College basketball picks: Best bets for Wednesday

Mike Ortiz Jr. makes his college basketball picks and predictions for Wednesday night, with three best bets and a parlay.
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College Basketball Conference Tournament Best Bets for Wednesday, March 8: Odds, Picks, Predictions and Parlays
Wake Forest vs Syracuse Odds, Spread, Moneyline, Over/Under - NCAAB Betting Lines 3/8
Moneyline: Wake Forest (-145), Syracuse (+125)
Spread: Wake Forest -2.5, Syracuse +2.5
Total: Over/Under 153.5 points
Wake Forest vs Syracuse Prediction and Pick
These two teams just closed out their regular seasons against each other a few short days ago. It was a historic night for the Syracuse Orange as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their 2003 National Championship and retired both Hakim Warrick and Gerry McNamara’s numbers on Saturday. Though emotions were high in the JMA Wireless Dome, the Orange dominated this Wake Forest team from start to finish, winning 72-63. Senior big man Jesse Edwards had a career high in points and rebounds with 27 and 20, and freshman Judah Mintz was the Orange’s second-leading scorer with 17 points.
When these two teams face each other again on Wednesday afternoon, it’ll be a true win-or-go-home game for both teams as their respective records won’t be enough to get them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The confusing part to me with this game is, how are the Orange underdogs? Yes, this game will be on a neutral floor, but these two teams could play in my backyard and the Orange would still dominate.
Wake Forest had no answer for Edwards on Saturday and won’t have an answer for him on Wednesday either. In games where Edwards has scored 18 or more points this season, the Orange are 9-3. Edwards will be a force in the paint and on the boards again as the senior will lead the Orange past Wake Forest and keep their March Madness hopes alive.
The Pick: Syracuse ML (+125)
Lafayette vs Colgate Odds, Spread, Moneyline, Over/Under - NCAAB Betting Lines 3/8
Moneyline: Lafayette (+600), Colgate (-950)
Spread: Lafayette +14, Colgate -14
Total: Over/Under 136 points
Lafayette vs Colgate Prediction and Pick
The 11-12 Lafayette Leopards have certainly had their struggles this season, including scoring 50 points or less five times and a 34-point performance. But, with their season on the line during the Patriot League Conference Tournament, the Leopards have turned it up, scoring 71 points in their win over Lehigh and 84 points in their win against American.
In their most recent outing with Colgate, the two went down to the wire as Colgate squeaked out the victory 73-69. Both teams scored 38 points in the first half in a high-scoring affair. With the way Lafayette is shooting the ball in Conference Tournament play, combined with Colgate’s 142nd-ranked defense, I’m going with the over in this one.
While Colgate will likely end Lafayette’s season on Wednesday night, the Leopards won’t go down without a fight.
The Pick: Over 136 (-110)
LSU vs Georgia Odds, Spread, Moneyline, Over/Under - NCAAB Betting Lines 3/8
Moneyline: LSU (-130), Georgia (+110)
Spread: LSU -1.5, Georgia +1.5
Total: Over/Under 141.5 points
LSU vs Georgia Prediction and Pick
The LSU Tigers have won just one game over the past two months and, when they take on Georgia Wednesday night, the loser will likely see their season come to an end. Despite winning just one game over a two-month span, the Tigers have shown some improvement. Not only have they had several close losses, but they were in control of most of these games.
If LSU can put together two solid halves on Wednesday night then they can extend their season, at least by one more game. Let’s not forget that this is the same LSU team that played Kentucky down to the wire and battled with Alabama for 30-plus minutes in their matchup earlier in the season.
Senior big man KJ Williams is averaging 26.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in his last four outings. When these two teams met back in February, foul trouble was an issue for Williams, but if he can avoid that on Wednesday, Georgia will be in for a long night.
The Pick: LSU ML (-130)
Best College Basketball Parlay Picks Today for Wednesday, March 8
Now that we're in March, taking high spreads during Conference Tournaments can be a lot riskier as games tend to be closer than expected and more upsets happen than usual. Teams don’t go away as easily as they would’ve during the regular season.
For this bonus parlay, I’m going with West Virginia over Texas Tech and North Carolina over Boston College. While both are heavier favorites in their matchups, combining their money lines together equals a decent payout.
West Virginia and Texas Tech split their regular season matchups with each other this season, and the third matchup should be a close one, so avoiding the spread here is key. West Virginia started to pull away in their second matchup but, with about eight minutes left, Texas Tech stormed back and took the win. West Virginia will keep their foot on the gas this time and get the win on a neutral site at the T-Mobile Center for the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.
In their sole matchup against each other, North Carolina defeated Boston College 72-64. It was a game that North Carolina really controlled from start to finish until the Tar Heels got cold in the remaining few minutes, which has been a problem for them in a few games this season. Senior Armando Bacot was dominant, scoring 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Boston College won’t have an answer for Bacot in this one as he’ll control the paint and the boards again.
2-leg Parlay: West Virginia ML (-175) & North Carolina ML (-570) - Parlay odds (-119)