College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (2/17)
Welcome to the Friday college basketball slate. It has been a wild week of upsets, blowouts, comebacks, and thrillers. The Big East is shaping up to be one of the best conference tournaments in recent history, with some surprising teams near the top of their respective conferences in Northwestern and Pittsburgh. There are not many great matchups today, so remember not to force any bets you don’t love. There is still plenty of season left.
Friday’s Best College Basketball Bets
Here are my best bets for Monday.
Past Week: 7-4
This Season: 78-82-7
New Mexico at San Jose State
If there is any team that epitomizes a fall from grace, it’s New Mexico. After starting 14-0 and 18-2 they have lost five of their last six games and are comfortably on the bubble right now. They need this win.
But San Jose State is no joke. They boast a top-50 interior defense while ranked 32nd in the momentum metric. Their near-proximity shooting far outweighs the Lobos’s ability to stop them down low, and San Jose State is solid at limiting second-chance points.
This is a tough game to predict, given recent play. But recently, we have seen how home court is king, and I don’t want to stray away from that. The Lobos just seem to have the yips right now, and I don’t think a date with the Spartans is the cure.
Play: San Jose State -1.5 (-110 BetRivers)
Yale at Penn
For some mid-major love, I’m highlighting the best team in the Ivy League facing off against Penn.
Yale is one of the best teams in the nation at rebounding, ranking ninth at limiting opponents on the offensive glass. Their interior defense is suffocating, and they take care of the ball quite well.
Penn can shoot from deep, and they are a model of consistency. They do not allow anything near proximity and have been playing well of late.
Simply put, I am taking the Yale offense to handle this Penn defense. They capitalize on second-chance looks at the 65th-highest rate in the nation, something Penn has trouble defending against. I know I said home court is king, but Yale is a top-half team in the nation at playing away from home. I’m taking the Bulldogs all the way.
Play: Yale -2.5 (-110 DraftKings)
Be sure to follow me @rcoleman98 on the BettingPros app, as I post all my selections there that may not make it in these articles. Remember to monitor injury news because if you can beat the curve, there is plenty of value to be had on any given game day.
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