No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 4 Tennessee is the game of the night in college basketball, but that doesn't mean there isn't betting value elsewhere on the board.
So, with that in mind, here's college basketball best bets and odds, including Three Man Weave's three picks for Wednesday, February 28. Ky McKeon, you're up!
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. | |
  | 7 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. | ||
Providence vs. Marquette
By Ky McKeon
This spread is just too high. Marquette is out for revenge after its 15-point loss at Providence earlier in the year – Stevie Mitchell was out for that game, and the Friars still had Bryce Hopkins. But this spread is just too high.
Providence is the most “cockroach” team in the country, with its ability to never die and make dramatic pushes late.
Much of that credit goes to Devin Carter, who might be the most important player to his team in the country. Carter’s late-game and second-half heroics are well-documented this year – he can put the entire offense on his back and make spectacular play after spectacular play.
His counterpart, Josh Oduro, notched nearly a double-double in the first meeting between these two, and his strength is difficult for Marquette to match up with.
The Golden Eagles likely get out to a healthy lead in this one, but you can expect the Friars to come clawing back. Providence has a constant chip on its shoulder and is a scrappy team that never quits down the stretch.
If the non-Carter guards can hold their own protecting the rock against Marquette’s pressure, Providence should be able to stay within striking distance.
11 points seems like infinity for a Providence team that's 9-2 against the spread as an underdog this season.
Pick: Providence +11.5 (Play to +11)
James Madison vs. Georgia State
By Ky McKeon
Hold your nose in this game as you fade the mighty James Madison Dukes.
JMU has been the class of the Sun Belt this season, and it dismantled Georgia State by 20 points on its home floor just two weeks ago. However, GSU can keep this one close tonight in front of what should be a raucous home crowd.
One of the biggest keys to hanging with JMU is to limit mistakes. GSU does that as well as any team in the Sun Belt, leading the league in turnover rate. On their home floor, we should expect the Panthers to at least get a shot at the bucket every time down the floor.
The Dukes have been an excellent defensive team in conference play, but they’ve been a bit fortunate. Opponents are shooting just 28.4% from deep against JMU, a number that should continue to creep up as the Sun Belt schedule comes to a close.
The Panthers have enough shooting and individual talent to keep JMU honest on that end of the floor. Former Xavier transfer Dwon Odom has been one of the best players in the league all season.
Lastly, this is a tough schedule spot for JMU. In a quirky decision by the leaders of the Sun Belt, certain teams like JMU have four straight road games to finish the season, while certain teams like Georgia State have four straight home games.
This is JMU’s third straight road game in the past seven days. Though the travel hasn’t been super far, this sort of scheduling in late February can affect teams at times.
It’s also worth noting that the Dukes have been at least somewhat human on the road this season, losing twice in Sun Belt play and holding “just” a 7-5 ATS record.
It’s a scary bet, but the spread is big enough to warrant a look at the Georgia State Panthers in a prime spot.
Pick: Georgia State +9 (Play to +8)
Oregon State vs. Oregon
By Ky McKeon
The Civil War is usually a close affair, even when the Oregon State Beavers are bad. The first meeting this year was an ugly, 59-possession slog that saw the Ducks just barely eke out a two-point win.
Last season was an Oregon sweep, but neither game got past double digits and both played to 60 possessions or fewer.
Per Bet Labs, the past 42 matchups have resulted in both teams covering 20 times with two pushes. That’s as even as you can get.
While the under might be the most enticing play tonight, the market has hammered it into oblivion. The underdog isn’t a bad consolation, as I expect this game to play to a low possession count and thus have less points, favoring a big 'dog on the side.
OSU head coach Wayne Tinkle knows how to muck up a game, and he’s intimately familiar with Oregon’s offense.
The Ducks' guards have been solid this season, but the best player on the roster is big man N’Faly Dante. Tinkle will throw out an array of junk zones to make Dante a non-factor and force the backcourt to beat the Beavers with jump-shooting.
The Beavers have a ton of size and length on the perimeter, starting 6-foot-5, 6-foot-9, 6-foot-9, 7-foot-2 alongside star guard Jordan Pope. While Oregon has some trees up front, its backcourt is relatively small. OSU’s length could give the Ducks trouble.
OSU won’t score easily, but it was able to get buckets inside the arc at a high clip in the first game and create enough second chances to hang around.
With a great individual shot-maker in Pope, OSU has a go-to guy on every possession. He can hit enough shots, and his teammates can create enough bonus opportunities, for the Beavers to put up an adequate number of points to cover the large spread.
