Monday’s 3 College Basketball Best Bets

The Super Bowl is over and we're inching closer to March. That means one thing: It's college basketball's time to truly shine.

To get this post-football slate started, here's college basketball best bets and odds, including Three Man Weave's three top picks for Monday, February 12.

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.

By Matt Cox

Backing a team off a double overtime victory on a 48-hour turnaround may not sound appetizing. However, this situational spot warrants an exception.

The key factor, in favor of Lehigh, is the return of Keith Higgins Jr. Higgins hadn’t played since January 6 before returning to action in this weekend’s thrilling victory over league-leading Lafayette. Higgins made his presence immediately felt, pouring in 15 points and chipping in three boards and two assists in only 24 minutes.

A program pillar in his third season, Higgins is a true Swiss army knife with a savant-like basketball IQ.

Additionally, the Mountain Hawks are well equipped to respond to the spot disadvantage. As confirmed by KenPom’s ‘Bench Minutes’ metric, Lehigh uses a cadre of bodies, aided by Higgins’ timely return. This should mitigate any second half collapse due to the cumulative fatigue from the weekend war.

Finally, the Patriot League continues to be a complete crapshoot, coinciding with inflated prices for home teams. To date, home teams are 29-31 outright this season, which ranks 30th out of 32 leagues for the “weakest” home court advantage in college basketball.

In essence, one could argue there’s zero home court for any team in his conference, save Colgate.

A short 90-mile trip to Bucknell shouldn’t disrupt this rejuvenated Lehigh squad, which aims to make a late push in the Patriot standings against the 7-5 Bison.

Pick: Lehigh +1.5 (Play to PK)

By Matt Cox

Two of Tobacco Roads’ premier programs go head-to-head in another ACC Monday night showdown. Duke will host the surging Deacs at Cameron in what should be an incendiary shootout.

Coming into tonight, Duke breezed by its last two (boring) opponents — Notre Dame and Boston College — since losing to North Carolina on February 3. Duke prevailed easily in both, scoring 71 and 80 points respectively, despite neither game clocking more than 67 possessions.

Tonight’s contest against Wake should trend towards 70 possessions or higher, assuming Wake plays to its offensive strengths.

Wake should have a sizable advantage up front with Efton Reid III owning the paint, but the Demon Deacons’ transition attack is downright deadly.

Damari Monsanto’s return adds another long range sniper to the nation’s eighth-best offense, per KenPom, which has scored 99, 80 and 83 in consecutive outings heading in tonight.

The underlying tempo in those three contests? 74, 74 and 72 possessions, respectively, which directly supports our pace projection tonight against the Blue Devils.

Duke’s perceived to bolster a disciplined transition defense, but this has been debunked against high-octane offenses, as witnessed against UNC two weeks ago.

Both teams are poised to pounce on critical matchup opportunities, both in the half court and in the open floor. Even if this game comes down to the wire, efficiency should nudge this game closer to the mid-to-upper 150s.

Pick: Over 152 (Play to 154)

In Q1 2024, North Carolina sports betting fans will be able to bet the Wake Forest and Duke games at NC legal sportsbooks. Get the latest news.

By Jim Root

The post-Super Bowl spotlight turns to Lubbock, Texas, for Big Monday.

Kansas is back on the road following what can only be described as a “survival” against Baylor over the weekend. Without Kevin McCullar Jr., the Jayhawks squeaked by the Bears, despite two open 3s to tie the game in the final 10 seconds.

McCullar’s status is pivotal. KU’s best perimeter scorer and a terrific defender, McCullar could miss this game due to a knee injury. Even if he plays, he won't be 100%.

For a team that lacks depth, losing a star like McCullar is crippling.

The schedule is giving some deja vu vibes. Just like last Monday, the Jayhawks must quickly re-focus after a huge home victory.

Last Monday’s OT loss at Kansas State is indicative of KU’s struggles on the road; per Team Rankings, this KU team is just 2-4 ATS away from home, failing to cover by an average of 3.7 points per game. In league play, the Jayhawks are just 1-4 straight up away from Allen Fieldhouse.

Texas Tech is not the place to go if you're struggling on the road. Per KenPom’s home court advantage estimates, Texas Tech is the best home court in the country. These Red Raiders have a scintillating scorer in Pop Isaacs, plus several floor spacers and a dominant rim protector in Warren Washington.

Considering the quick turnaround and KU’s poor track record on the road, Texas Tech is a solid Monday night wager.

Pick: Texas Tech -2.5 (Play to -3)