College Basketball Best Bets: Expert Picks for Tonight, Mar. 12

We’ve got a Big Ten Tournament showdown as Rutgers takes on UCLA, followed by a Mountain West Tournament clash between San Jose State and Boise State to round out the slate! Check it out as we prepare you for a thrilling night of college basketball with expert betting insights, matchup analysis, & top picks.

Year to Date Record: 27-21 | Units: +5.84 units (Minus-money plays are to win one unit, plus-money plays are one unit)

Dave Connelly is SportsGrid’s lead college basketball analyst with over five years of experience covering hoops, including his industry-leading transfer portal rankings and NCAA bracket predictions (seen on Bracket Matrix). An authority in Mid-Major Basketball, Connelly’s expertise extends well beyond the Power 5.

SportsGrid Expert Pick: UCLA -11.5 (-110)

Where to Watch Rutgers vs. UCLA

• SportsGrid Matchup Page: RUTG vs. UCLA
• Venue: United Center
• Location: Chicago, IL
• Where to Watch: Big Ten Network
• Date: March 12, 2026
• Time: 9:00 p.m. ET

Rutgers vs. UCLA Betting Odds & Market Value

Rutgers vs. UCLA Win Probability & Prediction Market Trends

Real-time market data via Kalshi Prediction Exchange

UCLA seems to be slowly finding its stride over the past few weeks. The Bruins have won four of their previous five games, a streak that started with a signature overtime win over Illinois. Donovan Dent went coast-to-coast for a game-winning layup as time expired, and it seems to have shot him out of a cannon. In that five-game stretch, Dent has logged 55 assists to just two turnovers. He is operating as the best point guard in the nation right now, a head coach’s best friend come tournament time.

Rutgers hasn’t done anything substantial in the Big Ten over the past two months, with only wins over Penn State, Maryland, and Minnesota yesterday. UCLA dominated this matchup with a 32-point win back in early February, and we expect a similar situation here.

For more College Basketball picks, check out SportsGrid’s predictive model. Our SportsGrid predictive model doesn’t stop at the spread. See which player props have a 5-star rating tonight. Unlock your betting edge!

SportsGrid Edge: San Jose State +15.5 (-110)

Where to Watch San Jose State vs. New Mexico

• SportsGrid Matchup Page: SJSU vs. UNM
• Venue: Thomas & Mack Center
• Location: Las Vegas, NV
• Where to Watch: CBS Sports Network
• Date: March 12, 2026
• Time: 11:30 p.m. ET

San Jose State vs. New Mexico Betting Odds & Market Value

This isn’t exactly the matchup that most were expecting! #11 San Jose State pulled off one of the shocks of conference tournament play late on Wednesday night, knocking off #6 Boise State as a 14.5-point underdog. They now get #3 New Mexico, which is limping into this tournament a bit after dropping three of its final four games of the regular season. Sorting Bart Torvik’s T-Rank to cover a more recent timeframe is a great way to see who is currently playing the best basketball. If the line was set utilizing performances since the start of February, T-Rank puts this spread all the way down at -7.

Despite loads of losses on the year for the Spartans, they have been a plucky bunch lately and stayed within this margin in each of their previous 11 contests. It’s an ugly dog to be backing as the second-worst team in the Mountain West, but we’re happy to take this hefty helping of points to go with them.

College Basketball Best Bets: March 12

• UCLA -11.5 (-110)
• San Jose State +15.5 (-115)

Conference tournaments are entering full swing, and there are plenty of betting opportunities throughout March. Best of luck!