While the NFL’s roundup captures the nation’s attention, we don’t forget about college hoops here at Action Network – and neither should you.
The list is uploaded on Saturday. And There is a lot of excellent betting value to be found all over the board.
So, dive below for our staff’s top seven bets that include the best college basketball odds for Saturday.
The 7 best college basketball bets for Saturday
The team logos in the table below represent each of the games the college basketball team is targeting on Saturday’s slate. Click on the team logos for a match below to go to a specific bet discussed in this article.
TCU vs. Kansas
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by stocky
Since both teams lose, this is an automatic run TCU As an underdog more than any kind of situational situation.
This Horned Frogs corps has gone 14-5-1 ATS as an underdog over the past two seasons and generally thrives in the role. There’s just too much talent and athleticism to imagine them going 7.5 against almost anyone on any court at any time.
I also think they match well with the Jayhawks. This game features two elite transition offenses (and defenses), but I’m going to take Mike Miles Jr. and company over pretty much everyone else in the transition fest, which he likely turns into.
The TCU must also be able to reach the edge and control the attacking glass, two areas of relative weakness for Kansas.
The Jayhawks will probably pull this off, but I think it will be close all the time. TCU physical fitness and experience should prove super valuable here.
For what it’s worth, these teams split their regular season series last year, with the Horned Frogs losing just four in Lawrence, even with Miles in serious trouble the whole time.
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When betting on TCU, it’s pretty simple: you want to bet on The Horned Frogs as an underdog.
The opening nine-point line was disrespectful. Yes, they’ve lost three of their last four, but one came on an Iowa buzzer beater, and the other was a late collapse on the road against Texas in a game they led most of the night.
The Horned Frogs defense is dominant. They are top 25 in defense perimeter and 19th in turnover. This is a deeply disruptive group that has the longevity and aggression to cause problems for any team.
Jamie Dixon’s team ranks third in continuation minutes — meaning he’s returned basically every player from last year’s rotation — and that goes a long way given his area and constant defensive changes.
It’s also worth noting that since Damion Baugh’s return from suspension, TCU is the 14th team in Bart Torvik’s ranking. Offensively, he dominates the glass and causes fouls at a high rate. It’s a poor 3-point throwing team, but that’s not who this unit is.
Frogs love to run and gun and are relentless in driving them over the edge.
Miles and Emmanuel Miller were the drivers of the attack – aided by Baugh’s facilities – and Eddie Lampkin Jr.’s size and physicality resulted in a high rate of second chance chances. Lampkin ranks 12th in the country in offensive rebounding percentage.
As we saw against Kansas State, the Jayhawks can find themselves in nasty trouble. They’re just outside the FTA/FGA top 200, which is where TCU likes to attack.
Kansas ranks 343rd in minutes off the bench and relies heavily on its fifth production start. Meanwhile, TCU can constantly throw new bodies onto the field and stay physical from start to finish. That’s why the underdogs always survive.
This game looks like a lot of points. The Kansas offense will be able to score behind Jalen Wilson and Grady Dick — though it’s worth noting that Wilson only had 31 points in 100 minutes against UCLA last year.
I highly doubt horned toads would dig themselves down a deep hole here.
Kansas is also an average free throw shooter team, which is a positive when this game stays close in the closing minutes. Even in a loss, I would expect the Jayhawks to struggle to break down TCU’s experienced defense in what will be a close game.
Texas A&M vs Kentucky
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by Brett Bond
As someone who recently invested in this team in the futures market, I’ve circled this place, hoping to get a solid number to back it up. Texas A&M in Kentucky. We definitely have that at +5.5 in Fandel.
It’s easy to get sucked into how well Alabama and Tennessee played in the SEC, but you could argue that the Aggies’ form was impressive.
A&M joins the Crimson Tide as the only undefeated team in the SEC, with coach Buzz Williams’ team doing just fine.
In its five wins, Texas A&M has an average winning margin of 15.4 points per game, including a pair of wins over Florida and Missouri (which beat the Wildcats).
Yes, John Calipari will be churning out its best two games of the season, but this is an A&M squad that has gotten better over the past month. I bring this contest closer to Kentucky as a very slight favorite or coin-flip game, so I’ll get anything over 3.5 points with the visitors.
This game will come down to the team that can win the rebound battle, and I think the Aggies will have enough to win this game right at the Rupp Arena.
Iowa vs. Oklahoma
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Mike Boynton W Oklahoma State Hit a massive win in Bedlam on Wednesday night against the rival Sooners.
