College Basketball Betting Picks for Saturday 3/2/24
The college basketball season always provides a flurry of twists and turns that few saw coming -- especially when March Madness comes around. This can make college basketball one of the most challenging sports to bet on.
Fortunately, we have plenty of tools available that can aid our chances of taking the most favorable college basketball bets. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.
Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.
Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.
College Basketball Best Bets
No. 7 Kansas at No. 15 Baylor
Baylor -3.5 (-118)
In what could be the best bit of college basketball action throughout the weekend, the Kansas Jayhawks will head south to Waco, TX to rumble with the Baylor Bears. As two of the Big 12's top programs, these respective sides are currently tied for third place in the conference.
Exactly a week ago, Baylor nearly pulled off a home upset going against the top-dog Houston Cougars. A fiery comeback from the Bears forced overtime, but last Saturday's effort fell short in the extra period, as the Cougs prevailed. Still, this Baylor team has proven they mean business.
Undoubtedly, the Jayhawks are a noted blue blood of the sport. In Lawrence, KS, the basketball decorations and accolades are plentiful. Keep in mind, this is a program that won the NCAA Tournament as recently as 2022.
In this campaign, both teams here show a conference record of 9-6. Considering how competitive the Big 12 is (showing a .645 combined winning percentage entering Friday), those results are quite respectable. Still, Kansas holds the better overall record at 21-7; Baylor is 20-8.
Admittedly, Saturday's game in Waco will be similar to splitting hairs. Given the competition, I expect this bid to be tight, but I am still eager to lay the points with BU (-3.5). When referencing numberFire, the game projections show an estimated 73.14-68.15 score in favor of Baylor. That gives the home team here an expected winning margin of nearly five points.
In front of their raucous student section, I am bullish on the Bears against the spread (ATS) this weekend.
VCU at Richmond
Richmond -2.5 (-110)
Simply, weekends in March can always be made better by sprinkling in some A-10 action.
On Saturday, the VCU Rams will head six miles up the road to run with their private school rivals, the Richmond Spiders. As it is colloquially known, get ready for the "Capital City Classic."
With both institutions located within Virginia's state capital, this series regularly showcases contentious clashes. Both programs are amongst the conference's top-four teams, as Richmond paces the Atlantic 10 with a 13-2 (21-7 overall) record while VCU is close behind at 11-4 (19-9 overall).
We saw this same head-to-head matchup at the public school (VCU) one month back. For that game, the Rams squished the Spiders at home by a score of 63-52. Still, I am not wagering Virginia Commonwealth to be as dominant on Richmond's floor.
At numberFire's college basketball power rankings, the Spiders (7.22 nERD) are rated slightly higher than VCU (6.93 nERD). From there, Richmond has played to a 13-1 record in home games. Considering they are laying only 2.5 points at FanDuel Sportsbook, I'd say my "spider-sense" is tingling for Saturday's contest.
In 2024, Richmond is one of college basketball's best cover teams. So far, the Spiders have played to a 20-7-1 (.741) ATS record. For me, that is enough to ride with the chalk at home; I like U of R to win by three or more points in this weekend's rivalry bid.
No. 23 Gonzaga at No. 17 Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's ML (-140)
For a display of the West Coast Conference's top men's basketball programs, we'll head to Northern California where the Gonzaga Bulldogs are set to visit the Saint Mary's Gaels late night (10 p.m. ET tipoff). Of course, these familiar foes have developed a fierce rivalry in the modern era.
Dating back to 2002, either Saint Mary's or Gonzaga has accounted for every WCC regular-season title. It has been more than 20 years since a different institution was crowned king of the conference. For 2024, the Gaels have already earned that honor behind a record of 24-6. More impressively, SMC is an undefeated 15-0 in WCC play.
Head coach Mark Few and the Zags will likely arrive in the Bay Area with a collective chip on their shoulders, as the Bulldogs have surrendered the regular-season crown to Saint Mary's in back-to-back years now. With that being said, head coach Randy Bennett and his Gaels will look to make a statement on their own floor.
A month ago, SMC did well to steal a victory at Gonzaga. That game was also played on a Saturday and featured a gutsy performance from the Gaels who eventually won 64-62. For Saint Mary's, it was their first win in Spokane since 2018.
Playing in Moraga, I like the Gaels straight up on Saturday night. Notably, SMC has been a top defensive side in college hoops, allowing only 58.1 PPG (second-best clip in men's Division I). At home, that opposing figure is even lower at 55.9 PPG.
Entering the weekend, Saint Mary's has won 16 consecutive games. As mentioned, they have not lost in WCC play this year. With that, I'll take the home-side Gaels on the moneyline (-140 odds). For comfort, ESPN Analytics is giving SMC a 70.9% chance of victory versus Gonzaga.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.