Spring is typically the time for renewal, but in terms of men’s college basketball, coaches hope their lessons are firmly rooted and their teams are almost fully matured at this time of year. And with this weekend marking the last time this season the teams will take the court when not facing elimination, this is the time to show they are ready for the big time.
One of the marquee game on Saturday is a familar matchup on Tobacco Road, with the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils trying to avenge their loss in Chapel Hill against the No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels. The 71-68 road setback is the only loss for the Blue Devils (28-2) in their past 18 games, and they have beaten then-No. 1 Michigan and 11th-ranked Virginia since then. UNC (24-6) has lost twice since then — to Miami and N.C. State — but have won four in a row. North Carolina vs. Duke tops off at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Bet on Saturday’s top games at DraftKings:
The Southeastern Conference, the defending national champions and No. 5 Florida Gators will be looking to keep their momentum when they visit Rupp Arena to face the Kentucky Wildcats at 4 p.m. ET. The Gators (24-6) have won 10 in a row, a run that includes a 92-83 home victory against Kentucky last month. And UF comes off a 34-point victory against Mississippi State. Kentucky (19-11) has lost four of its past six and while it is still projected to make the NCAA Tournament, a strong performance would be welcome and a victory would be massive.
The Big 12 will be in the spotlight in Saturday’s late games, with No. 10 Texas Tech facing a challenge at BYU at 10:30 p.m. ET while No. 2 Arizona is a significant favorite at Colorado at 11 p.m. ET. Texas Tech (22-8) lost to TCU on Tuesday but had notable road wins against Arizona and Iowa State last month. Both teams lost star players last month, with TTU’s JT Toppin and BYU’s Richie Saunders both going down with torn ACLs four days apart. The Cougars (20-10) have lost four of five since Saunders went down, but the Red Raiders have won three of four without Toppin.
There are plenty of other sports betting and viewing options on Saturday, including the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, the World Baseball Classic and UFC 326: Holloway vs. Oliveira 2 on Paramount+. There are six NBA games, featuring Warriors vs. Thunder, and nine NHL matchups. The Lightning visit the Maple Leafs and the Sabres host the Predators on Saturday after Buffalo won its fifth straight Thursday to take over a share of the Atlantic Division lead with Tampa Bay, which has lost four in a row.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on at the top sportsbooks on Saturday, March 7. All times Eastern.
College basketball best bets today, where to watch
No. 5 Florida at Kentucky
Time: 4 p.m. ET | Location: Lexington, Ky. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Kentucky +5.5 | Expert: Florida -5.5 (Chip Patterson)
The reigning national champions have been on a tear, with 16 victories in their past 17 games. The lone blemish is a nine-point home loss to Auburn at the end of January, and they beat six ranked teams over that span. One of those was the home victory against Kentucky when the Wildcats were ranked No. 25. Rueben Chinyelu was in typical form for UF in that game, snaring 12 rebounds, while Alex Condon had 11 boards to go with his 14 points and Xaivian Lee scored a game-high 22. Kentucky comes in off a 96-85 loss to Texas A&M and also lost to Georgia and Auburn last month. The Wildcats will need Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler to come in hot and top scorer Otega Oweh (17.9 ppg) to make plays. The Gators are 5.5-point favorites in the Florida vs. Kentucky odds, and the SportsLine Projection Model is leaning toward the Wildcats covering the spread, as they do so in 54% of simulations. Patterson disagrees, saying “games like this are going to bring out the best in the Gators” and that there is a “noticeable gap” between the teams.
No. 1 Duke at No. 16 North Carolina
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET | Location: Durham, N.C. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 147.5 | Expert: Duke -15.5 (Eric Cohen)
Another March, another massive North Carolina vs. Duke showdown. The Blue Devils have already clinched the ACC title but are playing for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. But most important thing is to get revenge on their arch-rivals. Unfortunately, they’ll need to do so without star Caleb Wilson, who is out for the season after being hurt in practice while trying to recover from a previous injury. The Blue Devils led the meeting in Chapel Hill by 12 at halftime but went cold in the final minutes and lost on a last-second 3-pointer. Duke is outscoring opponents by more than 20 points at home, and UNC is 4-5 on the road this season. The Blue Devils are 15.5-point favorites in the North Carolina vs. Duke odds, and the SportsLine Projection Model loves the Over in this one, giving it a “B” grade as it hits in almost 72% of simulations. Cohen got in early, and the model doesn’t like Duke at -17.5 — UNC covers at a 54% rate — but if you can find it lower, it’s worth considering. The SportsLine expert predicts the Blue Devils will win by 20 or more.
No. 10 Texas Tech at BYU
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET | Location: Provo, Utah | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: BYU -122
Neither of these teams are throwing in the towel just because they lost critical pieces, and the Red Raiders have continued to thrive. They were beaten in the paint and on the boards against TCU, but that loss came on the heels of an 82-73 victory at No. 4 Iowa State. Christian Anderson, who averages 19.1 points, and Donovan Atwell, who shoots 45.8% from 3-point range, are leading the way for the Red Raiders. Top NBA prospect AJ Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring at 24.8 points per game and can carry the team to victories. Texas Tech won the teams’ January matchup 84-71, but now the Cougars are at home, where they are 12-4 this season. The Red Raiders are 1.5-point favorites in the Texas Tech vs. BYU odds, but the SportsLine Projection Model hs a “B” grade on BYU on the money line, with the Cougars winning 66% of the time.
NBA best bets today, where to watch
Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | Location: Oklahoma City | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Golden State +555
The Thunder will be seeking a fifth consecutive victory on Saturday, while the Warriors are just hoping to stay in the playoff hunt until Stephen Curry can return. Golden State’s shooting star has been out since Jan. 30 with a knee injury and the time frame on his return is unclear. The Thunder (49-15) are holding tight to the Western Conference lead as they’ve gone 7-1 since the All-Star break and just won a tough matchup with the Knicks on Wednesday. Their only loss in those eight games was to the East-leading Pistons. The Warriors (30-20) are 3-4 since the break but beat the Rockets in overtime on Thursday as Brandon Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton combined for 49 points. Oklahoma City is a 14.5-point favorite in the Warriors vs. Thunder odds, but the SportsLine Projection Model thinks the Warriors are worth a sprinkle on the money line. They are winning in 28% of the model simulations, and there is value with most pricing them well over +500.
NHL best bets today, where to watch
Nashville Predators vs. Buffalo Sabres
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET | Location: Buffalo | TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Sabres -184
The Sabres stormed into Pittsburgh on Thursday night and made a big statement with a 5-1 victory behind two short-handed goals. Buffalo (37-19-6) was a .500 team into mid-December but has been one of the league’s hottest teams since. This is their third win streak of at least five games, with the longest being 10 from Dec. 9-31. The Sabres host the Lightning on Sunday, but they aren’t likely to pull back here with the win streak on the line. Tage Thompson had an assists Thursday to give him at least one point in 19 of his past 21 games, and he leads the team with 33 goals and 32 assists. Winger Alex Tuch and blue-liner Rasmus Dahlin also have more than 50 points. The Predators (28-26-8) beat the Bruins 6-3 on Thursday to snap a three-game losing streak and are 11th in the Western Conference standings. Buffalo is a -184 money-line favorite in the Predators vs. Sabres odds, and the SportsLine model has them winning in 70% of its simulations for a “B” grade.