It's almost March Madness betting time, and sports betting players can get some practice in as the conference tournaments will begin on Tuesday, heading into Selection Sunday when the field of 64 for the NCAA Tournament will be set, prior to the play-in game. South Florida kept their dreams of the big dance alive with a late-season three-game winning streak, and they'll try to keep it going when they face lowly DePaul in the first round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.
South Florida vs DePaul odds – Tuesday, March 9, 2:00 PM ET
The Bulls (19-11, 9-9) dropped UConn 75-68 at home in a battle of the bubble teams, and South Florida shot 50.9% from the floor. Dominique Jones was 7-of-12 from the field to lead the way with 20 points for the Bulls, who didn't take many three-pointers (six), but made the most of them (four). The Bulls also got 17 points off the bench from Augustus Gilchrist, who not only has one of the best names in the country, but he'll also be a big man to watch in the Big East next season after two very good years on campus.
The Blue Demons (8-22, 1-17) head into this game on a 12-game losing skid, but at least they're not giving up: during those 12 games, only two of those losses have been by more than 10 points. Their finale resulted in a 90-82 loss at home to St. John's in triple overtime, and they lost a 16-point halftime lead before fading in the last period of extra time. Mac Koshwal had 23 points and 10 boards to lead the Blue Demons, who hit 12 of their 28 three-point attempts, but they went to the foul line 22 fewer times than the Red Storm, and that was the difference.
The Bulls will definitely be favored in your gambling software, and a 63-59 win at DePaul on March 2nd was their third straight over the Blue Demons. Jones scored 20 points for the Bulls, while Koshwal added 24 points and 11 boards for the Blue Demons as neither team shot better than 38.5% from the floor. That game was won for South Florida on the boards as they outrebounded the Blue Demons 39-27, including 14-6 on the offensive glass, and those second chances helped the Bulls through their shooting slump. The Blue Demons will be better next year, but the Bulls are on a roll right now and they know that they can clinch a spot in the big dance. Meanwhile, DePaul would probably have to beat everyone in the Big East tournament by 20, and they still wouldn't make it into the Tournament.
College basketball odds pick: South Florida
