3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for the SEC Tournament on Thursday 3/13/25

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.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets for the SEC Tournament's second round of play.

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

Today's Best College Basketball Betting Picks

Texas vs. Texas A&M

Texas +6.5 (-118)

From February 5 to March 1, Texas went on a brutal 1-6 stretch -- putting its NCAA Tournament hopes in danger. Suddenly, the Longhorns are playing well by snagging wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt in two of the last three.

According to Joe Lunardi's Bracketology, Texas is currently the first team out of the field. With a win over Texas A&M, which is 17th in the NCAA's NET rankings, the Longhorns should be able to secure their spot in next week's NCAA Tourney. However, that's easier said than done with the Aggies winning back-to-back games, including an 11-point victory over Auburn.

An outright win could be out of reach, but I like Texas to at least cover. Bart Torvik's game projections have A&M winning by five points.

The Longhorns' recent wins have been some of their best performances of the season as they led by at least 15 points for most of the second half against Vanderbilt yesterday. The defense -- which ranks 61st in adjusted defensive efficiency -- has stepped up by holding opponents to a 40.2% field goal percentage (FG%) and 25.0% from three over the past three contests. The Aggies aren't the best on offense, either, ranking 44th in efficiency while sitting in the 14th percentile of effective field goal percentage (eFG%).

Texas' improved defense should help it stay in this game, and the Longhorns' star player may be in store for another big outing. The two squads met on January 25, and leading scorer Tre Johnson (20.1 PPG) erupted for 30 points while shooting 44.4% from the field. The Longhorns won that matchup by one point, and that was without their second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, Arthur Kaluma (12.6 PPG; 7.8 RPG).

As the 139.5-point total suggests, this is shaping up to be a low-scoring game. Considering Texas' climbing defense and a Longhorn offense led by talented isolation scorers, give me the underdog to cover as it hopes to lock up an NCAA Tournament berth.

Mississippi State vs. Missouri

Over 155.5 Points (-110)

While our previous matchup featured two rising squads, the same cannot be said for Mississippi State-Missouri. The Bulldogs are 2-4 over their last six while the Tigers are 1-4 in their previous five. Mississippi State made a statement in first round, though, taking out LSU by 29 points as a 9.5-point favorites. Will the success carry over to Thursday?

In the scoring department, the Bulldogs should be able to keep it up. They're recording 86.5 PPG over the last four games and rank 23rd in adjusted offensive efficiency compared to 53rd on defense. Guarding is where MSU is in trouble as its given up at least 87 points in two of the last three. Missouri is 4th in offensive efficiency and average 84.5 PPG (5th-most) while sporting a 56.5 eFG% (12th-highest).

If there's one thing we can expect from this game, it's points, points, and more points.

The pace of each team points to the over, as well. The Tigers are in the 63rd percentile for the quickest tempos while the Bulldogs aren't far behind, sitting in the 62nd percentile of the category. Missouri's defense doesn't yield much confidence either by ranking 75th in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Shot distributions bolster the over, as well. For example, both offenses are in the 97th percentile for dunks shot distribution while each defense is in the 20th percentile of dunks shot distribution allowed. Mississippi State also cedes 25.6 three-point shots per game (11th percentile) and a 44.2% three-point shot distribution allowed (10th percentile), and the Tigers are in the 72nd percentile of three-point shot distribution on offense.

In line with Bart Torvik's projected 159-point total, give me the over.

Oklahoma vs. Kentucky

Andrew Carr Over 10.5 Points (+100)

Despite losing Jaxson Robinson (wrist) for the season, Kentucky has hit its groove again by winning three of its last four -- including an eight-point win on the road against Missouri as six-point underdogs. Several factors have helped ignite the Wildcats, one of which is a healthy Andrew Carr.

The veteran forward got off to a hot start early in the season but then struggled with a back injury. After numerous games with limited minutes and little impact, Carr is looking as healthy as ever. He's averaging 26.2 minutes per game over the last five compared to only 15.9 minutes per contest over the prior eight appearances.

During that recent five-game stretch, Carr is recording 13.6 PPG -- which is above his season-average of 10.2 PPG. Tonight's battle against Oklahoma is expected to have plenty of points with a 161.5 total. Considering the Sooners are 80th in adjusted defensive efficiency while the Wildcats post 85.8 PPG (3rd-most), one of Kentucky's pieces should be targeted for a point prop.

Look no further than Carr. His recent production is there with an expanding role. Plus, he has a favorable matchup against a weak defense.

Against forwards in SEC play, the Sooners allow 18.4 points per 40 minutes (sixth-most in conference) and a 53.0 FG% to the position (fourth-highest in conference). According to EvanMiya, OU forward Jalon Moore has a 0.88 Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR). Carr (6'11") already has a size advantage against Moore (6'7"), too.

Carr has even heated up from three by making 7 of his last 15 attempts (46.7%), and Oklahoma is in the 22nd percentile of three-point shot distribution allowed.

Look for Carr's momentum to keep building in the postseason.

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 13th! 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.