Big Monday is back.
Tonight's slate features an ACC clash between the No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels and Syracuse Orange, as well as a Big 12 battle between the No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders and the No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks.
Matt Cox of Three Man Weave broke down 3 games for Monday's slate — including tonight's ACC matchup — and came through with a pick for each.
Let's dive into our college basketball best bets and NCAAB picks for the games on Monday, Feb. 2.
College Basketball Best Bets, Picks
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Matt Cox of Three Man Weave is targeting from Monday'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. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 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. | ||
Syracuse vs North Carolina Pick
The market has already attacked the opening line here, pushing the opener from -10 to -11.5 for the home Heels.
Syracuse is circling the drain, with murmurs of Red Autry’s job security growing louder and louder by the day.
The Donnie Freeman return-to-action jolt has quickly eroded, despite a nice win over Notre Dame on Saturday (notable that Freeman came off the bench in a reduced role).
The key in that game was Naithan George playing light-years better at home against a cushy Notre Dame perimeter defense.
Now, UNC’s far more athletic perimeter could expose George and the shaky Cuse handlers on the road, especially on a tight Saturday-to-Monday turnaround.
UNC’s transition attack has been prolific, aided by Seth Trimble’s presence and an emerging Derek Dixon. With Dixon gobbling up Kyan Evans’ minutes, the Heels are operating at a different level.
Per BartTorvik, isolating the last five games' performance from both teams implies a 14-point margin of victory.
That’s a tiny sample to put a ton of confidence in, but it points to the trajectory of the Heels with Dixon cemented as a starter and Trimble back and fully healthy.
Pick: UNC -11.5
| | |
Tennessee Tech vs Tennessee State Pick
Tennessee Tech’s revolving door of injuries is finally coming to a standstill.
Not only did John Pelphrey welcome back Dani Pounds to the rotation last game, but useful floor spacer Grant Slatten is also back in action, which elevates the offensive prowess for TTU.
Tennessee Tech, to date, has been one of the worst zone offenses in college basketball, but this matchup against Tennessee State should open up the floor and unlock more transition opportunities.
This was evident in the first meeting between these two, when both sides combined for 36 fast-break points. Tennessee State will be happy to see another faster opponent tonight after playing Little Rock’s tricky zone schemes, as will Tennessee Tech.
KenPom’s pace projection of 70 possessions tonight is right in line with the market and right in line with the first meeting tempo.
However, both offenses are trending up, which could induce an even more efficient and faster game tonight.
Pick: Over 153.5
| | |
Idaho State vs Portland State Pick
Jase Coburn’s chaotic system at Portland State has undergone a few tweaks this season, which appear to be working.
He has found that his Vikings, despite their massive size and athleticism edge in the Big Sky, are best when they execute in the half-court, where they can pinpoint mismatches in isolation settings and reduce open floor turnovers.
The Vikings are playing a half-second slower on average in conference play, per KenPom’s average offensive possession length. The only games in which they’ve eclipsed the 70-possession mark came against Sacramento State and Northern Colorado in early January.
Tonight, they will likely be running on fumes in the rare third-game-in-five-nights spot (Thursday, Saturday, Monday), and this is not an overly deep team either.
Idaho State, a post-up heavy squad with monster interior size, is a prime under dance partner for Portland State.
The Bengals are coming off a tough loss to Weber, a tricky matchup that forced ISU to go with an uncomfortable smaller lineup. With a reversion back to its roots likely tonight, expect a methodical half-court affair, which should settle into the high 60s.
Pick: Under 136.5
