3 Best Bets and Player Props for Saturday's Men's College Basketball Tournament Games

The men's college basketball tournament is heating up and two teams will punch a ticket to the national semifinals on Saturday.

The lack of upsets in this year's tourney has gifted us with exciting matchups on the back end.

The Florida Gators (one seed) and Texas Tech Raiders (three seed) will meet up at 6:09 p.m. ET followed by a showdown between the Duke Blue Devils (one seed) and Alabama Crimson Tide (two seed) at 8:49 p.m. ET.

Both one seeds are favored by 6.5 points.

If you want thoughts on specific games, check out our best bets for each game in the men's college basketball tournament. But here are the bets that stand out most in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

College Basketball Betting Picks for Today

Texas Tech vs. Florida

Texas Tech +6.5 (-110)

Texas Tech showed ultimate resilience on Thursday, coming back from a 16-point deficit at the 11-minute mark in the second half and ultimately beating Arkansas by two points in overtime.

Fortitude has been the Red Raiders' calling card all season. They've yet to lose a game by double digits and seven of their eight losses have come by six points or fewer. It's part of the reason why I like them to cover against Florida on Saturday.

Florida and Texas Tech rank fourth and seventh, respectively, in Bart Torvik's power ratings. The Gators have been reliant -- perhaps too reliant -- on the three-ball heading into this one. They attempted 28 threes in the regional semifinals opposite Maryland and have shot trios at a 42.6% clip across their last two. Texas Tech's defense could have something to say about that, as they rank in the top-40 of three-point rate allowed.

On offense, the Red Raiders are totally due for positive three-point regression. Despite owning a 36.7% 3P% on the season (89th percentile), they've gone a rough 23-for-92 (25.0%) from distance this tournament. In the last week or so, we've seen plenty of teams pop from behind the arc after struggling with poor shooting luck. If Texas Tech manages to get their three-point mojo back, they'll be primed to cover this 6.5-point spread.

Christian Anderson 3+ Made Threes (+136)

With shooting regression top of mind, let's look for Texas Tech's Christian Anderson to return to form on Saturday.

Anderson leads the Red Raiders in three-point makes (71) and attempts (185). Heading into the tournament, he was shooting threes at a 40.7% clip. His three-point percentage has since dropped by more than two percentage points after going 5-for-23 (21.7%) from downtown this tournament.

Even still, he drilled three three-pointers against Arkansas and could see similar results against Florida by way of volume alone, as the Gators rank just 118th in three-point rate allowed.

Add in the chance for regression, and Anderson is set up to thrive in this matchup. The freshman is averaging 38.5 minutes in regulation across his last four games. He's also nailed at least three trios in 50.0% of his last 14 games, unearthing some value in these +136 odds (42.4% implied probability).

Alabama vs. Duke

Duke -6.5 (-110)

On Thursday, we saw Alabama churn out what might have been the best performance of the tournament. They scored a billowing 113 points on 25-for-51 shooting from three (49.0%) -- shattering the previous men's tournament record of 21 made threes in a single game.

Mark Sears led the way with 34 points on 10-for-16 shooting from long range. It was an all-around offensive masterclass, but it came against a BYU team that ranks 64th in adjusted defense and features one of the softest three-point defenses in the nation.

Both from a regression and competition standpoint, I think the Crimson Tide will be in for a rude awakening against Duke on Saturday.

The Blue Devils come in with the seventh-best adjusted defense and hold opponents to 31.0% shooting from long range. Alabama has gone a so-so 4-6 against top-30 adjusted defenses this season and averaged 81.8 points in regulation in that split -- down from their 83.5 implied team total in this one.

Duke's top-ranked adjusted offense is averaging 94.0 points per game this tournament. Caleb Love ended his collegiate career by turning in one of his best performances to date, including 35 points and zero turnovers on efficient shooting. Even that couldn't save Arizona from a seven-point defeat at the hands of the Blue Devils.

Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach give Duke a size advantage that Grant Nelson alone might not be able to match. This is not an easy player-for-player matchup for Alabama, and the 6.5-point spread might be too hopeful that they can replicate Thursday's shooting heroics.

You can also click here to get our updated printable Men's College Basketball Tournament bracket for the Round of 16.

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

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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.