It’s Friday, sports fans!
We’ve had some great basketball this week, and there is even more conference tournament action on the slate today.
On Thursday, we went 2-3.
On the season, we now sit at 287-271-1.
Let’s get back in the win column on Friday.
Be sure to follow all of our picks all season long on BetStamp!
Best Bets for Friday, March 6, 2026
Let's get to the picks:
Drake Bulldogs at Belmont Bruins
This is a Missouri Valley Conference quarterfinal matchup. The last time these two teams met, Belmont won by 13 points. The Bruins have clearly been the better team throughout the season.
Drake has plenty of pedigree in this tournament, having won Arch Madness three straight years, but this feels like the spot where that run finally comes to an end. Belmont has been playing strong basketball and should have the edge on both ends of the floor.
When push comes to shove, expect the Bruins to take control and pull away late with a double-digit victory.
Betting Pick: Belmont Bruins -11.5 over Drake Bulldogs
Final Score Prediction: Belmont 91-72 over Drake
Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Winthrop Eagles
Charleston Southern enters this game at 15-15, while Winthrop comes in at 21-10 and has been the stronger team throughout the season.
Interestingly, Charleston Southern won the last meeting between these teams just a week ago. That loss should have Winthrop focused and ready to respond. Expect the Eagles to come out aggressive early and play with urgency.
Winthrop gets its revenge and advances.
Betting Pick: Winthrop Eagles -4 over Charleston Southern Buccaneers
Final Score Prediction: Winthrop 78-72 over Charleston Southern
UIC Flames at Murray State Racers
Another Missouri Valley Conference quarterfinal features the UIC Flames and Murray State Racers.
UIC has been one of the surprise teams in the conference this season and earned its way into the 4/5 matchup. Murray State spent a good portion of the year near the top of the standings before slipping a bit late in the season.
The Racers still have the more athletic roster, and if their shots are falling, they should have enough firepower to move on and potentially set up a matchup with Belmont.
Betting Pick: Murray State Racers -0.5 over UIC Flames
Final Score Prediction: Murray State 78-75 over UIC
Valparaiso Beacons at Bradley Braves
The third Arch Madness game features Valparaiso and Bradley.
Roger Powell has the Beacons playing better basketball lately, and Valparaiso enters this matchup at 18-14 after playing Thursday night in St. Louis. Meanwhile, Bradley is coming off a big win last week over Murray State and has been steady under head coach Brian Wardle.
Expect a competitive game here, but Bradley’s consistency should help the Braves find a way to pull this one out late.
Betting Pick: Bradley Braves -2.5 over Valparaiso Beacons
Final Score Prediction: Bradley 72-68 over Valparaiso
Miami (OH) RedHawks at Ohio Bobcats
Miami (OH) is still looking to keep its perfect season alive, which is remarkable this deep into the year.
That said, this won’t be an easy trip. The Ohio Bobcats will be ready for Travis Steele’s group and should make this a very competitive game from start to finish.
Miami (OH) likely finds a way to stay unbeaten, but Ohio keeps things tight and covers the spread.
Betting Pick: Ohio Bobcats +5.5 over Miami (OH) RedHawks
Final Score Prediction: Miami (OH) 82-79 over Ohio
Enjoy the games! Whether you fade or follow, be sure to track every pick on BetStamp all season long.