It’s not all about the bluebloods and big conferences this weekend. The Saturday college basketball odds menu has plenty of games to choose from, with a bundle of teams hoping to nail down NCAA Tournament automatic bids.
Leading the way is the Mountain West Conference tournament final in Las Vegas, pitting San Diego State against Boise State. But there’s mid-major/small-conference March Madness from coast to coast.
Multiple oddsmakers provided insights on opening/current lines and action in the Saturday college basketball conference tournament betting market. Check back throughout the day for action updates.
Saturday College Basketball Odds and Betting Action
Mountain West Conference
San Diego State vs Boise State (6 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 5:30 P.M. ET: WynnBet pegged San Diego State a 2.5-point chalk to open in its Saturday college basketball odds market, and the line remains -2.5 shortly before tipoff. It’s two-way action on the spread, with 57% of tickets on Boise State and 58% of money on San Diego State. The total has been stable at 117.5, though at various prices, and it’s currently 117.5 (Over -115), with 61% of bets on the Over/81% of money on the Under.
UPDATE 10:45 A.M. ET: The Mountain West tournament finalists got it done as short chalk in Friday’s semifinals. That set up what is projected to be a tight championship showdown at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
No. 3 seed San Diego State (23-7 SU, 17-13 ATS) held off a late charge to beat No. 2 Colorado State 63-58 and cover as a 2-point favorite. That came a day after the Aztecs made a late surge to barely cover as 6-point favorites in a 53-46 victory over Fresno State. San Diego State has won 11 of 12 overall and is on a 7-2 ATS run.
No. 1 Boise State (26-7 SU, 17-15 ATS) also held off a late surge Friday to cover as a 3-point favorite in a 68-61 victory over No. 4 seed Wyoming. Despite a sterling SU record, the Broncos have not covered two in a row since mid-February.
Boise State swept two games from San Diego State this season, though they split ATS. Boise State won 42-37 as a 4.5-point road underdog on Jan. 22, then won 58-57 at home on Feb. 22, with the Aztecs covering as 2-point underdogs.
Both games went Under the total, the first by 45 points.
San Diego State opened as a 2-point favorite overnight in PointsBet USA’s Saturday college basketball odds market. This morning, the Aztecs nudged to -2.5 (-105), then returned to -2, and they’re now at -2.5 flat while taking 72% of spread bets and 81% of spread dollars. The total opened at 117.5 overnight, peaked at 118.5, bottomed out at 116.5 and is now back at the opener, with 81% of tickets/83% of cash on the Over.
Southland Conference Tournament
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs Southeastern Louisiana (9:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 8:30 P.M. ET: Two red-hot teams square off in the Southland Conference tournament finale, with the winner snagging the league’s automatic bid to next-week’s NCAA Tournament.
No. 2 seed Southeastern Louisiana (19-13 SU, 13-14-1 ATS) eliminated New Orleans 74-65 as a 1.5-point favorite in Friday’s semifinal. The Lions have won four in a row SU and ATS, and they’re 15-5 SU in their last 20 (going 10-7-1 ATS in lined action).
Fourth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi knocked out No. 1 seed Nicholls State 71-64 as a 6-point underdog in Friday’s other semifinal. The Islanders (22-11, 19-10 ATS) have won three in a row and six of seven both SU and ATS. The positive run comes on the heels of a five-game SU losing skid (1-4 ATS).
These squads split their two regular-season battles, with each scoring an upset on the other’s home floor. On Jan. 27, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rolled 86-71 as a 3-point home underdog, but the Lions got revenge Feb. 17 with an 83-74 win as a 4-point pup. Southeastern Louisiana is 6-1 ATS in the last seven head-to-head matchups that featured a point spread, and the underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last eight.
