Tuesday CBB DFS Cheat Sheet: NCAA Tournament Picks, 3/18

The Big Dance gets underway on Tuesday night from Dayton, Ohio with a pair of First Four matchups as two teams will secure their spots in the Round of 64. 

As the NCAA Tournament tips off tonight, there are plenty of opportunities to find real-money wins on PrizePicks with the all-day college basketball starting on Thursday, March 20. Find the full Tournament Bracket and Round of 64 schedule here.

Welcome to today’s CBB DFS Cheat Sheet, as we breakdown some of the biggest games in college basketball and give today’s best CBB DFS picks for PrizePicks for Tuesday, March 18.

Tuesday’s contests include Saint Francis and Alabama State squaring off in a battle of 16 seeds. The night finishes with North Carolina battling San Diego State. And that’s just a start of what’s to come for CBB DFS this week.

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Let’s break down some of the CBB DFS picks to target for the Tuesday CBB DFS slate on PrizePicks.

Tuesday CBB DFS Picks & Game Previews for PrizePicks

Here are the top games to target for CBB DFS fantasy production today, Tuesday, March 18.

Saint Francis vs. Alabama State: Preview, Pick

Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
How to Watch: truTV

Saint Francis (16-17, 8-8 NEC) is the lone squad in the tournament to own a losing record. The Red Flash sat at 10-17 one month ago before winning their final three regular season games all in overtime.

At the Northeast Conference tournament, Saint Francis shocked top-seed Central Connecticut in the title game, 46-43. The Red Flash won in spite of shooting 5-of-26 from 3-point range.

Alabama State (19-15, 12-6 SWAC) finished conference play tied for fourth place with Texas Southern. The Hornets eliminated TSU in the SWAC tournament, followed by victories over Grambling State and Jackson State.

Alabama State ranked 344th in the country in 2-point percentage at 45.4%. In the conference tournament, the Hornets didn’t shoot better than 41% on 2-point tries in any of the three wins.

From a streak standpoint, both teams are on fire as Alabama State is 10-1 the last 11 games and Saint Francis has won eight of its past 10 contests.

Here are a few key stats to help you make your DFS picks for Tuesday’s First Four opener on PrizePicks:

• Saint Francis owned the top 2-point shooting percentage in conference play at 55.7%.
• The Red Flash ranked 357th in the country in free-throw rate, meaning they do not get to the line often.
• Saint Francis G Riley Parker leads the team with 13.4 points per game.
• Parker’s projected points, rebounds, and assists is listed at 20.5 on PrizePicks. The junior has compiled more than that projection in four of the last six games.
• Alabama State leading scorer CJ Hines posted 20 points in the SWAC championship against Jackson State.
• Hines’ scoring projection is listed at 14 points on Tuesday. Hines scored more than 14 points in all three conference tournament wins.
• KenPom projects this game with an estimated 142 points.

CBB PrizePicks Pick: Saint Francis G Riley Parker — 20.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts

North Carolina vs. San Diego State: Preview, Pick

Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
How to Watch: truTV

There was plenty of debate heading into Selection Sunday on whether North Carolina (22-13, 13-7 ACC) should be participating in the field. The Tar Heels found a way in, but still need to advance through the First Four to make it to the first round.

UNC is ranked 32nd in the KenPom overall ratings, which is two spots higher than two-time defending champion UConn. Hubert Davis’ squad has won eight of the last 10 games with the two losses coming to rival Duke.

San Diego State (21-9, 14-6 MWC) is two years removed from playing for the National Championship. The Aztecs have to go through the First Four route after getting bounced in the Mountain West conference quarterfinals by Boise State.

For the fourth consecutive season, the Aztecs rank in the top-15 of the country in defensive efficiency. In MWC play, San Diego State sat first in defending 2-point shots and 3-point attempts.

Here are a few key stats to help you make your DFS picks for Tuesday’s showdown on PrizePicks:

• North Carolina G RJ Davis had his 16-game streak of scoring in double-figures snapped against Duke in the ACC semifinals. Davis was held to eight points, his lowest point total since January 15.
• Davis’ projection on PrizePicks is set at 16 points. The senior has scored less than 16 points in four of the last six games.
• During UNC’s late-season six-game winning streak, the Tar Heels busted the 80-point mark in all six victories. In the past four contests, North Carolina has not scored more than 76 points. 
• San Diego State G Miles Byrd is second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game.
• Byrd has been held to single-digits in each of the past two games, including five points in the Boise State loss.
• KenPom projects this game at 144 points, which is lower than the final score in each of San Diego State’s last five contests.

CBB PrizePicks Pick: North Carolina G RJ Davis — 16 Points

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CBB DFS Picks Today for PrizePicks

Here are four CBB DFS picks to use in your PrizePicks CBB Lineups for today, Tuesday, March 18.

Alabama State G Amarr Knox — 17 Pts+Rebs

• Hornets G Amarr Knox struggled in the SWAC tournament as he scored 21 points in three games.
• Knox ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game.
• In each of the last five games, Knox has finished with less than 18 points and rebounds.
• From a rebounding perspective, Knox has pulled down a total of two boards in the past three contests.
• The sophomore has scored in double-figures once in the previous five games.

Saint Francis G Juan Cranford, Jr. — 2.5 3-Pointers Made (Demon)

• Red Flash G Juan Cranford, Jr. has attempted five 3-pointers in six consecutive games.
• The Dayton native has drilled two or more 3-pointers in five of the last six games.
• Cranford, Jr. is shooting nearly 38% from long distance and has seven games in which he has made at least three 3-pointers.
• Alabama State ranks 157th in the country in defending the 3-point shot at 33.4%.
• In the last six games, Cranford, Jr. has shot 12-of-37 from long distance.

North Carolina G Seth Trimble — 10.5 Pts+Asts

• North Carolina G Seth Trimble has stepped up his scoring of late with 10 points or more in five of the last seven games.
• During this stretch, Trimble has picked up more than 11 points and assists five times.
• The junior has relied more on points than assists in this stretch. Trimble has dished out nine assists in the last nine games.
• San Diego State ranks 127th in the country defensively on field goals assisted at 50%.
• Trimble will get to the foul line as he has converted four or more free throws in five of the past six contests.

San Diego State F Jared Coleman-Jones — 12.5 Pts+Rebs

• Aztecs F Jared Coleman-Jones has pulled down more than five rebounds in three of the last four games.
• Coleman-Jones isn’t much of a scorer (7.3 points per game), but scored 12 points twice in the last five games.
• Since February 25, Coleman-Jones has attempted six field goals or more in five consecutive contests.
• North Carolina has out-rebounded its opponents in seven of the last nine games. 
• Coleman-Jones is averaging 5.1 rebounds a game this season.

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Get Real Money NCAA Tournament Action on PrizePicks

We’ve got a great slate of great college basketball games on Tuesday night to tip-off the 2025 NCAA Tournament, as teams fight to keep their season alive in the First Four.

With an eight-game schedule of college basketball on Tuesday, there are tons of CBB DFS picks to consider for your PrizePicks Lineups as we start the NCAA Tournament. PrizePicks is the best way to get in on the real money CBB action and get paid for your college basketball takes. 

Just pick More or Less at least two CBB player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks. Use the players above to build your Lineups around, or use a 6-Pick Lineup to reach up to 1000x payouts.

Check out the Playbook for more college basketball picks all the way through March Madness.