Top weeekend games for college basketball

The weeks are flying by and big game betting continues in college basketball on Sat., March 2 with may key games affecting conference standings, upcoming conference tournaments and NCAA Tournament seedings and teams included in the Big Dance. From Feb. college basketball games to now March Madness ahead, it's wall-to-wall basketball and much to follow as you watch and wager on the most exciting time of the season in NCAA basketball. 

I posted the Top 25 and final weeks schedule two weeks ago and update the daily matchups, betting lines at leading online sportsbooks and results. The Big 12 is the top conference in college basketball this season and nine teams from the Big 12 are projected to make the NCAA Tournament.

As you look at the Sat., March 2 college basketball schedule, you'll see more than 15 key games that will produce the biggest weekend of wagering during the 2023-24 regular season. Bracketologist Joe Lunardi of ESPN has posted the projected NCAA Tournament teams and seeds, bubble teams and what to expect with the final full week of regular season action over the next week. 

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— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 29, 2024

Ten of the 32 college basketball conferences are projected to get multiple bids. Next week the small conference tournaments begin with some of the most intense games of the season as the one-bid conference teams play their hearts out trying to punch their ticket to the Big Dance with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the conference tournament champions. 

Be sure to check out and join the OSGA 22nd annual NCAA Tournament Bracket Challenge that's free to enter with a $1,000 prize pool and $500 to the winner. Also, BetOnline has a $20 entry NCAA Tournament contest with a $200,000 prize pool for college basketball fans who sign-up with a top online sportsbook.  

As you win or cash-in on your tournament pools and other basketball bets or poker, be sure to follow and review this guide to taxes on gambling winnings. Then reinvest and take advantage of the top cash bonuses at online sportsbooks. 

Key College Basketball Games

Sat., March 2

Odds and betting lines from BetOnline and top online sportsbooks are subject to change, and will be posted as overnight lines are available. Current AP Top 25 rankings noted, and all times Eastern. Check back Sat. am for picks of interest and additional information you can bet on. 

9pm ET - No. 21 Dayton (-1) at Loyola Chicago (Friday), 138.5 - Loyola-Chi wins 77-72
12 pm - No. 24 Florida at No. 18 South Carolina (-2), Total 145 - SC wins 82-76
12 pm - Villanova at Providence (-2.5), 133 - Villanova wins 71-60
1 pm - No. 7 Kansas at No. 15 Baylor (-4.5), 145 - Baylor wins 82-74
1 pm - No. 13 Illinois at No. 31 Wisconsin (-1.5), 155.5 - Illinois wins 91-83
1:30 pm - Arkansas at No. 16 Kentucky (-14), 166 - Kentucky wins 111-102
2 pm - Oregon at No. 6 Arizona (-14.5), 157 - Arizona wins 103-83
2:30 pm - No. 5 Marquette at No. 12 Creighton (-4), 152.5 - Creighton wins 89-75
4 pm - NC State at No. 9 North Carolina (-11.5), 154.5 - North Carolina wins 79-70
4 pm - Mississippi State at No. 11 Auburn (-9), 146.5 - Auburn wins 78-63
5:30 pm - Iowa at Northwestern (3.5), 152.5 - Iowa wins 87-80
6 pm - VCU at Richmond (-2), 133.5 - Richmond wins 79-76
6 pm - Virginia at No. 10 Duke (-9), 129 - Duke wins 73-48
7 pm - Cornell at Princeton (-5), 156.5 - Princeton wins 79-77
7 pm - UCLA at No. 19 Washington State (-7), 126.5 Washington State wins 77-65
8 pm - Michigan State at No. 2 Purdue (-10), 145 - Purdue wins 80-74
8 pm - No. 1 Houston (-6) at Oklahoma, 130 - Houston wins 87-85
8 pm - No. 4 Tennessee at No. 14 Alabama (-2.5), 170 - Tennessee wins 81-74
8 pm - No. 34 New Mexico at No. 40 Boise State (-4), 155 - Boise State wins 89-79
9 pm - No. 28 TCU at BYU (-4.5), 159 - BYU wins 87-75
10 pm - No. 23 Gonzaga at No. 17 St. Mary's (-2.5), 142 - Gonzaga wins 70-57

Sunday, March 3

12 pm - Seton Hall at No. 1 Connecticut - UCONN wins 91-61
5:30 pm - UAB at Memphis - Memphis wins 106-87

We'll update more ahead with conference tournament previews and top teams NCAA Tournament seeds, stats and additional information you can bet on. 

Follow FairwayJay here at OSGA.com and on X (Twitter) @FairwayJay for more sports betting news and insights.