It is easy to get a little overwhelmed when you look at the college basketball schedule on just about any given Saturday. There are so many games! BY 1 p.m. EST, 18 games will be underway; only 13 were on Friday. So, if you are interested in betting on college basketball, you have options.
To narrow those options down a bit for you, we've created our "Best NCAA Basketball Bets" list to give you a solid look at a few of the day's biggest games.
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Saturday’s Best College Basketball Picks & Predictions
(All bets are one unit unless otherwise stated)
No. 4 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 2 Houston Cougars
Arizona already got back on track, losing two in a row last week with a win over BYU on Wednesday, 75-68. While they won, there is still a reason for concern. The Wildcats led by 16 points with 6:40 left to play, but a fierce rally cut the deficit down to five points, 73-68, with 1:05 remaining. So, it was a solid overall performance, but they were vulnerable late in the game, and it nearly cost them.
A similar letdown against Houston could prove costly. However, Houston, coming off a loss to Iowa State, has its own issues to worry about. The Cougars are not a bad offensive team, but they aren't a great one either. Had they had a little more offensive firepower, maybe they could have countered when their defense failed late in the game, and Iowa State went on a 17-4 run to get the win.
That offensive edge that Houston lacks, Arizona has. Because of it, if they don't win the game outright, the Wildcats will keep it close enough to win ATS.
Pick: Arizona +4.5 (-105 at DraftKings)
Harvard vs. Cornell
I know what you're thinking, "Harvard? Cornell? Who cares?"
Neither team gets a lot (or any) national attention. It may not be much of a game to watch, but we're talking about winning bets here, not must-see TV. To that end, we have two teams here that are playing well overall at their competitive level. Cornell has one of the best offenses in the country (No. 5), but one of the worst defenses (No. 353). Harvard struggles to score (No. 297), but so do their opponents (No. 37).
The OVER has gone 3-3 for Cornell at home, but the UNDER has gone 5-0 in the Big Red's last five and 7-1 in their last eight. The UNDER has gone 5-2 in Harvard's last seven and 7-3 in their last ten. Expect a low-scoring game here.
Pick: Under 155 Total Points (-110 at bet365)
Iowa State vs. BYU
Iowa State is coming off a big win over Houston, but the Cyclones have not been a great road team this season (4-3). BYU is coming off a loss to Arizona, but has been a solid home team this season, going 12-2. However, the Cougars have struggled against ranked teams this season, going 1-6.
Most projections have this being a very close game, but I didn't like what I saw out of BYU against Arizona in their first game without Richie Saunders (75-68, BYU). The Cougars have been an offensive team that can play decent defense. After that game, I have to wonder just how good their offense is.
Iowa State is solid on both ends of the court. They'll get it done on the road against a BYU team that has gone 2-5 in its last seven games.
Pick: Iowa State -3.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
