Two ranked teams are on the road on Thursday in college basketball (No. 25 Maryland, No. 14 Memphis), and for the sake of this piece, we're targeting the best betting value.
In fact, our staff has three separate games for their best bets.
So, read below for our college basketball best bets, including three top NCAAB expert picks and predictions for Thursday, February 13.
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 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 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. | ||
Campbell vs. Northeastern
The Camels have looked fantastic, winning seven straight. They’re now tied for third place in the CAA standings.
That said, they're insanely overvalued.
Specifically, their defense is absurdly overvalued.
Campbell boasts among the nation’s worst interior defenses by any available metric. But the Camels have been bailed out by conference opponents shooting 22% from 3 against them — a wholly unsustainable mark.
Take their game against North Carolina A&T on Monday.
The 4-21 Aggies were missing their top two scorers, yet shot over 60% from the interior and led by seven with 10 minutes left. Campbell made a furious comeback but won by just four at home because NC A&T shot 1-for-14 (7%) from 3.
That’s the story of Campbell’s season.
The Camels and their defense are way overdue for a loss, especially after playing the conference’s second-easiest schedule.
I like this spot for them to drop one against Northeastern, which is undervalued after the conference’s most challenging schedule has shot 40% from 3 against it.
The Huskies are due for some positive regression on defense, especially because they’re the league’s best 3-point denial defense (33% 3-point rate allowed, per KenPom). That’s key against a Campbell offense that lives on catch-and-shoot creation.
Meanwhile, the Huskies' interior-based, rim-reliant offense should continually punish Campbell’s lifeless interior defense. Rashad King, Harold Woods and LA Pratt combine to score nearly 24 paint points per game, and the trio should get more in this matchup.
I’m worried that Campbell’s aggressive, press-happy defense will punish Northeastern’s shaky ball-handling, leading to plenty of transition buckets for the Camels.
But Northeastern’s transition defense has looked much better lately.
And I’m willing to take any risk against a Campbell team overdue to drop a game. Honestly, I might be fading the Camels for the foreseeable future.
Pick: Northeastern -4.5
Omaha vs. South Dakota State
Alright, let's have some fun.
Watch this matchup between Omaha and South Dakota State if you're in the mood for a high-energy, fast-paced basketball game where shots are dropping left and right.
We're talking about a game where the point total could easily go over 154, maybe even 156. Omaha has hit this number in five of its past six games, and South Dakota State has done it in three of its past four.
The last time these teams met, Omaha won 87-80.
It's rare for smaller schools to have a significant home-court advantage, but the Jacks of South Dakota State are on another level at home. They have arguably the best low-major home-court advantage out there, averaging a whopping 95 points per game when playing Summit League opponents at home.
So, I'd be surprised if the total score doesn’t hit at least 155.
For some reason, the oddsmakers aren't entirely on the ball with the Summit League totals, especially considering Omaha has been pretty lucky with how teams shoot against it.
Omaha ranks 265th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, with room to drop further down the rankings. The Mavericks have struggled to stop the upper-echelon Summit League teams. Although they got some favorable calls against Oscar Cluff in the last head-to-head matchup, foul trouble limited his effectiveness.
If Cluff sees 30 minutes in the rematch, he could easily drop 30 and 15.
That said, Omaha has firepower, too, with three players who can light it up.
Marquel Sutton has dropped 20-plus points in six of his past eight games. JJ White went off for 25 against Oral Roberts. Tony Osburn is deadly from deep (39%).
The Mavericks have plenty of options to counter what the Jacks throw at them.
Ultimately, it's shaping up to be a shootout between two top teams vying for the Summit auto bid as the conference tournament approaches.
Pick: Over 152.5 (Play to 156)
Maryland vs. Nebraska
Nebraska has been pretty dominant at home all season, but I think the Huskers could be in for some trouble on Thursday against a really good Maryland team.
The Terps are an extremely balanced group, ranking inside the top 25 in KenPom’s efficiency rankings both offensively and defensively.
Beyond that, in Maryland’s last three road games, it's beaten Illinois and Indiana while losing to Ohio State by a single possession.
Kevin Willard’s team has no problem going into hostile environments and has plenty of big-time shotmakers with the likes of Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice.
What’s also important in this specific matchup is the elite ability of true freshman big Derik Queen. Queen is a load on the boards and has an innate ability to score the ball both with his back to the basket and facing defenders up.
I don’t know that the Huskers have an answer for him in the paint.
Nebraska is on track to make a return to the NCAA Tournament, however, and Fred Hoiberg has been getting massive production from Brice Williams all season.
Juwan Gary is a great role player who does a little bit of everything, and Connor Essegian is always capable of getting hot shooting the ball.
But I don’t think it'll be enough tonight.
Maryland is the more talented team and should be ready to pick up a big win on the road. Give me the Terps to win and cover as a small road underdog.
Pick: Maryland +2 (Play to PK)
