Wise n' Shine: College basketball best bets, NBA predictions and NHL picks for Thursday, March 9

Photo of Caleb Wilfinger

Caleb Wilfinger

NBA

Show Bio

Deputy Editor for Pickswise with years of experience handicapping and giving out winning picks. Lover of all US sports and Southampton FC.

Good morning, Pickswise Nation, and welcome to another wonderful Thursday of sports. We have a massive day ahead in college basketball as the Power 5 conference tournaments are heating up with the Big Dance drawing nearer. There is also a loaded slate across the NBA, NHL and the World Baseball Classic. There is plenty to dive into, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better.

About Last Night

NBA totals remain profitable
Our NBA handicapping team had another solid night on Wednesday, particularly in the totals market, where we went a perfect 6-0-1 on the evening. We’ll have predictions on every NBA side and total this season, so don’t miss our NBA picks for every game.

Champ Week excites in college basketball 
Wednesday was the beginning of the Power 6 conference tournaments, and the action didn’t disappoint. Our college basketball cappers stayed hot, posting a record of 7-1 on the day, including a best bet winner with Texas A&M Corpus-Christi winning the Southland Championship to secure a bid in the NCAA Tournament.

You can bet on all today’s sports at FanDuel, America’s #1 sportsbook, which has a great new customer offer where you can Bet $5 and secure $200 in bonus bets. Click here to take advantage of this awesome offer.

 

Today’s Slate

NCAAB conference tournaments roll on
We’ve got another college basketball marathon in store, with games starting at 11:30 am ET and will go deep into the night. Champ Week is heating up, so make sure to read today’s NCAAB predictions.

Quieter NBA slate
Wednesday’s NBA slate brings us just 6 games, but there are exciting matchups to be had. The marquee games including Warriors vs Grizzlies and Knicks vs Kings, to name a couple. You can read all of today’s NBA predictions here.

Busy day on the ice
Today’s slate is a busy one in the NHL. The marquee matchup of the day sees the Vegas Golden Knights taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning, but we’ve got plenty of action across both conferences, so make sure to check out all of today’s NHL picks.

Best Bet of the Day

NHL: Dallas Stars ML (-145) over Buffalo Sabres
7:00 pm ET, ESPN+

Things are getting tight within the first 4 of the Central, but Dallas should be able to help themselves with a win on Thursday night. Buffalo’s Tage Thompson is having an incredible season, but this is 1 defense that can keep him in check. It also doesn’t help Buffalo that Alex Tuch is still out of the lineup. He was a part of the trio along with Thompson and Jeff Skinner that made up the Sabres’ top line. Buffalo’s offense has also needed to put up goals in bunches, as they’ve allowed the most goals per game since February 1. With Dallas having a superstar goalscorer themselves in Jason Robertson, they can certainly keep up with such poor Sabres goaltending. Read our full Dallas Stars vs Buffalo Sabres predictions.

Must-read

Championship week rolls on and we’ve got plenty of content for you to review. Our expert is on an 8-2 run with his best bets, so be sure to check out his 3 best bets for today’s action. To celebrate the massive day in college basketball, our expert also crafted a NCAAB mega parlay at +725 odds for the action.

It’s a quieter Thursday in the NBA, but we have a 3-team mega parlay at +648 odds for you to enjoy. With the Player’s Championship getting underway this morning, now is your last chance to check out our expert’s predictions for the tournament. Also, be sure to read our Indian Wells tennis preview which includes best bets for the tournament.

Keep an eye out for more great sports analysis as it arrives throughout the day on the Analysis tab.

You can bet on this mega parlay at DraftKings Sportsbook, which has thousands of betting options available and a great new customer offer where you can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins! Click here to sign up for DraftKings, and MAKE IT RAIN.

 

Stat of the Day

Washington State has now won 7 consecutive games. The Cougars will take on Oregon in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.

All of today’s biggest games are available to bet with BetMGM, the premier destination for online sports betting. New customers can earn themselves a $1,000 deposit bonus by signing up right now! Click here to lock in this great sign-up offer.

 

Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news and best bets. Check out our expert NFL Picks, NBA Picks, Soccer Picks and NHL Picks pages for our latest game Picks.

Virginia Bonuses

See All
BetMGM
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Bet on CBB Tournament and get $1,000 Paid Back in Bonus Bets if you Don't Win + $25 Bonus Bet

Register for a new BetMGM account & deposit

Place your first bet and get refunded up to $1,000 in bonus bets if you don't win

Plus receive a $25 Bonus Bet after placing your qualifying wager

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, OH, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Nevada, New York or Ontario
FanDuel Sportsbook
Get a $1,000 No Sweat Bet on any CBB Tournament Game!

