If you tailed PRO Projections top two college basketball bets Thursday, how can you not feel confident about Friday’s picks?
Duquesne (+9.5) won outright; Gonzaga (-6.5), meanwhile, won by 21. And now, another surprise.
PRO Projections largest spread edge of the entire NCAA Tournament First Round goes off Friday — and our expert projections also green-lighted an additional three best bets. Overall the top NCAA Tournament spread picks Friday, sorted by strength, include juicy betting edges in a whopping four tilts.
- Northwestern vs. FAU
- Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
- Charleston vs. Alabama
- Colorado vs. Florida
PRO Projections tag all picks with a grade like A, B, C and so on. As a general rule of thumb, we suggest taking B grades or better when tailing projections.
All four spread picks Friday are locked and loaded with value, including a pair of ‘A’ picks. Also, a couple predictions below feature a scenario in which the wrong team is favored!
Let’s start with the 8/9 showdown between FAU and Northwestern — or as PRO would tag it, the biggest point spread mismatch of any NCAA Tournament game in the opening round.
NCAA Tournament Spread Picks Friday · Pro Projections Best Bets
Northwestern vs. Florida Atlantic Spread Pick
Here’s the big disagreement in the Round of 64 — our FAU vs. Northwestern line Friday is a full 6.5 points off the consensus Owls vs. Wildcats spread.
NCAA Basketball Odds: FAU -3.5
PRO Projections Spread: Northwestern -3
It’s a clear-cut A+ suggestion to back the Big Ten program to not only cover, but perhaps trip up last year’s underdog darlings and win outright.
PRO Prediction: Northwestern Spread
Charleston vs. Alabama Spread Pick
There’s value on Charleston in an expected high-variance matchup. PRO models reveal an A- edge to bet the Cougars against the spread, featuring a line multiple points off what’s being offered in general betting markets.
NCAA Basketball Odds: Alabama -9.5
PRO Projections Spread: Alabama -6
PRO Prediction: College of Charleston Spread
Nebraska vs. Texas A&M Spread Pick
NCAA Basketball Odds: Nebraska -1.5
PRO Projections Spread: Nebraska -4.5
Projections spotted another monster value play in an 8/9 matchup.
It’s a recommended bet on Keisei Tominaga and No. 8 Nebraska to cover a potentially-short line vs. the Aggies. Projections graded Nebraska minus the points a B+ selection.
PRO Prediction: Nebraska Spread
Colorado vs. Florida Spread Pick
NCAA Basketball Odds: Florida -2.5
PRO Projections Spread: Colorado -1
The final pick green-lighted from projections is a second wrong-team-favored scenario.
Florida’s giving points Friday, but our fair spread tabs Colorado, the winner of Wednesday’s play-in, as the chalk.
PRO Prediction: Colorado Spread
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