The invitations to the big dance are flying fast and furious during men’s college basketball’s Championship Week, and the madness intensifies Saturday. There are 10 conference tournament finals on tap, and while some of the teams are already in line for bids to the NCAA championships, it’s do-or-die for many others.
The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 should send more than a dozen teams combined to the big dance, and the Big East should have multiple entrants. Still, those conferences will provide some great matchups Saturday, as will the Big Ten and SEC, which are moving toward their Sunday finales.
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There will be plenty of drama in the men’s college basketball games Saturday, with the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers facing the top-ranked Blue Devils in the ACC and the top two seeds also going at it in the Big 12, Big East and Mountain West.
The Big 12 sees another great matchup, with the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats taking on fifth-ranked Houston Cougars. The Big East features UConn vs. St. John’s, while the Big West pits San Diego State vs. Utah State. Other conference finals with tournament bids on the line include the MAC, SWAC and Conference USA.
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There are plenty of other sports betting and viewing options on Saturday, including the Players Championship, the World Baseball Classic and UFC Fight Night on Paramount+. There are six NBA games, headlined by a Jokic vs. Doncic showdown in Nuggets-Lakers, and 14 NHL matchups, including the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Carolina Hurricanes in a big Eastern Conference matchup.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on at the top sportsbooks on Saturday, March 14. All times Eastern.
College basketball best bets today, where to watch
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 2 Arizona
Time: 6 p.m. ET | Location: Kansas City, Mo. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Houston +2.5 | Expert: Arizona -2.5 (Chip Patterson)
The Wildcats (31-2) won a thriller Friday night, with Jaden Bradley hitting a shot at the buzzer for an 82-80 victory against No. 7 Iowa State. The reward is a date with Houston, which thrashed No. 14 Kansas 69-47. Arizona won the regular-season meeting 73-66 at home on Feb. 21. The Cougars (28-5) then lost to Kansas but have won five in a row since. The Wildcats have won eight in a row. Houston has one of the nation’s best defenses, allowing just 62 points per game, while Arizona allows 68.5. The SportsLine model has the Cougars winning outright 57% of the time and covering the spread at a 65% clip. Patterson isn’t put off by the tough battle the Wildcats faced Friday, since Houston doesn’t have the outside shooters Iowa State has. The expert expects this one to be similar to the February meeting and says the Wildcats will cover the number.
No. 10 Virginia vs. No. 1 Duke
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | Location: Charlotte, N.C. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 137.5
The SportsLine model is expecting this to be a shootout, with the projected total coming in close to 150 points. Both teams average more than 82 points per game, and Virginia (29-4) has scored at least 70 in 12 of its past 14 games. One of the exceptions was a 77-51 road loss to the Blue Devils (31-2) on Feb. 28, but the Cavaliers made just seven of 35 3-point tries (20%) and shot 29% from the field. Now they come off an 84-62 victory against Miami where they shot 42% from long range (11-of-26). Cameron Boozer has scored at least 23 in four straight games and had double-digit rebounds in the past three, and he will want to put the finishing touch on an ACC championship in his amazing freshman season. He’s in the top 15 in the nation in both scoring and rebounding. The Over is hitting a whopping 78.6% of the time in the SportsLine model’s simulations.
Toledo vs. Akron
Time: 8 p.m. ET | Location: Cleveland | TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Akron -6.5
Toledo (19-14) has won six of its past seven games, while Akron (28-5) has won nine in a row. The Zips have the sixth-best offense in the nation, averaging 89.4 points per game, while the Rockets score 81.2, fifth in the MAC. Toledo also ranks seventh in the conference in scoring defense (76.5 points per game) while Akron is third (73.4). The Zips won the regular-season meeting at home 91-81 as Tavari Johnson scored 25 points and the hosts won the rebounding battle 37-25. The Rockets kept it close by shooting 55% from 3-point range (11-of-20), but they typically shoot about 36%. Akron shoots 38% from long range. The SportsLine model has the Zips winning by 11, and they are covering the spread in 62% of its simulations.
NBA best bets today, where to watch
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | Location: Los Angeles | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Lakers +128
The Denver Nuggets are coming off a huge victory against the San Antonio Spurs, as they rallied from 20 points down for a 136-131 victory on Thursday night. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama sat out, but Jamal Murray scored 39 points and Nikola Jokic put up another triple double with 31 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists. The Nuggets also beat the Lakers in Denver 120-113 nine days ago. Jokic had 28/12/13 in that one and is fifth in the league in scoring at 28.7 per game. Los Angeles has won seven of its past eight games and has its own dominant superstar. Luka Doncic scored 51 in the Lakers’ 142-130 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, and he leads the NBA with a 32.9 scoring average. The Nuggets are 3.5-point favorites, but the SportsLine model sees some value on the Lakers to win outright, as they do so in 49% of simulations with a plus-money payout.
NHL best bets today, where to watch
Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning
Time: 7 p.m. ET | Location: Tampa, Fla. | TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Tampa Bay -134
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been in a major funk since the Olympics break, but they’re hoping a 4-1 victory Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings can provide a spark. Tampa Bay (40-20-4) won 19 of its 21 games before the break for the Torino Games and have lost six of nine games since they returned. The first game back was a 5-4 road loss to Carolina. Now the teams face off in Tampa, and Carolina (41-18-6) comes in with eight victories in its last 11 games. The Hurricanes lead the Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division, while the Lightning are two points behind Buffalo in the Atlantic and have four fewer points than Carolina. The latest Hurricanes vs. Lightning odds list Tampa Bay as a -134 money-line favorite, and the Lightning are 20-11-0 at home this season. The SportsLine model has a “C” grade as the Lightning win in 56% of its simulations.