SEC, Big Ten, AAC, Atlantic 10 and Ivy League conference tournament championship odds, picks, best bets
Here's a look at the best bets from the SportsLine Projection Model for Sunday's conference tournament championship games
Five more spots in the 2026 NCAA Tournament will be locked up on Selection Sunday as the Big Ten, SEC, AAC, Atlantic 10 and Ivy League conference tournaments wrap up. The tournament field and bracket will officially be set after the Big Ten title game on CBS, which tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET between Michigan and Purdue.
Here's a look at the best bets for Sunday's conference tournament championship games with recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times. It 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.
College basketball picks for Sunday, March 15
Yale -9.5 vs. Penn
The Bulldogs have been the most successful Ivy League program in the conference tournament, looking for a third straight title en route to the NCAA Tournament. The Quakers won the conference tournament back in 2018, and knocked off Harvard 62-60 in overtime to reach the final. The SportsLine model sees Yale covering the spread in 58% of simulations.
Arkansas +2.5 vs. Vanderbilt
The Razorbacks held off a red-hot Ole Miss Rebels team on Saturday in order to secure a spot in the conference tournament final while Vanderbilt dominated the defending national champion Florida. Both teams will get into the bracket but this game could help substantially when it comes to seeding. The Razorbacks, despite winning four in a row and dominated Vanderbilt by 25 points in the lone regular season matchup, are underdogs on Sunday. They cover the spread in 53% of SportsLine simulations.
Dayton-VCU Over 138.5
A lot of bubble teams who couldn't take care of business during championship week are likely pulling for the Rams in this one. VCU is already on the bubble but Dayton wasn't getting into the tournament prior to this run and the Flyers would likely be considered bid stealers should they win on Sunday. The SportsLine model is more confident in the total going Over 139.5, as that happens in 74.3% of simulations.
Wichita State +6.5 vs. South Florida
These aren't Gregg Marshall's Shockers but Paul Mills has done a good job in his third season at the helm to put the program in a position to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Wichita State was a fixture in the bracket under Marshall, even making the Final Four in 2012-13 but hasn't made it back since 2021. South Florida is the top seed in the conference tournament and neither team had much trouble in the semifinal round with Wichita State winning by 13 and USF winning by 22. The SportsLine model likes the underdogs here, as the Shockers cover the spread in 59% of simulations.
Purdue +6.5 vs. Michigan
The Wolverines have already likely secured a No. 1 seed in the bracket but this program would like to follow up its regular season title with a conference tournament crown. Purdue has also boosted its seeding potential with this run, and the Boilermakers have plenty of veterans from a team that made the national title game two years ago. Michigan won the regular season game at Mackey Arena by 11 points but the SportsLine model likes Purdue in Sunday's game. The Boilermakers cover the spread in 66% of simulations.
