College Basketball Betting Guide: Odds, Predictions For Thursday, Feb. 23

Today's College Basketball Betting Odds & Picks

The stakes have continued to rise night in and night out as we get closer to Selection Sunday. That's no different tonight! Scroll down to see which games I like and where our BetQL model thinks we can find some value.

One trend to note is that the BetQL NCAAB model is on fire, going 183-123 (60%) on all picks rated ⭐⭐ and higher in the past three days for a total return of $1,009 on $100 bets! Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best college basketball bets, plus what the model is projecting for this week's NBA, NHL and soccer games! Start your free trial today!

Northwestern at Illinois Prediction

This game presents an interesting matchup between in-state rivals. Northwestern is great on the road, while Illinois is great at home. Northwestern is content playing at a snail’s pace, while Illinois wants to push the tempo. Northwestern has been exceeding expectations as of late, while Illinois has somewhat underperformed. All that said, home-court advantage in the Big Ten has been a massive difference-maker this season. Northwestern has also won and covered in each of its last five games, which makes me believe the Wildcats are due for a little regression. Plus, with Northwestern’s defense struggling to keep teams off the offensive glass and free-throw line, I have to take the Illini to win and cover tonight.

My pick: Illinois -5.5

Pacific at Saint Mary's Prediction

Saint Mary’s is by far the superior team in this matchup and should have no problem winning by a large margin. I am, however, hesitant to lay this big of a number with the Gales, who failed to cover their last two spreads as double-digit favorites. This could also be a potential look-ahead game with their final game of the season on Saturday at Gonzaga. That said, I don’t see Pacific’s mediocre offense having success against Saint Mary’s defense, which ranks sixth in the nation, according to KenPom. The Gaels also hardly turn the ball over and are great on the defensive boards, meaning the Tigers aren’t going to get any extra possessions or opportunities for second-chance points. Take the under 138 at DraftKings. A play on Pacific’s team total also makes a lot of sense to me. If you like that, take it at under 58.5 at FanDuel.

My pick: Pacific at Saint Mary's u138; Pacific team total u58.5

San Diego at Gonzaga Prediction

Gonzaga’s offense should completely overwhelm San Diego’s defense. The Zags have averaged 98.4 points over their last seven home games, topping 110 in three straight games during that stretch. They also turn teams over at the highest rate in the WCC, which equates to extra possessions and scoring opportunities. San Diego ranks 335th in defensive efficiency on KenPom and 361st in effective field-goal percentage defense. In other words, the Toreros are one of the worst defensive teams in all of college basketball. Offensively, they’ve put up some pretty big numbers in their recent road games, averaging 82.8 points in their last five games away from home. The current total of 163.5 at FanDuel is a full point lower than at some other books, so grab the over with them.

My Pick: San Diego at Gonzaga o163.5

MORE: TODAY’S COLLEGE HOOPS EXPERT PICKS

Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best college basketball bets, plus what the model is projecting for every NBA, NHL and soccer game this week! Start your free trial today!