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

The first round of the 2025 men's college basketball tournament gets rolling with 16 games on Thursday. Let's dig into where we can find betting value throughout the day's action.

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

High Point vs. Purdue

Purdue -7.5 (-118)

The Purdue Boilermakers boast one of the best offenses in the country, and the High Point Panthers could have a tough time stopping them. Per Bart Torvik, Purdue ranks 8th in adjusted offensive efficiency, whereas High Point is just 212th in adjusted defense.

This simply comes down to the Boilermakers shooting the ball so well. Purdue is 14th in effective field goal percentage, showing high marks in both two-point percentage (37th) and three-point percentage (9th). Basically, this offense can hurt you from practically anywhere.

The cherry on top is that the Boilermakers are also 66th in turnover rate on offense, so they do all this without coughing up many extra opportunities for the opposition.

One wrinkle here is that the Panthers aren't too shabby on offense themselves (29th), and that includes ranking inside the top 50 in three-point percentage. Purdue doesn't exactly suppress threes on defense (298th in three-point rate allowed), so High Point could keep themselves in the game with hot shooting from deep.

Still, Purdue's ruthless efficiency on offense should win out in the long run. Bart Torvik projects the Boilermakers to win by 11 points.

Utah State vs. UCLA

Over 142.5 Points (-115)

This matchup features a pair of capable offenses, as the Utah State Aggies rank 14th in adjusted offense while the UCLA Bruins are 27th. Although the Bruins play at a sluggish pace (295th in adjusted tempo), which should give us some pause, we should still feel good about these two teams exceeding this middle-of-the-road total.

For UCLA, they should be able to put up points against a Utah State team that's just 153rd in adjusted defense. While the Bruins' offense isn't elite in any one category, they sit inside the top 100 in all of effective field goal percentage, turnover rate, offensive rebound rate, and three-point percentage, showing what a well-rounded squad they are with the ball.

The Aggies will admittedly have a tougher test getting through the Bruins' 19th-ranked adjusted defense. But what's key is that UCLA allows a boatload of threes, sitting 337th in three-point rate allowed. It just so happens Utah State attacks a fair bit from beyond the arc, as they have the 68th-best three-point percentage while being 93rd in three-point rate.

Bart Torvik forecasts the teams scoring 149 total points, which should give us even more confidence in backing the over.

UC San Diego vs. Michigan

Tyler McGhie Over 14.5 Points (-108)

The Michigan Wolverines could be on upset alert in this 12-versus-5 matchup, and if the UC San Diego Tritons are going to pull it off, they'll likely need Tyler McGhie to have a big game from beyond the arc.

McGhie averages 16.4 points per game, and much of that tends to come from long range, as he averages 3.4 made threes per game off a 38.6% three-point percentage.

Michigan features a pair of seven-footers, so it's no surprise they rank 14th in two-point percentage defense. Attacking from outside will be key for the Tritons against a team that's far easier to hit triples against (181st in three-point rate allowed).

McGhie has scored 15+ points in 19 of 34 games (55.9%) this season. Further, in the 15 games he's attempted 10+ threes, he's scored 15+ points in 12 of them.

Considering the stakes and matchup, we should expect McGhie to be very busy from beyond the arc, and that should lead to him sailing over this points prop line.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's 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.