Can divine intervention from Sister Jean propel Loyola-Chicago into the Dance again this season? The Ramblers earned a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and begin defense of their tournament championship as the No. 1 seed. The MVC will get one ticket to the Dance, making every tournament game a one-and-done. The Southern, Metro Atlantic Athletic, Ohio Valley and West Coast Conferences are all in the process of determining their automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
Most of the major conferences take Friday off as they prepare for the final weekend of regular season action. The Big Ten and ACC each have one game scheduled with a nationally ranked team appearing in both. No. 19 Buffalo clinched the MAC title earlier in the week and the Bulls, along with the rest of the league, conclude the regular season.
Some of the top games are listed below, but you can find college basketball odds and live betting options for every game on the Friday schedule at BookMaker.eu.
College Basketball Schedule for Friday, March 8, 2019
Bradley vs. Missouri State, 3:30 p.m. ET
Brown at Princeton, 4 p.m. ET
Bowling Green at No. 19 Buffalo, 6 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
Akron at Kent State, 6:30 p.m. ET
Miami at No. 15 Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Minnesota at No. 24 Maryland, 7 p.m. ET (FS1)
Northern Illinois at Ball State, 7 p.m. ET
Miami (OH) at Ohio, 7 p.m. ET
Eastern Michigan at Toledo, 7 p.m. ET
Central Michigan at Western Michigan, 7 p.m. ET
Yale at Pennsylvania, 7 p.m. ET
Dartmouth at Columbia, 7 p.m. ET
Saint Joseph's at VCU, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Northern Iowa vs. Southern Illinois, 9:35 p.m. ET
Friday Best Bets
Bowling Green at No. 19 Buffalo, 6 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
Buffalo won the regular season title with a victory over Ohio on Tuesday, the Bulls eighth in a row. And you have to wonder how motivated they are going to be heading into what is essentially a meaningless game in terms of seeding for the MAC tournament. The outcome has no effect on the tournament, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to play for. The Bulls can establish a program record for wins in a season by beating a team they lost to earlier in the year.
The Bulls have just three losses on the season and the last was to the Eagles, 92-88 on Feb. 1. That was an uncharacteristic performance, especially on the defensive end. There are always things to work on, even for a team that’s 27-3. Buffalo is unbeaten at home and they will send a message by covering the spread as one of our Friday best bets.
Miami at No. 15 Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
A tough overtime loss to Florida State cost the Hokies a chance at a top-four finish in the ACC and there is no time to sulk. Just a game up on Louisville and Syracuse, Tech better not blow this one and fall further down the scale. The injury to Justin Robinson hurts, and having Kerry Blackshear foul out with about three minutes left in the second half against FSU was another blow for a squad that isn’t very deep.
Robinson isn’t expected back, but Blackshear will play and Tech should take care of a Miami team that is 0-8 on the road in ACC play and 0-9 overall. The Hokies had one of their most efficient games of the season against the Canes in January, hitting 58 percent of their shots en route to an 82-70 road cover.
Minnesota at No. 24 Maryland, 7 p.m. ET (FS1)
Break up the Gophers! A huge win over first-place Purdue was a boost to Minnesota’s Tournament hopes, but there is no guarantee they’re getting in with 19 wins. That means another win over a contender in the Big Ten finale should do the trick. But there’s also the chance of a letdown for a team that underachieved with its stockpile of upperclassmen.
Losing their last two games will drop the Terps from the rankings, but that’s the least of their concerns. They certainly would like to steal some momentum for the conference tournament and end a stretch that’s seen them lose three times in five games. They pounded the Gophers, 82-67, earlier this season and I like the Terps to respond with a solid effort, making them a best bet.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go.
Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