Southeastern Louisiana’s game against New Orleans on Friday stayed well under the 159-point closing total, ending the Lions’ nine-game Over streak. That said, the Over has cashed in each of the last four series meetings.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi opened as a 1-point chalk at WynnBet, the line jumped the fence this morning to Southeastern Louisiana -1, and the Lions ultimately got to -2.5 (-115). Southeastern Louisiana has been at -2 since midafternoon, and an hour before tipoff, the Lions are attracting 53% of bets and 70% of money on the spread. The total opened at 148 and by midmorning was down to 146.5, where it remains now, with the Under nabbing 71% of bets/95% of money.
Western Athletic Conference Tournament
Abilene Christian vs New Mexico State (10 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 8:30 P.M. ET: No. 1 seed New Mexico State fended off Grand Canyon 75-70 as a 2-point favorite in the WAC semifinals in Las Vegas. The Aggies (25-6 SU, 16-12 ATS) cashed their second straight, after a late-season 2-5 ATS slide.
Although Abilene Christian is the WAC’s sixth seed, it closed as a 2-point favorite against No. 2 seed Seattle. And the Wildcats (23-9 SU, 16-11-1 ATS) won by exactly that, 78-76, to reach the final.
In the lone regular-season meeting, New Mexico State rolled over Abilene Christian 77-63 laying 8.5 points at home.
Ninety minutes before tipoff, WynnBet has New Mexico State a 5-point chalk, where the line has been all day after opening NMSU -4. Abilene Christian is taking a modest majority of spread bets at 54%, but 80% of spread dollars are on the Aggies. The total dipped from 136.5 to 135.5 early on and stuck there all day, though the Over is drawing 61% of bets/96% of dollars.
Big West Conference Tournament
Cal State Fullerton vs Long Beach State (11:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 8:45 P.M. ET: The Big Sky championship matchup went according to seeding, though to do so, Long Beach State had to grind out a semifinal victory Friday night in Henderson, Nev.
Top-seeded Long Beach State, which closed as a 4-point underdog, trailed No. 5 seed UC Santa Barbara 37-32 at halftime and was down by seven multiple times in the second half. But Long Beach (20-11 SU, 20-9 ATS) ultimately won 67-64. The Beach — yes, Long Beach State’s nickname/mascot is now Beach; go figure — are on a four-game SU win streak.
Second-seeded Cal State Fullerton (20-10 SU, 16-11-1 ATS) had an easier time of it in a 58-46 victory laying 3 points against Hawaii. The Titans are on a three-game upswing (2-1 ATS).
These outfits met once in the regular season, with Long Beach taking a 71-61 victory as a 2-point home favorite. The Under also hit (total 145.5) and is on a three-game run for Fullerton and a 3-1 run for Long Beach.
This line jumped the fence at WynnBet, opening at Long Beach State -1 (-115) and flipping to Cal State Fullerton -1.5 (-120) late this morning. Earlier this evening, the Titans adjusted to -1.5 flat. Long Beach State is netting 56% of spread tickets, but 70% of spread cash is on Fullerton. The total opened at 139.5 and plunged to 135.5 by late this afternoon, with 58% of tickets and practically all the money on the Under.
Conference USA Tournament
Louisiana Tech vs UAB (8:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 8 P.M. ET: Conference USA had a bit of a wacky bracket, seeding teams from 1-7 in the East and 1-7 in the West, then mixing and matching throughout the bracket. As it turned out, neither East top seed Middle Tennessee State nor West top seed North Texas reached Saturday’s championship game in Frisco, Texas.
West No. 2 seed Alabama-Birmingham knocked off Middle Tennessee 102-98 in triple overtime, though the Blazers failed to cash as 7.5-point favorites in Friday’s semifinals. UAB is on a six-game win streak, including both its CUSA tourney tilts, but is just 1-5 ATS in that stretch.
West No. 3 seed Louisiana Tech had to win three games in three nights to reach the final, and did so while covering in all three. In Friday’s semis, the Bulldogs took out North Texas in a defensive grind of a game, winning 42-36 as a 3.5-point underdog.
LaTech and UAB met a week ago in the regular-season finale, with UAB taking an 87-74 victory as a 7-point home chalk. UAB also won and covered Jan. 22 on the road, 83-76 giving 1.5 points. Prior to this season’s two meetings, LaTech was on a 5-0 SU and ATS run in this rivalry.
