We have two ranked teams in action on Thursday in college basketball, but the slate is thin on high-quality matchups otherwise.
That doesn't mean there isn't betting value in the sport, though.
So, read below for our college basketball best bets and odds, including three picks and predictions for Thursday, February 27.
(There's an option to parlay two of these picks, even though that's not our official recommendation.)
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. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
| 9 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. | ||
Detroit vs. Green Bay
By Sean Paul
Can anyone really justify Green Bay as a favorite over anybody in the Horizon League? I certainly can’t get there.
KenPom has the Titans ranked No. 334 in KenPom and Green Bay No. 333.
So, it’s a real matchup of two bad teams, but one team — Detroit Mercy — has shown some bright moments. Meanwhile, Green Bay's only bright moment is beating Wright State.
From a matchup standpoint, I’m looking at a few variables. Detroit Mercy’s length should be a real problem for Green Bay on the offensive glass. The Titans record offensive boards at a 31% clip, while Green Bay lacks a true interior presence, leading to ugly rebounding numbers.
The other is Detroit Mercy’s ability to limit teams from downtown. Green Bay shoots 3s at a high clip (47% of shots), and Detroit holds foes to 32% from deep.
I’m expecting the Titans to hold the Phoenix down from deep and bury them on the interior with Ryan Kalambay and Legend Geeter.
Plus, keep an eye on Orlando Lovejoy. The junior guard is the best player on the floor.
Pick: Detroit +3.5 (Play to +2)
Rutgers vs. Michigan
Let's just keep it simple: Rutgers is 5-2-1 in its last eight games against the spread as an underdog with Dylan Harper in the lineup. He's fully back to his upside that he showed earlier in the year, which was a top-five pick in this summer’s NBA draft.
He just dropped 25 points on USC and 34 points on Washington, and the Scarlet Knights won both games outright.
I like Rutgers defensively, too. In the first matchup with Michigan, the Scarlet Knights held the Wolverines to 66 points, but more critically, zero points off the Danny Wolf-to-Vlad Golden pick-and-rolls.
That's what the Scarlet Knights essentially did with their film work. They said, “We're going to take this play away, beat us anywhere else on the court.”
Michigan mustered only 66 points in that matchup.
I also see a mini-slump that the Wolverines are in on the offensive end — 62 against Sparty and 49 in their win against the Cornhuskers.
So, I think this is the perfect time to take the points, especially north of 10. I'd probably play it down to Rutgers +9.
I think there's a shot that the Scarlet Knights shock the Wolverines if they get a monster game from Harper, who didn’t play in the first outing between these two.
Pick: Rutgers +9.5 (Play to +9)
Rutgers vs. Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Thursday night.
Michigan enters this contest with a record of 21-6 and a ranking of 15th in the nation.
Goldin leads the Wolverines with 15.6 points per game.
On the other side, Rutgers has posted a record of 14-14. The season has been disappointing for the Scarlet Knights, who started the year ranked 25th in the nation.
Harper leads the team with 19.4 points per game. However, with a 9-1 run on player prop unders in college basketball, I see value on his under.
The pace of this game will favor this prop, as possessions will be at a premium.
Michigan ranks 101st in points allowed per game (70.2) and is coming off a win in which it gave up just 46 points to Nebraska on Monday.
Wolverines head coach Dusty May will have a strong game plan to slow down Harper and take the ball out of his hands as a scorer.
Pick: Dylan Harper Under 18.5 Points (Play to 17.5)
