Tuesday’s college basketball slate is loaded.
There are 11 games featuring top-25 teams, headlined by a ranked Big Ten matchup between Purdue and Nebraska. Three top-five teams hit the road (Duke, Iowa State, Houston), and another plays at home (Illinois).
To celebrate the festivities, our expert staff has four college basketball best bets and NCAAB predictions for Tuesday, Feb. 10.
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 PM | |
  | 7:30 PM | |
  | 9 PM | |
  | 11 PM | |
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. | ||
Purdue vs. Nebraska Pick
By Jordan Mann
I still have questions about Purdue's defense.
Oregon, which has the worst offense in the conference, got good looks out of the pick-and-roll with Nate Bittle.
Now, Purdue is going on the road to guard a Nebraska offense that excels at scoring through the two-man game, whether it's the ball handler scoring, the big man rolling/popping, or the offensive action creating a skip pass to an open shooter.
The Cornhuskers will spread Purdue's defense and force the Boilermakers to guard the perimeter.
If Purdue guards the perimeter aggressively, Nebraska will burn the Boilers with its off-ball cutting, where it's scoring at a 71% clip.
Pick: Nebraska -2 or Better
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Marquette vs. Villanova Projection, Prediction
I project Villanova as a 12.7-point home favorite against Marquette, so I’d play the Wildcats at -9.5 or better, representing a three-point difference between my projections and the market.
Marquette took Villanova down to the wire at home exactly one month ago, losing 76-73 as 3.5-point home ‘dogs.
However, that cover took a bit of luck.
The Wildcats led by double-digits with just nine minutes remaining before a furious late-game comeback made the game interesting.
Additionally, Villanova shot poorly from deep, making just seven of its 25 3-point attempts (28%). ShotQuality graded that game as a five-point Wildcat win based on the “quality” of shots taken by both teams.
The Wildcats rank in the top-50 nationally in 3-point rate (46%), so they can be a high-variance squad based on whether the jumpers are falling. On the season, they’re shooting 38% from 3 at home compared to 33% on the road, so I’m banking on some positive regression in the rematch.
Home-court advantage being flipped should prove important in this game, and not just for Villanova’s stark shooting splits. Marquette ranks 360th nationally in Haslametrics Away From Home metric, and the Eagles have gone just 2-6 ATS in their eight true road games.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats have gone 8-5 ATS at home and 11-5 ATS as a favorite.
I'll bet on another cover on Tuesday.
Pick: Villanova -9.5 or Better
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Colorado State vs. Air Force System Best Bet
By Evan Abrams
This game triggered one of our Action PRO betting systems:
In college basketball, teams that have struggled against the spread and are coming off a decisive loss often become undervalued by the market, particularly when facing large double-digit spreads.
After repeated poor performances, oddsmakers tend to overadjust, creating opportunities for motivated teams to outperform expectations even without winning outright.
The combination of public bias against losing teams and the natural tendency for effort and variance to stabilize makes these spots profitable over time.
By backing teams that appear to be playing poorly but are priced at their lowest point, this system identifies when perception has drifted too far from performance, leading to consistent value against inflated lines.
Pick: Air Force +15 or Better
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Washington State vs. Gonzaga Pick
By Breese
Gonzaga was upset last week by Portland, a truly stunning outcome out of the WCC.
But here’s something I know about Mark Few: when his teams lose, they go on a warpath — especially when they get to lick their wounds in Spokane.
In Gonzaga’s first game back home following a loss, the Bulldogs have won 23 straight, demolishing their competition by an average margin of 25 points per game. That streak reaches back to 2015.
Washington State has been dreadful on the road (2-8 SU), particularly when it comes to shooting the basketball. The Cougars' effective field goal percentage dips by 7.4% on the road, and they fail to apply pressure to opposing ball handlers. Wazzu ranks outside the top 290 nationally in turnover rate and 3-point shooting allowed.
With little to no resistance, Gonzaga will destroy Washington State just as it did earlier this year, when the Bulldogs covered as a 16.5-point favorite in Pullman.
Pick: Gonzaga -21 or Better
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