Free Pick | NCAA | Saturday | March 15

Nelly’s has hit 67% in 7* top plays this basketball season – check out our next big play for Saturday!

Get on board for a tournament package – Nelly’s went 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 last season and owns a 30-18 NCAA Tournament record the past three seasons combined.

#617 Tulane +8.5 over Memphis 2:00 PM CT

Memphis struggled to pull away from Wichita State yesterday as the Shockers have given Memphis trouble this season. Memphis was a bit sloppy with higher missed free throw and turnover counts on Friday. That game came after a week off without playing and being in their first tournament game in an unfamiliar setting in Fort Worth, but it was a surprisingly poor performance in a revenge matchup the Tigers should have been up for. Memphis doesn’t have the urgency that Tulane will have today as the 19-13 Green Wave won’t be in the NCAA Tournament without wins today and tomorrow. Tulane had a terrible non-conference season, but this team has competed well down the stretch and gave Memphis a good game in late January, losing by 12, but leading well into the second half with the final margin the largest lead Memphis had in the entire game. Tulane has a clear size edge in this matchup and shot 50 percent inside the arc in the first meeting between these teams. Memphis is a risk as a heavy favorite featuring the worst turnover margin in the AAC and being just a 68 percent free throw shooting team. Tulane has been a top three 3-point defense in the AAC as Memphis isn’t likely to reach its season average beyond the arc in this AAC semifinal. Tulane should play with great urgency and the Wave posted an offensive rebounding edge when these teams met in January, an advantage that should repeat Saturday for a few extra opportunities for the underdog to stay in this game.