13 of the 25 teams ranked in the AP Poll are in action tonight in college basketball.
Plus, there's betting value galore.
So, with that in mind, here's college basketball best bets and our staff's four top picks for Tuesday, February 13.
College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
  | 11 p.m. | |
| 11 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
North Carolina vs. Syracuse
By Matt Gannon
Syracuse hosts North Carolina for the second meeting between the two this season.
The first game didn't go well for the Orange, who will surely be looking for revenge in this spot.
Exactly one month to the day, UNC put up 103 points on Syracuse and won by a whopping 36 points. That was UNC's biggest conference win of the season, as it got what it wanted all game long.
That will be extremely difficult to duplicate, especially on the road, but the Heels are up for the task.
Syracuse is a volatile bunch and will come out of the gates firing. The Orange are always a tough handicap because there’s no telling how they’ll shoot the 3-ball. They’re just as likely to win this game as they are to lose by double digits.
No matter how well Syracuse shoots the ball, I’m not sure how it slows down UNC on the other end.
North Carolina has an advantage in both effective field goal percentage and 3-point percentage — two areas that will allow the Heels to score at will yet again.
I’m not sure they put up 100 points on the road, but even if they get behind early, I trust the Tar Heels' offense to come through in the end and cover this spread.
Pick: North Carolina -8.5 (Play to -9.5)
Ole Miss vs. Kentucky
By John Feltman
Kentucky needs a big win in the worst way. Enter Ole Miss.
Chris Beard’s team has been a great story, but it’s time to pump the brakes on the hype. The Rebels are due for some serious offensive aggression, according to ShotQuality. They’re 10th in the nation in 3-point percentage (38%), but they’re 283rd in attempts per contest.
The biggest issue for the Wildcats has been their defense, but with negative offensive regression looming for the Rebels, they should be fine.
Kentucky’s explosive offense — led by the trio of Reed Sheppard, Antonio Reeves and Rob Dillingham — is more than capable of exposing the Rebels' shaky perimeter defense.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari needs to light a fire under his players to get their season back on track.
The Rebels are just what the doctor ordered for the Cats, and I have no doubt they run up the score to make a statement.
Pick: Kentucky -8.5 (Play to -10)
Sports betting is live in the Bluegrass State. Stay up to date on the latest news about Kentucky sports betting.
New Mexico vs. Nevada
Over 155
Assessing college basketball totals takes a series of questions that follow a specific process flow. Those questions include each team's ability to hit the offensive glass while earning trips to the free-throw line.
Nothing gets an over cashed faster than put-back points or attempts from the charity stripe with the clock stopped.
While oddsmakers adjust totals based on tempo, offensive rebounding and free-throw rate are the king categories for totals.
Nevada has the seventh-highest free-throw rate in the country, inducing more fouls than almost any team in Division I.
The Wolf Pack got blown out by the Lobos on Jan. 28, shooting less than 38% from the field while making 13-of-18 from the charity stripe. However, the home crowd should help Nevada receive more whistles and free-throw attempts this time around.
As for New Mexico, a repeat of the previous game is expected on the boards. The Lobos rank 68th in offensive rebounding rate, trumping Nevada’s defensive rebounding rank of 121st.
Neither team will have success in the turnover department; both offenses sport a higher turnover rate than the opposing defenses.
Full possessions are expected from both teams, with Nevada creating foul trouble with trips to the line and New Mexico dominating the offensive glass.
These two teams have all the ingredients to cash an over wager due to offensive rebounds and free throws.
Pick: Over 155
Nevada -1
By D.J. James
The New Mexico Lobos are coming off of a loss at home to UNLV, and the Nevada Wolf Pack just beat Utah State and San Diego State in their last two games.
Even with the spot — and the fact that New Mexico crushed Nevada the last time these two played — the Wolf Pack should be a wise bet as a short favorite at home.
The Pack get to the free-throw line a lot. They rank in the top 10 in free-throw attempt rate, while New Mexico fouls opponents quite frequently. This should lead to a skewed number of free throws in the direction of Nevada.
Nevada also sits in the top 100 in finishing at the rim, per ShotQuality. This may not seem significant, but the Lobos rank 296th in points per possession at the rim defensively, so the Wolf Pack should take advantage — especially if the Lobos are in foul trouble.
Neither of these teams really focus on the 3-ball. Both yield around a 31% 3-point rate to opponents, and both shoot over 34% from deep on offense.
That said, New Mexico doesn’t get open for these 3s as often as Nevada. For that reason, the Pack might have a more sound process at home.
Now, the Lobos will probably own the rebounding edge in this game, but Nevada will just need Nick Davidson — the team’s best rebounder — to grab some misses.
If he and the rest of the Wolf Pack can cut into this advantage for New Mexico, Nevada can win.
Take Nevada to -3.
