Will Providence pull off another upset at the Big East Tournament?
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The madness of March begins well before the bracket comes out on Sunday. Conference tournament week is a fulfilling appetizer before the loaded NCAA Tournament entree.
Every major conference tournament is in the quarterfinal or semifinal rounds. We've already seen several upsets, and more are certain to follow. Here are our three best bets for Friday.
Texas A&M vs. Kentucky (-5.5, O/U 159)
7 p.m. ET
Kentucky's offense is unstoppable. It's the sixth-best in the country, per KenPom, and boasts a deep roster of weapons capable of scoring at ease. The Wildcats are one of the hottest SEC teams, finishing the season with five straight wins.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M lost five straight in February. It has since won four in a row, but all those victories came over teams close to the bottom of the standings.
Texas A&M doesn't have the personnel or offensive firepower to keep pace with Kentucky. While the Wildcats' suspect defense has plenty of holes to exploit, the Aggies don't have a prolific offense.
Kentucky could break 90 points and coast past Texas A&M to earn a spot in the SEC semifinals.
Pick: Kentucky -5.5
Providence vs. Marquette (-4.5, O/U 137.5)
8 p.m. ET
Providence pulled off a stunning upset over Creighton as 7.5-point underdogs on Thursday but is facing another tough contest against an elite Marquette team with a trip to the Big East Tournament championship on the line.
The Friars, who have been on the playoff bubble all season, may have secured an NCAA Tournament at-large bid with their quarterfinals win. If they beat the Golden Eagles, they'll undoubtedly head to March Madness.
Marquette outlasted Villanova in a late-night overtime thriller to advance to the semifinals. Tyler Kolek could return for Marquette on Friday night, but even if he does, Providence's run won't end.
Marquette and Providence split the season series, but the Friars appear to have a newfound energy - especially on the defensive end - that helped lift them over Crieghton. That'll likely carry over into the semifinals. Providence takes efficient shots, leading the conference in rim and 3-point rate, according to ShotQuality.
If the Friars continue to defend and shoot efficiently against a tough Marquette squad, Providence will move on to the championship - or at the very least keep it tight.
Pick: Providence +4.5
Indiana vs. Nebraska (-4.5, O/U 146.5)
9 p.m. ET
It's survive and advance season for Indiana, whose only glimmer of hope to make the NCAA Tournament is winning the Big Ten Tournament. For all of Mike Woodson's faults, he's had success the last few years at the conference tournament.
Indiana dramatically escaped Penn State on Thursday night to earn a date with Nebraska in the quarterfinals.
The Cornhuskers are enjoying their best season in years. Fred Hoiberg has salvaged a sinking ship, and his team is securely in the tournament picture.
Nebraska won both meetings against Indiana this season, but those came during tough stretches for the Hoosiers. Indiana is playing its best basketball, rattling off five straight wins over many quality opponents.
Indiana's defensive tenacity has carried it through this stretch. That should create a contest that comes down to the final plays.
Pick: Indiana +4.5
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.