The deeper we get into the conference tournaments the more intensity we see on the floor. Maybe that’s because in some of the leagues, the better teams are starting to see action. The field has been trimmed in the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Pac-12, and we’re also seeing some larger spreads with the higher seeds battling lower-seeded squads.
However, there is no opening line higher for Thursday’s slate of games than what we have in the first round WAC matchup between New Mexico State and Chicago State. The Aggies went 15-1 in league play to secure the No. 1 seed and opened as a 26-point favorite over the 0-16 Cougars. There were four other games that opened with a double-digit line, including the ACC’s top-seed Virginia laying 11-points to NC State.
BookMaker.eu will have college basketball odds and live betting options for every game on the Thursday schedule.
College Basketball Schedule for Thursday, March 14, 2019
Akron vs. No. 18 Buffalo ( -9, 143.5 ), 12 p.m. ET
Providence vs. No. 25 Villanova ( OFF ), 12 p.m. ET (FS1)
NC State vs. No. 2 Virginia ( -11, 131.5 ), 12:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
UConn ( -1.5, 133 ) vs. South Florida, 1 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
Arkansas vs. Florida ( -3, 134.5 ), 1 p.m. ET (SECN)
No. 16 Virginia Tech ( 1.5, 134 ) vs. No. 12 Florida State, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
TCU vs. No. 15 Kansas State ( OFF ), 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Creighton ( -2.5, 141 ) vs. Xavier, 2:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Nebraska vs. No. 21 Maryland ( OFF ), 2:55 p.m. ET (BTN)
Boise State vs. No. 14 Nevada ( -11.5, 143.5 ), 3 p.m. ET (CBSSN)
Missouri vs. No. 22 Auburn ( OFF ), 3 p.m. ET (SECN)
USC vs. Washington ( -5, 136 ), 3 p.m. ET (PAC12)
UNLV ( -1, 138 ) vs. San Diego State, 5:30 p.m. ET (CBSSN)
Colorado vs. Oregon State ( -0.5, 140 ), 5:30 p.m. ET (PAC12)
Louisville vs. No. 3 North Carolina ( OFF ), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
West Virginia vs. No. 7 Texas Tech ( OFF ), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
St. John's vs. No. 23 Marquette ( OFF ), 7 p.m. ET (FS1)
Syracuse vs. No. 5 Duke ( OFF ), 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Texas vs. No. 17 Kansas ( -2.5, 137.5 ), 9 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
UCLA vs. Arizona State ( OFF ), 9 p.m. ET (PAC12)
Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State ( OFF ), 9 p.m. ET (SECN)
Illinois vs. Iowa ( OFF ), 9:25 p.m. ET (BTN)
Georgetown vs. Seton Hall ( -2.5, 152 ), 9:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
East Carolina vs. Wichita State ( -10, 138 ), 10 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
Thursday Opening Lines Report
Oddsmakers around the globe are feverishly working to get lines up for every game. But it’s harder than most realize. A number of games have yet to hit the board, and there are several reasons why. First, the back to back games are a killer. How do you properly handicap a team when doing something it probably hasn’t done all season?
There are tournaments in November and December where teams might play two games on consecutive days, and maybe three. But for the last few months that hasn’t been the case. No conference in America plays games on consecutive days. And second, injuries are always a factor, and we’ve seen a number of them play havoc with the point spreads.
The biggest injury is to Duke’s Zion Williamson, and whether or not he plays will have a serious impact on the line. Including the game against North Carolina where he was hurt in the first minute, the Dookies went 3-3 and looked average. One of their wins was a narrow one-pointer at home over a bad Wake Forest team. That should tell you everything.
Coach K said Z should be ready for the ACC tournament. It’s here and there’s been no official word on Williamson’s status. Duke opens tournament play with a matchup against Syracuse, which is also dealing with a major injury. Leading scorer Tyus Battle missed Cuse’s first game and probably won’t play on Thursday. And that’s why we haven’t seen a line for this game.
The last of the conference tournaments get underway today with the American Athletic, Big West and Western Athletic Conferences all playing first-round games. Chicago State has the fewest wins of any DI program, has lost 20 games in a row and was blasted twice by NMSU during the regular season. The 26-point spread probably isn’t high enough considering the Aggies won by 44 and 34 points.
The Big West figured out a way to make its tournament work with a nine-team league. In a novel concept, the conference doesn’t invite the last-place team to the festivities. So, that leaves top-seed UC Irvine taking on UC Riverside in the first-round. The Anteaters opened as a 14.5-point favorite. The games are critical in this conference that is getting only one invite to the Dance.
One other line of note, Mason is an 8-point favorite over Washington in the second-round Atlantic-10 battle of the George’s. Now, on to the Madness!
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!
