Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.
It's conference tournament week in college basketball. We've extensively previewed every event, many of which tip off on Wednesday. Some mid-major tournaments are nearing the end with championships (and automatic NCAA Tournament bids) on the line.
We'll give out daily picks through the conclusion of the major tournaments before Selection Sunday arrives. Tournament week brings afternoon hoops, so be wary of game times.
Here are Wednesday's best bets, including a wager for the Patriot League championship and an opening-round Big Ten showdown.
Rutgers vs. Maryland (-3.5, O/U 125.5)
6:30 p.m. ET
Maryland was projected to be a top team in the Big Ten and a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. Its season hasn't panned out that way. This is one of the worst years in Maryland history, finishing the lowest it ever has in the Big Ten standings.
Rutgers' season has been equally disappointing.
Rutgers averaged the Big Ten's fewest points per game, and Maryland was close behind in second. However, they have the third- and first-ranked defenses, respectively. Rutgers' games went under the total at a 67% rate, while 61% of the Terps' games stayed under.
These teams played twice this season, combining for 109 total points in each contest. This will be a dull, defensive-oriented matchup between two squads waiting for their disastrous seasons to end.
Pick: Under 125.5
Lehigh @ Colgate (-8.5, O/U 134.5)
7 p.m. ET
The stakes are clear: The winner advances to the NCAA Tournament as the Patriot League champion, and the loser clears out their lockers.
Lehigh had an incredible comeback win over Boston University in the semifinals after trailing by 18 at halftime. However, Colgate is more experienced and talented than the Terriers.
Bucknell had a sizable lead on Colgate in the previous round, but the Raiders stayed poised to mount a comeback.
Colgate's Braeden Smith, the Patriot League Player of the Year, can take over any game. He struggled the previous times Colgate played Lehigh this season, but the Raiders still won both contests.
Colgate will earn its fourth consecutive tournament appearance in a convincing win.
Pick: Colgate -8.5
Cincinnati vs. Kansas (+2, O/U 137)
9:30 p.m. ET
This hasn't been the year Kansas was expecting when it acquired Hunter Dickinson in the transfer portal last spring. The Jayhawks lost eight Big 12 games, a conference they typically dominate.
Kansas is without Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. for the Big 12 Tournament. The Jayhawks could roll over and prepare for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, but the rest of this team isn't filled with scrubs.
There are serviceable, highly-touted players on Kansas' roster beyond Dickinson and McCullar. Cincinnati went 7-11 in the conference and narrowly escaped West Virginia in the opening round. I trust Bill Self and Kansas' secondary players more than Cincinnati's primary contributors.
Pick: Kansas +2
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
