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March Madness Expert Picks Tonight: Best Bets for Thursday Evening

Esten McLaren

Last Updated: March 20, 2025 10:20 PM EDT • 1 min 43 sec read.

March Madness Expert Picks Tonight: Best Bets for Thursday Evening
Pictured: Texas Tech Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland watches game play. Photo by William Purnell-Imagn Images.

We've only just begun! First-round play is underway in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and tipoffs continues through 10:10 p.m. ET.

Our March Madness expert picks tonight have you covered for this evening's eight-game slate, which is highlighted by the 6-11 battle between Missouri and Drake, and the nightcap between No. 3 Texas Tech and No. 14 UNC Wilmington. Be sure to take advantage of today's March Madness sportsbook promos and odds boosts.

👉 Can't get enough March Madness action? Check out the rest of our March Madness first-round expert picks as part of our March Madness predictions.

💰 March Madness expert picks tonight for Thursday

📅 Check out the full March Madness first-round schedule & opening odds.

A custom graphic of our March Tourney Survivor contest with $1,000 cash to the winner!
A custom graphic of our March Tourney Survivor contest with $1,000 cash to the winner!

🏀 Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington prediction (10:42 p.m. ET, truTV)

✅ Texas Tech to cover the spread: -15.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Best player prop bet: Chance McMillian over 2.5 made 3-pointers ⭐⭐⭐

Here's why Isaiah Sirois is picking Texas Tech to cover the spread (+8.5):

"If you go into March Madness expecting every double-digit seed to compete, you will be disappointed. Some will -  but most will wilt against truly elite competition.

Texas Tech ranks a solid 54th in 3-point percentage since February 1, but, more importantly, they rank 12th in 3-point rate at 50.3%. More than half their shots come from beyond the arc. Through that same sample, UNC Wilmington ranks 310th in opponent 3-point rate—and 301st at opponent 3-point percentage."

👉 For more analysis, check out our Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington prediction.

📊 Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington odds

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Written By:
Esten McLaren
Esten is the Senior Publishing Editor for SportsbookReview.com. He has been in the sports betting industry since the legalization of mobile sports betting in New Jersey, and with SportsbookReview prior to the launch of sports betting in Ontario. Esten's previous stops include the USA TODAY network, including GolfWeek. He previously worked in the fantasy sports industry, with FNTSY Sports Network, theScore, and USA TODAY. Esten graduated from the College of Sports Media with a diploma in Radio and Television Sports Broadcasting after acquiring a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Guelph. He has appeared on FNTSY Sports Network, VSiN, and VSiN's Long Shots podcast, where he correctly called Will Zalatoris as the winner of the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. Esten is a big proponent of the entertainment side of sports betting and loves to dip his toes into the novelty and alt-markets while chasing long shots with reduced wagers on golf outrights and futures markets. He's also been known to sprinkle some lunch money on touchdown-scorer parlays with two notable hits still funding his bankroll. Esten looks at sports betting much like golf and advises beginner bettors to compete against themselves rather than being concerned with what others may or may not be doing based on social media claims.