Welcome to another college basketball Big Monday.
The highlight of today's slate is a top-5 matchup in the Big 12 between the Iowa State Cyclones and Arizona Wildcats — but that's not the only game taking place.
Matt Cox of Three Man Weave dove in and came through with 3 picks for Duke vs. NC State, Idaho vs. Eastern Washington and Weber State vs. Portland State.
Without further ado, let's dive into Cox's college basketball picks and NCAAB best bets for the games on Monday, March 2.
College Basketball Picks, Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Three Man Weave's Matt Cox 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. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
Duke vs NC State Pick
NC State’s defense is not a steel curtain this year, but head coach Will Wade surely has a few tricks up his sleeve for this make-or-break bout tonight against Duke.
His notorious affinity for switching 1-5 is probably not feasible tonight against the Blue Devils, especially after Notre Dame torched the Wolfpack by getting mismatch switches with Jalen Haralson.
The Wolfpack are also owed some positive regression in the defensive 3-point percentage department. ACC foes are making 37% in league play against NC State.
On the other side of the coin is Duke’s dedication to half-court execution, especially late in games. Jon Scheyer loves to control the offense with sets, which largely run through Cam Boozer.
If this game tightens up tonight, expect a similar game flow in crunch time — although, Duke’s defensive dominance might suffocate NC State’s offense entirely.
Year to date, Duke is 19-7 to the under in the second half, a function of how much Duke’s defense wears on its opponents over the course of 40 minutes.
Pick: Under 148.5
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Idaho vs Eastern Washington Pick
Dan Monson and the red-hot Eagles transformed into a Big Sky juggernaut in February. Eastern Washington finished the month 8-0 straight up and against the spread, including a double-digit victory on the road at conference leader Portland State.
EWU’s rotations were wonky in nonconference play and through the early portion of conference play — largely due to the unexpected season-long injury to Andrew Cook late in the preseason — but Monson has finally stumbled on the right rotational mix, spearheaded by Isaiah Moses at point.
Also, the defensive issues that plagued the Eagles in the nonconference have been aided by playing more like-minded size and athletes in the Big Sky.
The key to this handicap, other than the added confidence of riding EWU’s surging mojo, is the fact that Idaho is locked into the 7-seed in the Big Sky Tournament this weekend.
Thus, the Vandals, who have dealt with numerous injuries down the stretch, have nothing to play for tonight.
Eastern Washington still has an outside shot at the No. 1 overall seed and can clinch a share of the regular-season title with a victory tonight.
Pick: Eastern Washington -3.5
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Weber State vs Portland Pick
Portland State secured a share of the Big Sky crown, and the Vikings have been hanging by a thread since. They’ve dropped three in a row and find themselves in a disadvantageous spot tonight to close out the regular season.
Like most of the Big Sky, PSU is playing its third game in five days.
On the flip side, Weber was off on Thursday, which should give it a notable rest edge against a super-thin PSU rotation. Portland State ranks in the bottom 15 nationally in bench minutes, per KenPom, as Jase Coburn has ridden his top-six players hard all year.
Keep an eye on the status of Terri Miller Jr., a potential Big Sky Player of the Year candidate, who was ejected last game for a flagrant 2. While it was not confirmed if any suspensions would follow, there’s a chance he comes off the bench or plays limited minutes in tonight’s regular-season finale.
When it has Trevor Hennig in the lineup, Weber is a categorically different team, as seen in the last five games. The Wildcats are 4-1 over that span, with the only loss coinciding with Hennig being out against Eastern Washington.
Pick: Weber State +4.5
