over.
I took Ohio and the -1 on Thursday night and all they did was come up with a 90 – 70 win over Ball State to kick off their run in the MAC Championships. This game is not going to disappoint anyone who loves what we call a shootout at the OK Saloon if you will.
First of all, this first half total is 77.5, and if you don’t bet on that puppy to pour in, you just missed out on a golden opportunity at easy money! I am telling you right now that this halftime score is going to be 49 – 44… Count them! How do 83 points sound with a mere 77 and change on the board to make rain?
Ohio put up 92 points in the regular season finale against Bowling Green, and if you want to talk about offense, let’s get into it, baby!
Rankings for people who love those numbers. Ohio’s offense is ranked 32nd in the country scoring just under 79 points a game. The Bobcats’ 37.2% from behind the arc ranks them 39th in 3-point shooting, and that is just the Ohio story.
Toledo? Oh, you mean the #2 ranked team on planet earth that finds their way to 85.7 PPG? My goodness, Toledo just wants to go-go-go and Ohio is going to feed right into that approach and shoot all night with them.
The Rockets are converting over 40% of their 3-point attempts, and that is another category you will see Toledo with a #2 in the rankings next to their program. And then let’s talk Toledo’s def… wait, what? I dare you to say Toledo and defence in the same sentence! When you allow over 76 points a night, you get slapped with a 330 in the defensive rankings, and that is about as bad as it gets in all of Division 1 hoops.
Ohio had seven players score at least 6 points, and AJ Brown busted out career/season highs in points (28) and rebounds (7) in the win over Ball State. Brown is 5th on the depth chart which is now just a half point from being the fifth Bobcat that averages double-digits this campaign.
Toledo also got a big contribution from a bench player in their opening game of the MAC tourney, as my man, Ej Farmer, broke out for 19 points in the 91 – 75 win over Miami. Farmer averages 5.7 PPG as a normal sub who comes on to put in 16 minutes a night. That was Farmer’s 8th double-digit effort this campaign and his season-high output in the winning effort.
Toledo Rockets vs Ohio Bobcats Best Bet
That first-halt total is your first play and then you can wait for this gem of a total to pour in. I will say it this game will end somewhere in the mid-80s, and 170-something points, at least, hits the board.
- Selection: Total Over 163 Points
- Best odds: 1.92 (Pinnacle)
- Stakes: 4/10
More Toledo Rockets vs Ohio Bobcats Tips
Kansas Jayhawks vs Iowa State Cyclones Preview
March 11, 00:05 (UK time)
What happens when I put a Kansas tip on the board? Go look over my history and enjoy the results because I have read this team like a book this campaign. I am using that to my advantage again today because I am of the mindset that another 1st Half winner is the call to make here. Kansas is listed at -2.5 on the handicap at the end of 20 minutes of play and -4.5 overall against the Cyclones.
Bill self is a master motivator and they don’t need to be reminded that a 1-seed for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is at stake as well. However, Coach Self was hospitalized and will miss the remainder of the Big12 Conference Championships. That is not good news for Kansas fans or alumni, etc, and we all hope is okay, of course!
Most of the big, well-known college guru names that post their projections for the seeds of the big dance all have Kansas locked into one of the four top seeds for whatever region they land in.
The Big12 Conference Tournament Championships are being played right in Kansas’ backyard, so I expect the T-Mobile center to be one rocking house tonight. There will be many a Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk hymn being sung throughout the event, and it will feel like a road game for the Cyclones a bit.
These two teams split the season series with home wins, although the Cyclones snapped a 7-game losing streak to Kansas by winning their last meeting, 68 – 53, in Iowa on February 4.
When I saw the line open at -4.5 in favour of Kansas, the emotion of not having Coach Self on the bench has got to come into play in this tournament at some point. This game is going to be one to not miss, and I will not be missing it on my 65” television, especially with a tip I have to offer.
Kansas cruised in their decisive win over West Virginia, and that certainly could not have taken much out of the Jayhawks. People are going to talk about tired legs after 3 straight days of playing games, but this is only the second game for each team here in Kansas City.
Even though Jalen Wilson led Kansas with 22 points in the win over West Virginia yesterday, Grady Dick had a great afternoon draining four of his seven attempts from behind the arc while putting up 18 points overall.
Iowa State may seem to come into this game with momentum, but just because they got past Baylor on the last day of the regular season and again in the opening round of the conference tourney, this Cyclones team just caught lightning in a bottle yesterday. There is not going to be some deep run in the Big 12 Conference Championships because Kansas is going to send them packing right here, right now!
The Cyclones had lost 6 of 7 games before those back-to-back wins over Baylor, and this is a much bigger stage with a lot more at stake. Iowa State wants to leave a hell of an impression on the voters for the big dance, and these are the games where the lights are the brightest.
Kansas Jayhawks vs Iowa State Cyclones Best Bet
I have Kansas and the emotion of a missing Bill Self to open the game strong. Being able to handle the moment and come out early to take a 5-point lead to the locker room, Kansas might be able to sustain a win in this game, but I think it will come down to the wire in a close contest after an Iowa State second-half run to get back in the game.
So, Kansas 1st Half to play with emotion for Coach Self, but be careful with a handful of points to lay on the FT handicap. I do think Iowa State will find a way to cover that somehow, but let’s just bet on the Jayhawks early!
- Selection: Kansas -2.5 1st Half Handicap
- Best odds: 1.94 (Pinnacle)
- Stakes: 4/10
Odds as of 9:00 am March 10, 2023. Odds may now differ.
More Kansas Jayhawks vs Iowa State Cyclones Tips
