2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Arizona vs. Texas Tech

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET, the Arizona Wildcats will meet up with the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the semifinal of the Big 12 Tournament.

The Wildcats ended the regular season on a low note, losing five of their last eight, but now have a chance to knock off the 2nd-seeded Red Raiders en route to the Big 12 Championship game.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds to find the best bets and player props for Arizona-Texas Tech.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Arizona vs. Texas Tech Betting Picks

Arizona +2.5 (-118)

Arizona and Texas Tech traded wins on their home court this season. The Red Raiders picked up a 16-point victory in Lubbock before losing by nine in Tucson in early February.

The Wildcats had a steady lead in the standings over the Red Raiders before going 3-5 to end the regular season. But as we know, there's no momentum shift quite like a conference tournament.

Zona's interior advantage was put on display in yesterday's 11-point victory over Kansas. They outscored the Jayhawks by a whopping 26 points in the paint, which allowed them to come away with a double-digit victory despite being outscored by 18 from downtown.

Tobe Awaka (6'8"), Carter Bryant (6'8"), and Henri Veesaar (7'0") give the Wildcats a size advantage that Texas Tech could struggle to counter. JT Toppin (6'9") has been lethal for the Red Raiders and recorded 20-plus points and 13-plus rebounds in both dates against Arizona this season. But this otherwise small-in-comparison team will have to rely on Federiko Federiko tonight -- at least so says head coach Grant McCasland.

Federiko's size wasn't needed against Baylor on Thursday, and he was limited to just eight minutes. He's a solid defender but offers less offensive value -- team-low 1.98 Offensive Bayesian Player Rating). Worse, starting senior guard Chance McMillan left Thursday's game with an injury and did not return. McMillan averages 14.2 points per game and shoots threes at a team-best 43.4% clip. With a player like McMillan potentially out, it will be that much harder for the Raiders to play offense-to-defense with Federiko.

I think the Wildcats sneak their way to at least a cover and maybe a win.

JT Toppin Over 30.5 Pts + Reb (-120)

This may seem like a counterproductive bet considering we just recommended Arizona based on their interior advantage, but Toppin put up huge combined points and rebounds (PR) marks in a win (36 PR) and loss (34 PR) against Zona this season.

Texas Tech will need Toppin to do about everything tonight, and him getting to the foul line should be a priority. Given the need for Toppin's size, we should expect him to play as much as possible.

Notably, he's averaging 35.9 PR and has notched at least 30 PR in seven out of nine games where he played at least 32 minutes -- including each of his last three times out. That doesn't even include his games against Arizona where he played just 26 and 30 minutes.

Get a 30% Profit Boost Token to use on a pre-live straight moneyline wager, with odds of +100 or longer, placed on any college basketball game taking place on March 14th! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.