I think Saturday presents itself as a great place for the Cowboys to build that momentum against a good but not great team in Iowa.
The Pokes need to piece together a few wins to get back on the right side of the NCAA Tournament picture, and with how loaded the Big 12 is this year, Boynton knows better than anyone that you have to handle the business on your own bunk.
Oklahoma State has a top 10 defense in the entire nation, evidenced by the fact that the Cowboys never gave up 80 points all year.
Competitors shoot only 43% from the ground against Pokes, and in much the same way Iowa It was, is still a very mediocre team offensively.
Gallagher-Iba Arena should be rocking this game, and I trust the Cowboys shoot better within the friendly confines of their building than a road hurricane.
Expect a lower-scoring, grinding type of game between two distinct defensive units.
I’d love for the home team to get it done, and I’d love to support the Cowboys all the way up to -130 on the money line.
Marquette vs. Seton Hall
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Market It is now the most effective offense in the country, according to KenPom, and the Golden Eagles’ offense is remarkably similar to Gonzaga’s.
They are an elite in transition who are playing as fast as they can. They don’t turn the ball over, they make it all in and around the rim and shoot just enough 3’s to go over the perimeter.
The offense clearly leads the market here, and the total is overrated because of that.
match vs Seton Hall It also indicates that pirates will be able to slow them down. KC Ndefo is one of the best rim guards in the country, and Seton Hall is a top 25 rim defense because of him.
The Pirates are also in the 83rd percentage, per Synergy, on transition defense, which is key against a Marquette offense that will run at every opportunity.
The Buccaneers defend screens the ball and roll well as well, and the length of their backcourt can disrupt Marquette’s offensive rhythm.
Teams can’t play in transition that much against Marquette because she scores so well, but the Golden Eagles’ transition defense is also good when needed.
Shaheen Holloway will want to get this game into his half and limit Marquette’s outburst.
The total is inflated at 144.5, and I bet it at 143.
by DJ James
The Marquette Golden Eagles have been one of the most amazing teams this season and will be heading to Newark, New Jersey to play Seton Hall.
Although the Golden Eagles pride themselves on higher modified offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, they are slower teams on defense. Opponents average 18.7 seconds per possession against Marquette on the year.
Seton Hall is also a slow team. It ranks 234th in modified tempo. Opponents hold 18 seconds per possession, but this team thrives defensively.
The Buccaneers are ranked 17th in modified defensive efficiency and hold opponents to 28.6% from 3-point range and 46.7% from two shooters. They have a tendency to err a bit, but they should rein in Marquette.
One of the issues with the lesser player in this game is that the Buccaneers are 291st in turnover, and the Golden Eagles turnovers more than 21.8% of the time.
In addition, both teams tend to make defensive mistakes more often. Marquette ranks 298th in free throw attempt percentage for offense. Seton Hall ranks 13th, so the Pirates will likely have the free throw attempt advantage at home.
However, the Buccaneers only shoot 67.7% of the hit.
Finally, Seton Hall ranks 39th in the country in 3 Open Average, per ShotQuality, and holds opponents to 0.95 points per possession on defense in the half court.
Since both teams slow the opponent down, this game should be an under total.
Florida Atlantic vs. UTEP
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Everything is going fine Florida Atlantic at the moment. The Owls are 15-1 and are currently in the top 25 for the first time in school history, but they’ve had a little bit of luck, and that’s a good place to try and fade them.
They played UTSA on Thursday and got over it, but I guess UTEP It will be a different story.
Listen, UTEP can’t kick the ball from long range to save its life, but it’s a team that was built to get the ball over the edge. Miners have one of the lowest 3-point percentages in the country, but also one of the lowest 3-point percentages.
They also reach the free throw line with a top-20 average, but they’re shooting an astounding 58.6% from the free throw line this season, the second-worst in the country behind only the Browns.
UTEP is also a top 30 spacing team and has the top 10 frequencies using back cuts. Florida Atlantic is 325 in defending back cuts, per ShotQuality.
Florida Atlantic is a good 3-point shooting team, and is in the top 50 in 3-point average, as they shoot on 43.6% of their field goal attempts. UTEP only allows 30% from behind the arc, which is the 40th highest in the country.
Also, defensively, UTEP ranks in the top 30 in turnover percentage and allows the third-lowest open 3-point average in Conference USA.
Finally, UTEP has a 7-1 ATS as the underdog this season.
This is a good spot here for the Miner Nation to pick Florida Atlantic.