Best NCAA Basketball Bets & Parlay Picks for March 3 Featuring Florida, Illinois, Kansas & Vanderbilt

In other sports at this time of year, we see teams start to pack it in because they are bad or slack off because their postseason position is secure. But with NCAA basketball bets, every game matters because you can get a better seed for the conference tournament and improve your chances of winning there even if you don't win the regular season title.

(Photo by Scott Wachter/Getty Images)

This reality makes betting on college basketball games fun throughout the season. With that in mind, let’s check out the games I’ve included in today’s Best NCAA Basketball Bets and Parlay picks.

NCAA Basketball Bets for Tuesday, March 3

If you're on the hunt for more NCAA basketball and March Madness betting promotions, we have compiled a list of the best sports betting offers for you here.

No. 5 Florida Gators Mississippi State Bulldogs Betting Prediction

• Spread: Mississippi State +22.5 at -112 | Florida -22.5 at -108
• Moneyline: Mississippi State +2000 | Florida -6500
• TOTAL: O/U 160.5 at (-112/-108)

Odds via DraftKings

Typically, I like to present a reasonable scenario for how the underdog can overcome the odds and win a game. However, to do so for this game may cause me to delve into science fiction. There are too many things working against the Bulldogs and in favor of the Gators for Mississippi State to stand a chance.

The Bulldogs (13-16, 5-11 SEC) have struggled all season. Junior guard Josh Hubbard has been the only relatively consistent scoring threat. Other players have stepped up in games, but no one else has produced on a consistent basis. Factor in having one of the worst defenses in the country (No. 331, 80.3 points per game allowed), and it becomes easy to see why they’ve lost more than they’ve won.

Heading into this game, on the road, the Bulldogs have lost three in a row and six of their last eight.

Florida riding a hot streak heading into Tuesday's game

As for the Gators, they have won nine in a row including three wins over ranked teams. Florida has six players averaging double figures led by Thomas Haugh with 17.1 points per game, followed by Alex Condon with 14.4 and Boogie Fland with 11.6. The Gators are the No. 1 rebounding team in the country and the second-best defense in the SEC (71.3 points per game allowed).

• My NCAA Basketball Pick:  Florida -22.5 at -108 (DraftKings)

The question here is not who will win, but whether the Gators can cover such a large spread. They are 16-13 ATS this season and 7-11 ATS at home. Of those 11, six were in games where the spread was -18 points or higher. Can we count on Mississippi State to put up enough of a fight?

Probably not. In games where it was a double-digit dog, it went 1-2 ATS and against ranked opponents, 0-5 ATS. It’s a big spread, but we are talking about one of the best offensive teams in the country taking one of the worst defenses in the country. Florida will be up for the challenge.

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The 2026 NCAA Tournament is arriving soon, and Ballislife has championship odds plus more NCAA basketball bets on our website.

NCAA Basketball Parlay Bet for Tuesday, March 3

• No. 11 Illinois -18.5 at -105 (vs. Oregon)

This is the kind of game the Fighting Illini needed after the week they just had. They need to get back on track and have a reason to feel good about themselves after last week’s 95-94 loss to UCLA and 84-70 loss to No. 3 Michigan. Something is wrong if they can’t “get right” against Oregon.

The Ducks have the lowest-rated offense in the conference. They rank 13th in defense, are terrible on the boards and struggle to defend the perimeter. Oregon is 3-4 ATS vs. ranked opponents and when an underdog on the road. In 10 games where it was favored by 15+ points, Illinois went 7-3 ATS.

• No. 14 Kansas -6.5 at -115 (vs. Arizona State)

Kansas can’t seem to decide who it wants to be. One week the Jayhawks are taking down No. 1 Arizona, but then they lost to No. 5 Iowa State and Cincinnati. They bounce back with a solid win over Houston but then get trounced by Arizona (84-61) in a rematch.

The Sun Devils have played well at home (9-5 SU, 9-4-1 ATS), but they struggle on the defensive end (No. 298 in the country, 78.2 points per game allowed). Kansas has been a .500 road team this season, but as long as it doesn't come out flat, it should cover this relatively small spread

• No. 24 Vanderbilt -6.5 at -108 (vs. Ole Miss)

I’m a little hesitant to take the Commodores and lay the points since they’ve lost three of their last four games. However, while Ole Miss looked great in the upset of Auburn, it had lost 10 straight prior to that win. The Rebels are 3-14 ATS at home this season and 0-4 ATS vs. ranked teams. This is Vanderbilt’s “get right” game. It should cover the small spread against a poor team.

• Parlay Odds: +602 (DraftKings)

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