Here’s Your Can’t Miss Thursday Sports To-Do List

Thursday is defined by the start of the men’s NCAA tournament proper. The round of 64 begins with 16 games spread across the day, making March Madness the center of the national schedule. The women’s tournament also remains active with two First Four games in Columbia, South Carolina. Outside college basketball, the NHL’s Eastern Conference race drives a busy Thursday slate, while baseball’s Spring Breakout prospect series and a handful of NBA games with seeding implications round out the night.

March Madness Takes Over the Day
The most important events on the board are the men’s NCAA tournament first-round games. Thursday’s round of 64 schedule begins with No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU at 12:15 p.m. Eastern on CBS and continuing through a full day that includes No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena at 2:50 p.m. on CBS, No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida at 1:30 p.m. on TNT, No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point at 1:50 p.m. on TBS, No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis at 9:45 p.m. on CBS, and No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho at 9:10 p.m. on truTV. Every game is elimination basketball, which is why this event leads the day by a wide margin.

Several of those matchups carry stakes that reach beyond a single opening-round result. Duke enters as the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, which puts added attention on its opener with Siena because the top overall seed is expected to survive the first weekend and contend for the title. Ohio State-TCU is the classic 8-9 game with the winner likely earning the right to face Duke next, barring a major upset by Siena. Louisville-South Florida brings intrigue as well with guard Mikel Brown Jr. ruled out for the tournament.  Bottom line, it is a day of basketball bliss from top to bottom.

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Where to watch is straightforward: the men’s tournament is split among CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV, with streaming also available through March Madness Live and related broadcaster platforms.

Women’s First Four Continues Thursday Night
The women’s NCAA tournament also has meaningful games Thursday. Southern vs. Samford takes place at 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2 followed by Virginia vs. Arizona State at 9 p.m. Eastern, also on ESPN2.

Winners advance into the round of 64. Southern-Samford determines a No. 16 seed, while Virginia-Arizona State decides an at-large play-in matchup between two No. 10 seeds. On a day dominated by the men’s tournament, those are still win-or-go-home games on the national bracket and carry real significance for the women’s field.

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The NHL’s most important Thursday game is Winnipeg at Boston at 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+ from TD Garden. Boston enters at 37-23-8 and Winnipeg at 28-28-11. Boston’s place in the Eastern race gives the matchup its weight. The Bruins are tied with Detroit at 82 points, while Montreal sits at 84, so Boston is still fighting for position in the Atlantic and wild-card picture.

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Montreal at Detroit, also at 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+ from Little Caesars Arena, is just as important in the standings. Montreal comes in at 37-20-10 and Detroit at 37-23-8. The Canadiens currently have 84 points and the Red Wings 82 in the standings. That makes it a direct four-point swing game in the Eastern race, with Detroit trying to defend its position and Montreal trying to strengthen its hold above the cut line.

The Islanders-Senators game also deserves a watch. It is set for 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+.

NBA Games to Monitor Late
The NBA does not have a national tentpole as large as the NCAA tournament Thursday, but there are still games with standings relevance. Lakers at Heat is set for 8 p.m. Eastern at Kaseya Center. Los Angeles enters the game at 44-25 with Miami sitting at 38-31. That makes it meaningful in both conferences, with the Lakers trying to protect a top-four position in the West and the Heat still working through the East play-in range.

Phoenix at San Antonio at 8 p.m. Eastern is another game with direct Western impact. The Suns enter the contest at 39-30, holding the seventh spot in the West, while the Spurs are 51-18 and sitting in second. The stakes are clear: Phoenix is trying to climb out of the play-in band, and San Antonio is trying to hold position near the top of the conference.

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