The Under is 5-1 in the Bulldogs’ last six games, but the Over has hit in the Blazers’ last four games.
WynnBet toggled from UAB -3.5 to -3 a couple of times, sticking at -3 since lunchtime. Ticket count is almost dead even, but money is running 4/1 on underdog LaTech. The total opened at 136 (Over -115), dropped to 134.5, rose to 137, and it’s been stable at 136.5 since noon. The Over is drawing 54% of bets, while 74% of cash is on the Under.
Mid-American Conference
Akron vs Kent State (7:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 6:45 P.M. ET: The MAC tournament title tilt is a matchup of teams with identical records and lengthy winning streaks.
No. 2 seed Kent State (23-9 SU, 16-14 ATS) picked up its 14th consecutive victory in Friday’s semifinals, holding off No. 3 seed Ohio 67-61 as a 1.5-point underdog. The Golden Flashes are 11-2-1 ATS during a winning streak that dates to Jan. 15.
No. 4 seed Akron (23-9 SU, 17-12-1 ATS) also scored an upset in the semifinals, upending top-seeded Toledo 70-62 as a 5.5-point underdog. The Zips have won seven in a row (6-1 ATS), including three outright upsets in their last six outings.
Kent State swept the season series, winning 67-55 as a 1.5-point home favorite Jan. 14 and 66-64 as a 3-point road ’dog Feb. 11.
The Under is 7-3 in Kent State’s last 10 games, 4-0 in Akron’s last four, and 13-1 in the last 14 series meetings (4-0 last four).
Inside an hour before tipoff, Kent State is a 2-point favorite on WynnBet’s Saturday college basketball odds board. The Golden Flashes opened -1 (-115) and got to -3 this morning, then the line flipped to Akron -1.5 early this afternoon. Now it’s back to Kent State -2. That erratic movement is due primarily to the Golden Flashes having four players being suspended today by the MAC.
Kent State is seeing 53% of tickets, while underdog Akron is getting 69% of money. Worth noting: Kent State is 10-3 ATS as a favorite of 7 points or less this season, while Akron is 8-2 ATS as an underdog.
The total opened at 125 and spent most the day at 124.5, with 60% of tickets on the Over/66% of money on the Under.
Big Sky Conference Tournament
Northern Colorado vs Montana State (8 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 6:45 P.M. ET: No. 1 seed Montana State got pushed throughout its Friday semifinal against No. 4 seed Weber State. But the Bobcats ultimately prevailed 69-66 as 1.5-point favorites, reaching the championship game at the tournament in Boise, Idaho. Montana (26-7 SU, 16-14-1 ATS) is on a five-game SU run (3-2 ATS).
Third-seeded Northern Colorado (20-14 SU, 14-15-1 ATS) erased a 40-32 halftime deficit with a 54-point second half against Portland State, winning 86-79 and cashing as a 4-point chalk.
These two teams just met March 5 in the regular-season finale, with Montana State squeaking out an 87-85 victory and Northern Colorado covering as a 4-point road ‘dog. These two teams played it just as close on Dec. 2, a 77-75 overtime home win for the Bears, with the Bobcats covering as 2.5-point pups.
Montana State is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings (4-3 SU), and the Over is on a 5-0 run in this rivalry. The Over is also 6-2 in Northern Colorado’s last eight games and 3-1 in Montana State’s last four.
Just over an hour before game time, Montana State is laying 4.5 points at WynnBet, up a tick from the -4 opener. The Bobcats are landing just 55% of spread tickets, but that’s translating into 79% of spread money. The total fell from 147 to 145, with the Under taking 52% of tickets/80% of cash.
SWAC Tournament
Texas Southern vs Alcorn State (6 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 5:30 P.M. ET: The No. 2 seed is favored over the No. 1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament final in Birmingham, Alabama.
