College basketball picks: Southern, Sun Belt conference tournament final odds, predictions, best bets
Here's a look at Monday's best bets for the Southern and Sun Belt conference tournament championship games
Two more teams will secure bids for the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Monday, March 9 when the Southern Conference and Sun Belt conclude their respective conference tournaments. Both the No. 1 seeds in the bracket will be featured in each championship game, but there's been chaos along the way in both conference tournaments to provide some potential March magic even before we get to the field of 68. It'll be the No. 6 seed Furman Paladins taking on No. 1 seed East Tennessee State for the Southern title, while No. 10 Georgia Southern ran the gauntlet to meet No. 1 Troy in the Sun Belt tournament final.
We'll take a look at the best bets for Furman vs. Eastern Tennessee State and Georgia Southern vs. Troy using recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times. The model entered conference tournament week on a sizzling 14-2 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-21 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following its college basketball betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
Southern, Sun Belt conference tournament final picks
Furman vs. East Tennessee State Over 138.5
The Paladins have upset No. 3 Samford in their first game but they were fortunate to face No. 7 UNC Greensboro in the second game instead of No. 2 Wofford. On the other side of the bracket, the Buccaneers have largely handled business without any issues. East Tennessee State won both matchups during the regular season, though one of the contests went to overtime. The Bucs are 1.5-point favorites and the SportsLine model is backing them to cover but it has a stronger recommendation on the total. The model sees the Over on 138.5 hitting in more than 75% of simulations, good for a "B" grade.
Georgia Southern +6.5 vs. Troy
The Sun Belt conference tournament works a bit differently, with lower seeds playing each other throughout the first four rounds. Those winners will then meet the No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the quarterfinals before those winners face the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the semifinals. Troy has been patiently waiting as the conference's top seed, defeating No. 8 Southern Miss to advance to the tournament final. However, Georgia Southern has ripped off five wins in a row to reach the title game, taking out No. 2 seed Marshall 82-78 in the semifinal. Troy won the lone regular season matchup between these teams by five points but the Eagles are hot right now and have confidence. The SportsLine model sees them covering as 6.5-point underdogs in 55% of simulations.
