3 Best College Basketball Bets for Thursday 3/12/26

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 of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.

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

Best Bets for College Basketball Today

Miami (FL) vs. Louisville

Miami Moneyline (+110)

Louisville is playing without star guard Mikel Brown Jr., and despite the Cards getting a victory sans Brown yesterday, they didn't look so hot. I like Miami to get the win over Louisville today in this 2:30 p.m. ET clash.

The Cardinals' offense struggled mightily against SMU on Wednesday, with Louisville posting a single-game offensive rating of 102.7, per Torvik, their worst clip in any game this campaign. And it's not like SMU is lights out on D, with the Mustangs sitting 91st in KenPom defense.

This afternoon, Louisville will see a Hurricanes defense that ranks 35th, per KenPom, and Miami also has the rest advantage as they haven't yet played in the ACC Tournament.

In the final game of the regular season for both teams, the Cards won at Miami by three despite Brown sitting out. But Louisville shot it super well from three, going 12 for 24 from deep -- well above their 35.9% season-long clip. I'm backing that to regress and for the 'Canes to get the W.

BYU vs. Houston

BYU Under 32.5 First-Half Points (-125)

After starting 23-2, Houston's regular season ended with them going 3-3 across their final six games. But I think there's a lot to like about this Houston team, and they should be able to bottle up BYU's offense in this 7 p.m. ET game.

Houston's three losses during that 3-3 stretch came to Kansas, Iowa State and Arizona. In short, they lost to top-notch foes, and while BYU was that type of team at one point this season, they're no longer that squad due to injuries. BYU started 16-1 this year but went just 9-9 in league play.

The reason I'm dialed in on this first-half team total is that Houston should be the much fresher team as they haven't played since last Saturday while BYU has had a game each of the past two days.

With a rest advantage and the nation's seventh-best D, per KenPom, Houston can set the tone early against a short-handed team playing its third game in three days.

Clemson vs. North Carolina

Clemson Moneyline (+102)

This late-night (9:30 p.m. ET) ACC matchup looks just about dead even, so I'll take the plus-money Tigers to top UNC.

Torvik ranks Clemson and North Carolina 29th and 26th, respectively. KenPom has Clemson 37th and UNC 31st. In short, they're pretty darn close, and that's especially true once you factor in that the Tar Heels are without Caleb Wilson, their best player.

UNC and Clemson just played on March 3 at North Carolina, and the Tar Heels won by four. That's the Tigers' lone loss over their previous four games, and I think their slow pace (338th adjusted tempo) and strong defense (19th) can give UNC problems.

Get a DAILY 30% Profit Boost Token to use on a 3+ Leg Parlay, Same Game Parlay or Same Game Parlay Plus wager for any College Basketball Games taking place today! 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.