No. 2 Texas Southern (17-12 SU, 15-13-1 ATS) rolled to the cover as a 6-point favorite in a 73-54 victory over Grambling in Friday’s semifinals. The Tigers are 12-2 SU in their past 14, but are only 5-8-1 ATS in that stretch.
No. 1 Alcorn State (17-15 SU, 19-12-1 ATS) pulled out a second straight win without a cover to reach the final. The Braves defeated Alabama A&M 69-64 on Friday as 5.5-point favorites. Alcorn State also pushed as a 1-point favorite in a 64-63 overtime victory against Prairie View in the quarterfinals. Similar to Texas Southern, Alcorn State is 12-2 SU in its past 14, but just 6-7-1 ATS.
Alcorn State is seeking its third victory against Texas Southern this season. The Braves won 73-72 on Jan. 15 as 2.5-point home underdogs, then prevailed 75-72 on Feb. 28 as 6-point road underdogs.
Texas Southern opened -3 and is up to -4 at WynnBet, while taking 56% of spread tickets and 77% of spread money. The total opened at 130.5 (Under -115) and is down a tick to 130, with 61% of tickets on the Over/61% of money on the Under.
American Athletic Conference Tournament
Memphis vs SMU (5 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 4 P.M. ET: WynnBet opened Memphis as a 4-point favorite in the Saturday college basketball odds market. The line rose to Tigers -5 (-105) for a few minutes this morning, then spent the rest of the day at -4.5. An hour before the scheduled tipoff, ticket count is almost dead even, but Memphis is netting 67% of money. The total opened at 142 (Under -115), bottomed out at 140.5 and is now at its peak of 142.5, with 62% of tickets/61% of money on the Over.
UPDATE 12:15 P.M. ET: No. 3 seed Memphis (20-9 SU, 14-14-1 ATS) crushed No. 6 Central Florida 85-69 as a 9.5-point favorite Friday. The Tigers have turned it on down the stretch to secure an NCAA Tournament bid, going 11-1 SU and 9-3 ATS in their past 12, including two double-digit victories over Houston.
No. 2 seed SMU (23-7 SU, 15-15 ATS) also rolled Friday, winning 83-58 as a 9.5-point favorite against No. 10 seed Tulsa. The Mustangs failed to cover in their previous three games.
SMU is on the NCAA Tournament bubble, currently projected as one of the last four teams in by ESPN. Some good news for the Mustangs: They swept both meetings with Memphis this season, including handing the Tigers the only defeat in their current 11-1 SU surge. SMU defeated Memphis 73-57 as a 2-point home underdog on Feb. 20 and 70-62 as a 6-point road underdog on Jan. 20.
Memphis opened -3.5 late Friday night in DraftKings’ Saturday college basketball odds market and is now at -4.5 (-115). Ticket count and money are running 2/1 on the favored Tigers. The total initially dipped from 141.5 to 139, but has since rebounded to 142, with tickets almost even and money 2/1 on the Over.
Tulane vs No. 18 Houston (3 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 12:15 P.M. ET: Top seed Houston (27-5 SU, 20-12 ATS) eked out the cover as a 12.5-point favorite in a 69-56 victory over No. 8 Cincinnati in the quarterfinals Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cougars are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in their past eight.
No. 5 Tulane (14-14 SU, 18-10 ATS) covered as a 2-point favorite in a 69-60 victory over No. 4 Temple. The Green Wave are on a 12-4 ATS run.
Houston has won eight straight against Tulane, going 6-2 ATS. This season, the Green Wave covered as 18.5-point road underdogs in a 73-62 loss to Houston on Feb. 2, and the Cougars covered as 9.5-point road favorites in an 81-67 victory Feb. 23.
Houston opened -13 Friday night at DraftKings and made trips to -12.5 and -13.5, but the line is now back at -13, about three hours before tipoff. Underdog Tulane is taking 57% of tickets and 60% of money on the spread. The total dropped from 134 to 131 and is now 132, with 69% of tickets/55% of money on the Over.
