The Friday college basketball slate features many teams you may have going deep into the 2026 March Madness bracket, providing top contests throughout the night to take advantage of the all-new DraftKings promo code, which gives new users $200 in bonus bets instantly after placing a $5 bet. Friday night features a matchup of top-10 nationally ranked teams with No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 2 Arizona at 7 p.m. ET in the Big 12 semifinals, and one of SportsLine’s top experts has locked in a pick on Arizona vs. Iowa State for Friday college basketball best bets at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Another SportsLine expert locked in a pick on Miami vs. No. 10 Virginia in the ACC semifinals at 7 p.m. ET, while the SportsLine Projection Model has locked in a pick for Warriors vs. Timberwolves, backing Over 224.5 total points scored in its Friday NBA best bets at DraftKings. The Over is 9-3 in the last 12 Warriors games. Claim the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $200 in bonus bets instantly with a $5 wager: 

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered Week 21 on a sizzling 42-19 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Friday best bets at DraftKings Sportsbook

• Iowa State (+4.5) vs. Arizona (-110)
• Miami vs. Virginia: Over 143.5 total points (-112)
• Warriors vs. Timberwolves: Over 224.5 total points (-105)

Combining the three picks into a Friday parlay at DraftKings would result in a payout of +605 (risk $100 to win $605, odds subject to change). Bet it at DraftKings here:

Iowa State (+4.5) vs. Arizona (-110)

“Arizona blitzed Iowa State in Tucson, but will find less home cooking in Kansas City, where Iowa State fans have really embraced being one of the best crowds in the Big 12 Tournament,” SportsLine expert Chip Patterson said. “It helps that the Cyclones’ style is powered by suffocating defense and quick spurts of points that can send supporters into a frenzy. Of course, it’s tough to find things to cheer about when the other team is operating at the clip that Arizona can, so forcing turnovers is going to be a huge key to disrupting the Wildcats’ dominance. Senior guard Tamin Lipsey is also an X-factor with his Big 12 Tournament experience, as Iowa State is looking to win its second Big 12 Tournament title in the last three years.” Back Iowa State to cover at DraftKings here:

Miami vs. Virginia: Over 143.5 total points (-112)

“Miami games have gone Over this number in six of the last eight,” SportsLine expert Eric Cohen said. “Virginia games have gone Over this total in six of the last seven. Both of these teams average over 80 points per game on the season. Either this is a trap line or it’s a handful of points too low. I’ll say the latter. This feels like a 77-75 game to me either way with the over hitting fairly easily.” Back the Over to cover at DraftKings here:

Warriors vs. Timberwolves: Over 224.5 total points (-105)

The Over has hit in three of the last four Warriors games, and in nine of their last 12 games, both hitting at a 75% rate. The Over is 39-26 (60%) in all Golden State games this season, including 21-12 (63.6%) at home as the Warriors host the Timberwolves on Friday. Minnesota is led by Anthony Edwards, who is third in the league in scoring at 29.4 points per game and is coming off a 36-point performance against the Clippers in a game where the two teams combined for 281 points. The model projects the Over to hit in 68% of simulations. Back the Over to cover at DraftKings here:

Want more NBA and college basketball picks on Friday?

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OKLAHOMA CITY — A couple of nights after being ejected for vehemently arguing a no-call, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown bemoaned what he perceived as an NBA trend of players being rewarded for “foul baiting.”

Brown brought up the issue after Thursday’s 104-102 loss to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, when Brown scored 34 points and attempted 14 free throws, tied for his third-highest total of the season.

It was the first time that Brown spoke to reporters since he was ejected in the second quarter of the Celtics’ road loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. He received two technical fouls after arguing that a foul should have been called when Stephon Castle bumped him out of bounds while Brown was dribbling.

“I don’t know, maybe it all works in the end, but I just don’t foul bait,” Brown said. “I’m not looking to flop or anything like that, but it’s almost like you got to. It’s almost like, because there’s a couple of plays in the fourth quarter where I felt like I drove strong, went up strong, and I didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. But maybe if I would have flopped, maybe I would have been able to sell that call. And those decide games.

“So it’s like, we commend players for playing the game the right way, but we give the benefit to those who necessarily are trying to manipulate the game into their advantage. I just don’t think it’s basketball. Let’s just play basketball. All the foul baiting, I think it’s whatever for me.”

Brown did not mention Gilgeous-Alexander while discussing foul baiting, but it’s a frequent topic of discussion about the reigning MVP’s game. Opposing crowds have chanted “free throw merchant” during Gilgeous-Alexander’s trips to the line on multiple occasions over the past few years.

Gilgeous-Alexander ranks third in the league in free throw attempts with 9.2 per game, trailing only Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brown ranks 15th at 7.1.

But Brown attempted six more free throws in Thursday’s game than Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 35 points while extending his 20-point streak to 127 games, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 14 points without attempting a free throw in the fourth quarter, when Brown had half of his 14 attempts.

Asked for his definition of foul baiting, Brown said: “Just accentuating contact. It’s one thing to get fouled, but it’s like when you’re not even trying to score when you’re driving and flailing your body into [a defender] just to make it look like you’re getting fouled. I think that’s the part where it’s like, all right, come on. But I mean, that’s where our league is at. That’s where the NBA is at. So it’s like, get down or lay down. So maybe I need to flop a little bit more.”

Brown said that he was “pissed” that he didn’t get to play the entire game against the Spurs, saying it was a game he had circled on his calendar because of the caliber of opponent.

“I felt like I was ready to have a big-time performance, and my night got cut short,” Brown said. “In certain spots, maybe I could have been a little bit better, but you’re passionate. It’s a big game. You want to see emotion. You want to see your star players showing that emotion. I don’t think I deserve to get tossed. And I think the NBA agreed, because I didn’t get fined or anything like that. So it is what it is. It happens. People make mistakes, but I’m just looking forward now.”