This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
A friend of mine on a group chat said last week he's setting the over/under on the number of Big 10 teams making the second weekend of the tourney at 1.5. While that might be a little aggressive, the point is taken: the Big 10 stinks and Sunday was a shining example of why I have avoided that cesspool of mediocrity all year. But, I'm not letting those bad vibes get us down... it is Championship Week, my single favorite week on the sports calendar. Buzzers will be beaten and seasons will be ended en masse over the next 7 days... let's get to today's juicy slate of games!
Chattanooga vs 
Furman
I advised against Nooga yesterday under the suspicion that the return of Jake Stephens skewed the line a bit too much. The resounding answer to that suspicion was WRONG. Stephens dominated Wofford in the SOCON semis and has his Mocs in tonight's championship against Furman, the regular season champ. The Paladins swept the Mocs but did so without Stephens on the floor. This game will be much different with his presence. Chattanooga is on a 4-0 ATS run in neutral site games while Furman is just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 at a neutral. The underdog in this series is 6-1 in the last seven meetings, and these two teams played a classic in last year's SOCON final. I expect much of the same tonight and will gladly take the points with this very live dog.
College Basketball Best Bet: Chattanooga +4.5 (@ BetMGM)
BYU vs Saint Mary's
Lost in the Saint Mary's/Gonzaga hype in the WCC, BYU has been a sneaky threat all year. Yes, the Cougars do tend to suffer odd letdowns against lower-rated teams, but they also play up to the good teams. BYU has KenPom Top 100 wins over Dayton, Creighton and Utah and while the Cougars were 0-4 against the Gaels and Zags in WCC play, those losses were by one, one, seven and six, respectively. Saint Mary's has heard the chirping all year -- "this is the year they overtake Gonzaga" -- and with that potential showdown looming tomorrow, Saint Mary's could be caught with a lack of focus tonight. BYU comes in on an 8-2 ATS run overall and has covered the last five meetings with the Gaels. Make it six straight.
College Basketball Best Bet: BYU +6.5 (@ FanDuel)
Milwaukee vs 
Cleveland State
Similar to Chattanooga, Milwaukee has had a key piece return in time for conference tournament action in the form of Markeith Browning II. Browning missed the Panthers' last five regular season games before being eased back into the fold in their dominant Horizon tourney quarterfinal win over Wright State. The Panthers swept the Vikings in the Horizon regular season with an OT win at Cleveland State and a nine-point win at home in the regular season finale without Browning. Milwaukee is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 as an underdog while Cleveland State is 3-7 in their last 10 as a favorite. I love when trends line up like that. The wrong team is favored here.
College Basketball Best Bet: Milwaukee +2.5 (@ PointsBet)
Monday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Monday, March 6:
- Chattanooga +4.5 (@ BetMGM)
- BYU +6.5 (@ FanDuel)
- Milwaukee +2.5 (@ PointsBet)
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the College Basketball odds page on RotoWire.
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