Atlantic 10 Conference
St. Louis vs Davidson (1 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 11:30 A.M. ET: Top-seeded Davidson (26-5 SU, 19-11 ATS) got a double-bye into the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals, then opened play Friday in Washington, D.C., with an easy victory. The Wildcats dumped No. 8 seed Fordham 74-56 to cash as 13-point neutral-site favorites. Davidson, which rebounded from a road loss to Dayton in the regular-season finale, is on upswings of 6-1 SU and 5-1 ATS.
No. 5 seed St. Louis (23-10 SU, 20-11-1 ATS) had a much tougher time advancing against No. 4 seed St. Bonaventure. The Billikens had a nine-point lead midway through the second half, then gave it up and trailed 56-55 in the final minute. But St. Louis got the game-winning bucket in the waning seconds, winning 57-56 as a 2-point underdog.
The Billikens opened the tourney Thursday with a 71-51 rout of 12th-seeded La Salle as 11-point favorites. St. Louis has won four in row SU and five in a row ATS.
These two teams met once in the regular season, with Davidson breezing to a 79-58 victory as a 1-point home favorite.
Davidson opened as a 2.5-point favorite in DraftKings’ Saturday college basketball odds market and this morning reached various iterations of -3.5. Ninety minutes before tipoff, the Wildcats are -3.5 flat, with tickets running 3/1 and money 9/1 on the favorite. The total plunged from 139.5 Friday night to 134.5 within the past hour, but has since rebounded to 136.5. Still, ticket count is just beyond 2/1 and money just shy of 2/1 on the Under.
Richmond vs Dayton (3:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 11:30 A.M. ET: No. 2 seed Dayton (23-9 SU, 18-14 ATS) barely got through Friday’s quarterfinals against upstart No. 10 seed Massachusetts. The Flyers trailed by 10 late in the first half, then rallied to tie it at 50 midway through the second half. The two teams see-sawed from there, with Dayton ultimately hanging on 75-72 as a 10.5-point neutral-site chalk.
The Flyers are 8-1 SU/7-2 ATS in its last nine games.
No. 6 seed Richmond (21-12 SU, 15-18 ATS) may well have ruined bubble team Virginia Commonwealth’s shot at an NCAA bid. The Spiders closed as 3.5-point pups and notched a 75-64 outright victory. That halted a four-game ATS skid for Richmond (2-2 ATS).
In these two teams’ lone meeting this season, Dayton scored a 55-53 victory road victory catching 1.5 points March 1.
Dayton opened as a 2.5-point chalk late Friday night at DraftKings, dipped to -1.5 this morning and is now back at the -2.5 opener. The Flyers are getting 58% of spread tickets, while 52% of spread money is on underdog Richmond. The total dipped from 132 to 129.5, then went to 130, with 58% of bets on the Over/82% of money on the Under.
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Monmouth vs St. Peter’s (4 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 11:45 A.M. ET: No. 2 seed St. Peter’s and No. 4 seed Monmouth each ended a couple of Cinderella stories to reach the final of the MAAC tournament.
St. Peter’s (18-11 SU, 18-9-1 ATS) dusted 11th-seeded Quinnipiac 64-52 as a 7-point favorite Friday, improving to 6-0 SU and ATS in its last six games, with five of those coming as a favorite. In fact, the Peacocks’ last eight victories have been double-digit blowouts, with an average victory margin of 16.5 points.
St. Peter’s is one of the hottest spread-covering teams in the land, at 16-4-1 ATS in its last 21 contests.
Monmouth (21-12 SU and ATS) followed a 61-58 quarterfinal win over Niagara with another narrow victory in the semifinals, 72-68 over Rider laying 3 points. The two spread-covers in the league tourney came after an 0-4 ATS purge.
St. Peter’s picked up a pair of 5-point upset victories over the Hawks in the regular season, prevailing 67-62 as a 5.5-point home pup Jan. 14 and 70-65 catching 3.5 points on the road Feb. 25. The underdog is 4-0-1 ATS in the last five series clashes.
