Memphis and Indiana Highlight Friday College Basketball Plays

It was quite the rebound yesterday for us in College Basketball. Not only did we take down both of the main plays shared, all three of the "leans" or smaller plays (whatever you want to call them) cashed as well. It was nice to have a rebound like that after a slower start on Wednesday. Now we are back and looking to make a run here as we build the bankroll for the Big Dance.

Maryland vs. Indiana 9:00 ET

When I wrote about the Big 10 tournament I mentioned how much I liked Indiana to win the whole thing. I am not backing down on that today as they face a tough Maryland team, but this is the exact type of situation you want - you have a ticket on a team like Indiana and now you have a chance to bet on Maryland, if you'd like, at plus money to hedge a bit. I'm not doing that, but that's why futures hold more value than if they are just winners. Maryland is not to be underestimated or anything - they come in with a 21-11 record and were 11-9 in the conference. They also took Indiana down in the only matchup this season when they won, at home, by 11 points. Indiana hasn't been unstoppable by any means, but I do think they have the edge here with rest and even potentially more of a home court advantage (certainly more than Maryland). If they can get their stud forward Trayce Jackson-Davis to dominate as he has been over the past couple of games, they should be able to win this one. I think the safer bet here is to just take the moneyline on this one and play the Hoosiers -135. I wouldn't be surprised to see them cover the -2 spread, though.

Central Florida vs. Memphis, 7:00 ET

I wouldn't exactly call this a marquee matchup, but I think I have sniffed out a winner nonetheless. University of Central Florida is taking on Memphis in the AAC Quarterfinal. UCF has played well this season overall, but did struggle in conference play with just an 8-10 record. One team they played very tough though, is Memphis. They were able to win in double overtime at home, and they lost by just one point on the road against Memphis. They've found a balanced attack with Taylor Hendricks on the inside and Ithiel Horton on the outside. On the other side, Memphis is sitting with a 23-8 record, and despite a decent season, much of the attention they receive is because of former star head coach Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway. They've played well lately. Since that loss to UCF, they are 11-3 over their past 14 contests. Two of those losses came at the hands of one of the best teams in the country - Houston. I'm going to back Memphis in this one at -5.5. I think they should be able to cover this game and won't have as tough of a time as they previously did.

A few other smaller plays that I like on this slate: Tulane should be able to beat Wichita State. I think they will likely win this game by five or six points. Alabama should coast over Mississippi St. as well, I'll take them -7.5. I think the total is a bit high in Creighton vs. Xavier and will play the under 155.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024