Thursday’s the first big betting slate of the NCAA Tournament, running all day. Here, we’re leveraging a collection of PRO betting insights — tournament trends, proprietary projections and more — on three picks.
Below, we’ll cover a trio of data-driven model spread and over/under predictions on the evening slate of matchups, including:
- Arkansas vs. Kansas (7:10 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Utah State vs. UCLA (9:25 p.m. ET, TNT)
- St. John’s vs. Omaha (9:45 p.m. CBS)
Leading the front is our premium 71% spread trend, which flagged a higher seed that’s way undervalued Thursday. Additionally, neutral-site betting trends and expert projections offer a couple savvy over/under picks.
Get a closer look at three basketball predictions for Thursday night hoops.
Round of 64 Picks: Arkansas vs. Kansas, Utah State vs. UCLA, St Johns vs. Omaha
Arkansas vs. Kansas Basketball Prediction Thursday
First up is Arkansas vs. Kansas, where 3/5 PRO signals are aligned on the same pick.
The sharp way to bet Razorbacks vs. Jayhawks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament using our data is under the total of 146.5.
When the public’s pounding high-scoring, neutral site game overs, they tend to go under 54% of the time since we tracked using our tickets. We’ve logged 70% of the tickets on Arkansas vs. Kansas over, yet the total’s moving down.
Backing up sharp action and PRO Systems are projections, which make the combined point total for Arkansas vs. Kansas more like 142.4.
Caesars at the time of writing offers the best odds on under (146, -110).
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PRO Prediction: Arkansas vs. Kansas Under 146
UCLA vs. Utah State Basketball Prediction Thursday
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State lends a big edge to UCLA covering the spread.
A 71% NCAA Tournament trend identifies favorites seeded close to their opponents, with similar splits in shooting percentages and defense. In these instances, moderate favorites are the way to go, covering 60 of the 85 instances.
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PRO Systems Prediction: UCLA Against the Spread
UCLA vs. Utah State Basketball Prediction Thursday
Finally, sharp action has been tracked on St. John’s vs. Omaha under 148.5.
This matchup also aligns with the “Neutral Court Unders” model to close out Thursday’s matchup, with 68% of the public backing the over; therefore, the best bet is under the total.
PRO Systems Prediction: St. John’s vs. Omaha Under 148.5
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