College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (3/2)
As has often been the case this season, Monday's college basketball schedule is not a particularly busy one. However, we do have the No. 1 team in the nation active, along with a number of other matchups that bettors may find intriguing.
We'll include some of them in today's best NCAA basketball bet list.
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Monday’s Best College Basketball Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
No. 1 Duke vs. NC State
Duke has wrapped up at least a share of the ACC title but will need to win today to lock it up against a struggling North Carolina State team. The Blue Devils are playing arguably the best basketball in the country right now; the Wolfpack have lost four of their last five. There is no reason to think this will be a competitive game.
Duke will take care of business from the start and easily cover.
Pick: Duke -9.5 (-110)
IU Indianapolis vs. Cleveland State
The Horizon League is not wasting anytime getting its conference tournament underway, starting with the play-in game between IU Indianapolis and Cleveland State. I know what you're thinking: who? What's important to know is that they have two of the worst defenses in the country.
IU Indianapolis ranks No. 360 (87.9 points per game allowed) and Cleveland State ranks No. 358 (85.6 points per game allowed. Surely this game is destined to be a barn burner, right? Well, in their regular-season matchup, the final was 82-74.
For two teams with such bad defenses, I expected more from their OVER/UNDER stats. The OVER was 12-17 for IU Indy this season; it was 18-10 for Cleveland State. Sportsbooks opened the line at 173.5, and it has since dropped to 169.5, which was also the line in their regular-season matchup, where they finished UNDER the TOTAL.
Pick: Under 169.5 Points (-115)
South Carolina State vs. Delaware State
Once again, two teams you probably don't know much about from a conference you've never heard of (MEAAC). So, why talk about them? Because they own two of the worst offenses in the county (South Carolina State-No. 346, 66.3 points per game; Delaware State-No. 361, 61.2 points per game).
Easy, bet the UNDER, right? Well, the problem with assuming that is the way to go is that sportsbooks are aware of how bad both play on offense and set the line accordingly. The OVER ended up going 7-16 for Delaware State and 12-14 for South Carolina State.
It's a low number, but I don't expect either to play better just because they are playing another bad team. Take the UNDER.
Pick: Under 137.5 Points (-105)