The Over is on a 4-1 roll in this rivalry. Conversely, Monmouth has stayed Under in 21 of its last 29 games, and the Under is 4-1 in the Peacocks’ last five.
DraftKings opened St. Peter’s a 2.5-point favorite, peaked overnight at -3.5 (-105) and is now down to -2. With tipoff 75 minutes out, the favored Peacocks are landing 57% of spread bets and 78% of spread money. The total shifted from 124.5 to 124, then went rose to 125, and it’s now 124, with 79% of tickets on the Over, but 79% of cash on the Under.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Norfolk State vs Coppin State (1 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 11:45 A.M. ET: The MEAC tournament championship game features one expected team and one shocking entrant, as top-seeded Norfolk State faces No. 7 seed Coppin State.
Regular-season champion Norfolk State (23-6 SU, 16-9-1 ATS) ran its winning streak to five in a row with Friday’s 72-63 victory over Morgan State, cashing as a 6-point chalk. Dating back to Jan. 15, the Spartans are 14-2 SU but just 9-6-2 ATS. However, they enter the title contest having covered in three of their last four. Norfolk is also 11-4-1 ATS as a single-digit favorite this season.
Coppin State (9-22 SU, 18-12-1 ATS) had a miserable regular season, finishing seventh in the eight-team league. The Eagles closed the campaign in slumps of 2-6 SU and 5-2 ATS. However, they’ve soared in the league tourney, scoring consecutive upsets over Howard (59-57 as a 6-point underdog Wednesday) and North Carolina-Central (79-73 as a 2-point pup Friday).
Norfolk easily took both regular-season matchups a month apart: 84-77 on Jan. 22 (pushing as a 7-point home favorite) and 89-59 on Feb. 19 (covering as a 3-point road chalk).
The Over is 7-1 in the last eight head-to-head clashes.
The Spartans opened as a 7-point favorite overnight on DraftKings’ Saturday conference tournament odds menu. Ninety minutes before game time, Norfolk State is -8 (-115), with ticket count almost 3/1 and practically all the cash on the favored Spartans. The total climbed from 136.5 to 138.5, but betting splits weren’t available.
America East Conference
UMBC at Vermont (11 a.m. ET)
UPDATE 10:30 A.M. ET: You might recall Maryland-Baltimore County from the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The 16th-seeded Retrievers hammered Virginia 74-54, marking the first time ever that a No. 1 seed bowed out in the first round.
UMBC missed the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and 2021 — COVID canceled the 2020 Big Dance — so it’s hoping to return this year. The second-seeded Retrievers (18-13 SU, 15-15 ATS) are on a 5-0 SU and ATS run entering the America East title game. In Wednesday’s semifinals, UMBC drilled No. 4 seed Hartford 80-60 as a 3-point home favorite.
No. 1 seed Vermont (27-5 SU, 18-13 ATS) is riding a seven-game win streak (5-2 ATS). In fact, the Catamounts have lost just once since a 68-58 Dec. 7 setback to Big East regular-season champ Providence. Vermont followed with a 14-game tear to start a 21-1 SU run (15-7 ATS). In Wednesday’s semis, Vermont plastered No. 6 seed Binghamton 74-42 laying a hefty 21 points at home.
Similarly, Vermont flattened UMBC in both regular-season meetings: 86-69 giving 8.5 points on the road Jan. 15, and 86-59 as a 15.5-point home chalk Feb. 19. The Over hit in both games, thanks to the Catamounts’ 86-point outbursts. The Over is 5-1 in the last six UMBC-Vermont affairs.
Vermont opened as a hefty 15.5-point favorite on PointsBet USA’s Saturday college basketball odds board. This morning, the number stretched to -16.5, although action is two-way, with Vermont taking 55% of tickets and UMBC getting 53% of money. The total went from 143 down to 141.5, then up to 142.5, all within about an hour late Friday afternoon, then in the past few minutes backed up to 141.5. The Under is taking 75% of bets and 52% of cash, shortly before tipoff.
Props.com’s Matt Jacob and Jim Barnes contributed to this report.
