College Basketball Best Bets: Expert Picks for Tonight, Mar. 9

The conference tournaments keep on rolling this week, as we’ve got a Sun Belt Tournament Championship showdown as Georgia Southern takes on Troy, followed by a Big Sky Tournament clash between Weber State and Eastern Washington to round out the slate! Check it out as we prepare you for a thrilling night of college basketball with expert betting insights, matchup analysis, & top picks.

Year to Date Record: 22-20 | Units: +1.96 units (Minus-money plays are to win one unit, plus-money plays are one unit)

Dave Connelly is SportsGrid’s lead college basketball analyst with over five years of experience covering hoops, including his industry-leading transfer portal rankings and NCAA bracket predictions (seen on Bracket Matrix). An authority in Mid-Major Basketball, Connelly’s expertise extends well beyond the Power 5.

SportsGrid Expert Pick: Troy -6.5 (-110)

Where to Watch Georgia Southern vs. Troy

• SportsGrid Matchup Page: GASO vs. TROY
• Venue: Pensacola Bay Center
• Location: Pensacola, FL
• Where to Watch: ESPN+
• Date: March 9, 2026
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Georgia Southern vs. Troy Betting Odds & Market Value

Georgia Southern vs. Troy Win Probability & Prediction Market Trends

Real-time market data via Kalshi Prediction Exchange

We had a similar line of thinking on Friday when Georgia Southern took on South Alabama, but that angle is just more pronounced now. The Eagles are looking to make history on Monday night, becoming the first team in NCAA history to win six games in its conference tournament to achieve the automatic bid. They will be playing their sixth game in six days against Troy in the championship. To give some perspective, the final six games of the regular season for Georgia Southern spanned 18 days, meaning we have a combined 12 days of rest out of the picture here.

Three of their players – Spudd Webb, Alden Applewhite, and Tyren Moore – have logged at least 31 minutes each in every game except one, where White had just 24 in their second-round win over Old Dominion on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Sunday’s semifinal was Troy’s first game in eight days. This has become one of the best stories of the start of conference tournament play, but we have to be realistic here. Back the well-rested, top-seeded Trojans to handle a Georgia Southern team that will surely look gassed as we get into the second half.

For more College Basketball picks, check out SportsGrid’s predictive model. Our SportsGrid predictive model doesn’t stop at the spread. See which player props have a 5-star rating tonight. Unlock your betting edge!

SportsGrid Edge: Eastern Washington -2.5 (-120)

Where to Watch Weber State vs. Eastern Washington

• SportsGrid Matchup Page: WEB vs. EWU
• Venue: Idaho Central Arena
• Location: Boise, ID
• Where to Watch: ESPN+
• Date: March 9, 2026
• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET

Weber State vs. Eastern Washington Betting Odds & Market Value

Eastern Washington has been on an absolute tear over the past month in the Big Sky. The Eagles finished up the regular season winning eight of their previous nine games, only dropping their regular-season finale to a feisty Idaho team that has already punched its ticket to the semifinals. Weber State is seemingly trending in the opposite direction, going just 5-4 in that span, including an 18-point loss to the Eagles a few weeks back.

Sorting Bart Torvik’s T-Rank to the start of February, Eastern Washington is currently a top-70 team in the nation with a top-50 offense that is shooting the ball at the sixth-best rate in the country. Weber State sits outside the top 200 and sits bottom 30 in effective field goal percentage allowed on the defensive end. It’s a mismatch that favors a red-hot Eastern Washington team, which makes us happy to lay the points here and back the Eagles.

College Basketball Best Bets: March 6

• Troy -6.5 (-110)
• Eastern Washington -2.5 (-120)

Conference tournaments are entering full swing, and there are plenty of betting opportunities throughout March. Best of luck!