Sign up for a new FanDuel Sportsbook account

Make a first-time deposit of $10+, and then place your first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook

New customers get their first bet paid back in bonus bets up to $1,000 if you lose!

Must be 21+. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable free bets that expire 14 days after receipt. See full terms at fanduel.com/sportsbook.
DraftKings
Bet $5+ any College Basketball Pre-Game ML And Get $150 in Bonus Bets if your Team Wins

Sign up for a new account with DraftKings Sportsbook and make your first deposit

Make your first deposit and bet $5+ on any pre-game ML

Get $150 in bonus bets if your team wins

Gambling Problem? Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MD/MI/NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in OH/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min. $5 bet. $150 issued as bonus bets that expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com..
Unibet
Virginia Bettors- Get a $100 Free Bet for the CBB Tournament

Register for a new Unibet account & make a deposit

Place your first bet up to $100 free!

Get refunded up if you lose up to $100

New players only. Terms & conditions apply. 21+. VA only.
bet365
Bet $1 on the CBB Tournament and Get $365 in Bonus Bets at bet365!

Register for a new bet365 account

Place qualifying bets of $1 or more

Get $365 in bonus bets - no matter if your bet wins or loses

New Customer Offer. Deposit required. Bonus Bets added to Bonus Bet Credits balance. Bonus Bet risk excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits, and exclusions apply. Must be physically located in VA.
WynnBet
Bet $100 on the CBB Tournament & Get $100 Bet Credit

Register for a WynnBET account today.

Deposit & Wager $100 on any sports market (odds -120 or greater).

Get a $100 Bet Credit.

Must be 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
BetRivers
Get a $500 Free Bet for the CBB Tournament

Sign up for a new BetRivers account using promo code PICKSWISE

Make your first deposit & get up to $500 in free bets

To get $500 in free bets, wager $500

Must be 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-BETS OFF
Caesars Sportsbook
Your First Cash Bet on the CBB Tournament Is On Caesars Up To $1,250

Sign up for a new Caesars Sportsbook account and Place your 1st wager of $10 or more

If you lose, you get 100% of your stake back as a Bet Credit - up to $1,250.

AND win or lose, you’ll also get 1,000 Reward Credits® and 1,000 Tier Credits.

21+. Terms and conditions apply.
DraftKings
Get a $1,000 Deposit Bonus when you bet on the CBB Tournament

Create a new DraftKings Sportsbook account and make your first deposit (min $5)

DraftKings will match 20% of your deposit up to $1,000 total

To get a $100 bonus, deposit $500

21+. Terms & conditions apply.
BetMGM
Get $1,000 Paid Back in Bonus Bets if you Don't Win your CBB Tournament Bet

Register for a new BetMGM account & deposit

Place your first bet up to $1,000!

Get refunded up to $1,000 in bonus bets if you don't win

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Nevada, New York or Ontario
TVG
Get Your First Single-Horse Win Wager Back Up to $200 if you don't win

Register for a new TVG account and make a deposit

Place your first single horse win-type bet up to $200

If your horse doesn't win you'll get a refund up to $300

21+. T&C's apply. Please gamble responsibly.
TwinSpires
Get a $200 Sign-Up Bonus with Twinspires Racebook!

Open your TwinSpires.com account using offer code BET200

$200 bonus cash will be credited in increments of $100 for every $400 wagered

To earn the full $200 bonus players must wager $800 within 30 days

21+. Terms and conditions apply.
Underdog Fantasy
First deposit is 100% matched up to $100 with Underdog Fantasy

Sign up for a new account with Underdog Fantasy

Make your first deposit

Every dollar (up to $100) will be matched! Deposit $25, get $50; deposit $100, get $200, etc

Must be 21+ to play. Terms & conditions apply
Owners Box
First Time Deposit Bonus Up To $500

Sign up for a new DFS account with OwnersBox

User's first deposit will be matched up to $500 in site-credit

Join one of their Daily NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL contests

You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age to receive deposit bonuses, participate in Contests, or win prizes offered through OwnersBox Contests. In jurisdictions, territories, and locations where the minimum age for permissible use of Contests is greater than eighteen (18) years old, you must meet the age requirement in your local jurisdiction or territory.