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College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (3/3)

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Conference tournament action got underway this weekend with two games in the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Men’s Basketball Championship. Monday’s slate of college basketball games offers an intriguing blend of further postseason action and AP Top 25 Men’s College Basketball Poll teams looking to build their NCAA Tournament resumes.

What is in store for the start of a new week in college basketball?

Keep reading for a detailed breakdown of our college basketball best bets and top picks for Monday, March 3rd.

Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>

    Monday's Best College Basketball Bets

    (Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

    Wake Forest (+20.5) @ Duke (-20.5) | O/U 145.5 (-108/-112) 

    There is no denying Duke has been the most dominant team in the country this season, outside of Auburn.

    The Blue Devils have set or tied school records in several categories, including most conference wins by 25+ points (nine), consecutive wins by 15+ points (five) and consecutive wins by at least 35 points (three).

    However, backing the Demon Deacons in this matchup is in large part because of the lookahead factor with Duke finishing its regular season against rival North Carolina on Saturday.

    In the game leading up to the first UNC matchup this year, the Blue Devils failed to cover as 22-point favorites in a lethargic 74-64 home victory against NC State. 

    Duke also failed to cover as 11.5-point favorites in a 63-56 win at Wake Forest on January 25th, a game in which Duke committed 16 turnovers and shot just 28.1% from 3-point range. 

    Wake Forest forced National Player of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg into seven of those turnovers. Duke's roster is somewhat compromised in this rematch with the injury to starting point guard Tyrese Proctor.

    Pick: Wake Forest + 20.5 (-105)

    Queens (+4.5) @ Florida Gulf Coast (-4.5) | O/U 147.5 (-110/-110) 

    Florida Gulf Coast’s defense ranks in the fourth percentile in rim rate allowed, per Synergy. But Queens has the perfect foil to that tough interior defense, as the Royals are not shy about firing away from deep.
    Queens and Florida Gulf Coast split their two regular-season meetings this season, and the final scores were completely different. Queens made 12 three-pointers in a 92-83 win in the first meeting, while the Eagles held the Royals to just five made three-pointers in a 60-47 win in the rematch.
    However, Queens attempted 55 three-pointers total in the two meetings and the Royals rank in the 99th percentile in catch-and-shoot rate. The Royals were also the ASUN’s best defensive and rebounding team in league road games. They are a true sleeper to make a deep run in this tournament if their perimeter shots are falling.

    Pick: Queens +4.5 (-112)

    Kansas (+9.5) @ Houston (-9.5) | O/U 132.5 (-112/-108) 

    Bill Self likely has not forgotten about the 30-point thrashing his team took at Houston in last year’s regular-season finale. The Cougars beat the Jayhawks 76-46, which was Kansas’ lowest-scoring output of the season and their lowest point total in a Big 12 game since 2000.

    The scary thing for Kansas in this rematch is that last year’s team was far superior to this year’s Jayhawks, while Houston is one of the most balanced teams in the country, ranking in the top eight nationally in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.

    And as dominant as Auburn has been this season, it is Houston that is Haslametrics’ No. 2-ranked team behind Duke, while also ranking as the site’s most efficient defensive team.

    Short rest does not bother the Cougars, who are 3-0 against the spread (ATS) on just one day of rest this season. Houston has also covered 61.1% of its conference games this season. There is too much of a talent gap between these teams to do anything but back the Cougars.

    Pick: Houston -9.5 (-105)

    Make sure to check out our other best bets for Monday:

    Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.

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