No. 2 Duke takes the road and there's yet another top-15 SEC showdown on Wednesday in college basketball.
But I'm looking for the best betting value for this piece.
So, here's my college basketball best bets, including three NCAAB predictions and picks for Wednesday, February 4.
(Here's the three picks in a parlay if you choose to approach them that way.)
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. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
  | 11 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. | ||
Louisiana vs. Georgia Southern
Louisiana is in the midst of its worst season in KenPom history and one of its worst seasons in its 54-year Division I history.
Bob Marlin, the Cajuns’ longtime head coach, was fired in December and a smattering of injuries have only made things worse.
And yet, there’s reason to like Louisiana on Wednesday as it travels to a vulnerable Georgia Southern squad sitting one spot behind it in the Sun Belt standings.
The Cajuns have shown a little life lately, downing Texas State on the road and taking conference title contender South Alabama to overtime.
The insertion of Christian Wright back into the starting lineup and the return of reserve point guard Michael Thomas have seemed to spark some energy over the past three contests.
This will be just the fifth time all season Georgia Southern is favored – the Eagles aren’t exactly world beaters.
On the court, Louisiana matches up well with Georgia Southern. The Cajuns are the second-best ball handling team in the Sun Belt, key against a Georgia Southern squad that forces turnovers at a high rate and relies on them to kickstart its transition offense.
Defensively, the Cajuns should be able to force turnovers against an Eagles team that's extremely loose with the ball. Georgia Southern ranks 314th nationally in turnover rate and that issue is ubiquitous throughout the roster.
One of Louisiana’s greatest strengths on defense — aside from pressuring opponents to cough up the rock — is taking away the 3-point line. Georgia Southern ranks third in the Sun Belt in 3-point attempt rate, but it’ll be hard-pressed to get clean looks against the aggressive Cajun perimeter.
Georgia Southern also won’t exploit Louisiana’s tendency to hack and send opponents to the foul line, as the Eagles are last in the league in free throw attempt rate.
Louisiana’s most vulnerable part of its defense this season has been at the rim, but Georgia Southern doesn’t get there, ranking 229th in field goal attempt rate at the rim and 341st in field goal percentage at the rim.
Louisiana is strong where Georgia Southern is strong and weak where Georgia Southern is weak. The Cajuns can hang around on the road and steal one to climb to .500 in conference play.
Pick: Louisiana +6.5 (Play to +5)
Illinois vs. Rutgers
Dylan Harper could be out for this game, so it seems crazy to bet on the Scarlet Knights. However, Steve Pikiell’s bunch has been mighty feisty sans their star point guard, going 2-0 against the spread with wins at Northwestern and a near toppling of Michigan at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Guys have picked up the slack in Harper’s absence – fellow star Ace Bailey dropped 37 on the Wildcats and sophomore Jamichael Davis was immense off the pine against Michigan, scoring 20 points.
The insertion of young blood into the lineup has invigorated Rutgers the past several games, and the Scarlet Knights should be hungry to stay competitive without Harper.
Bailey is a generational talent capable of scoring against any defense, even one as daunting as Illinois’.
The Illini defense will be tough to crack – they don’t allow offensive glass, they take away the 3 at a high rate and they protect the paint.
It'll take individual playmaking for Rutgers to score efficiently, which will rest on Bailey’s shoulders. Davis will look to continue his stellar play as of late, and Jeremiah Williams should be back from illness.
Illinois has a great defense, but it doesn't force turnovers, ranking last in the Big Ten in turnover rate. This means Rutgers should at least get a shot up every time down the floor. Within one of the best home venues in the country, that should give it a chance.
The Illini offense has been slumping lately – Illinois is the worst outside shooting team in the Big Ten and star guard Kasparas Jakucionis is 4-of-26 from deep over the past five games. Slumps can last a long time and often aren’t broken on the road in hostile environments.
Rutgers has a plethora of wing size to continue forcing Illinois to brick shots left and right.
Bets on teams with known injuries are scary, but it’s likely the market overbets Harper’s impact and gives us a juicy number on Rutgers' side. The Scarlet Knights have plenty of talent, size and coaching to hang around on their home floor.
Pick: Rutgers +8.5 (Play to +8)
Wake Forest vs. Stanford
Revenge is on the menu on Wednesday in Palo Alto as Stanford looks to even its series with Wake and stay within arm’s length second place in the ACC.
This game will be ugly. Wake’s offense has been atrocious this season, and going up against one of the biggest teams in the nation in Stanford will do it no favors.
The Demon Deacons can't shoot and have a tendency to over-dribble and hold the ball for no apparent reason in the half-court.
Stanford’s length should bother any perimeter prayers launched from deep, and the Tree’s defensive rebounding ability should ensure Wake is limited to just one shot every time down the floor.
Defensively, Wake has to contend with one of the premier big men in the country: Maxime Raynaud. Stanford plays through Raynaud in the post, and no doubt head coach Kyle Smith will be targeting Wake big Efton Reid III for foul trouble.
Reid is key for Wake – he’s the only true center capable of major minutes and the only player over 6-foot-8 on the roster. If he gets in foul trouble, Raynaud will eat all night long.
Stanford has crushed ACC eastern squads all season at home, defeating Virginia Tech, Virginia, Miami, Florida State and Syracuse in Maples Pavilion and going 4-1 against the spread. Wake should feel every bit of the 2,700 miles it will travel to California.
Stanford guard Jaylen Blakes’ status looms large in this one, but the Cardinal should still be able to win against the punchless Demon Deacons.
Benny Gealer can handle point guard duties, and Blakes being out makes the Cardinal that much bigger. Smith will play lineups where every player clears the 6-foot-5 marker.
Pick: Stanford -2 (Play to -3)
