NCAA Basketball Picks Today: Free College Basketball Picks & Predictions

Do you know why some expert sports bettors prefer to lay wagers on the NCAA basketball season than most other sports?

If you keep reading this article, we’ll tell you exactly why – as well as other insights, analyses, and free NCAA basketball picks to help you make better gambling decisions when it comes to college basketball teams.

So, whether you want to sharpen up your betting techniques or you’re just looking for the latest college basketball picks, we’ve got you covered.

Ready for the tip-off?

Best NCAA Basketball Picks Today

Looking for the best college basketball bets for Thursday, February 23? As soon as the sportsbooks released their odds, our experts got to work to find the most valuable ones for you.

Illinois (-5.5) over #21 Northwestern (+195) @ Bovada

The Wildcats are possibly the hottest team in the country right now, coming off of huge upsets against Purdue and Indiana, as well as a 20-point throttling of Iowa. In fact, Northwestern is 5-0 ATS against ranked opponents this season, a truly remarkable stat for this once-moribund program.

If only the Illini were still ranked. 

While now sitting outside the top 25, this Illinois squad is still a formidable opponent. They’re 64.3% ATS as a home favorite, and 13-4 ATS after three days’ rest. 

The Illini also have a solid resume (albeit with quite a few blemishes), boasting wins over the likes of UCLA, Texas, and Rutgers. They have more work to do to improve their standing for March, though, and with a tough game at Purdue looming, they know that finishing the season 4-1 will look a lot better than 3-2 (or worse).

San Diego at #12 Gonzaga OVER 165 @ BetOnline

We’re tempted to take the Zags at -23 here as well, but it’s not quite as juicy as the over/under in this one. 

Regardless of which team ends up on top, these are two squads that know how to fill up the stat line. San Diego has hit the over in 19 of their 26 eligible games this season, while the Zags have done the same 16 out of 27 times (including their last five in a row).

Gonzaga’s defense hasn’t been up to snuff this season, either, allowing just over 74 points per game — which is less than the 77 the Toreros are averaging. San Diego, on the other hand, is giving up 80 points each contest — less than the 87 the Zags put up on average.

If both of these teams just play an average game, they should eclipse the over pretty handily. 

Michigan at Rutgers UNDER 134 @ BetOnline

134 points might seem like a low bar for two teams to clear, especially in today’s world of three-point basketball. Usually those two teams aren’t Michigan and Rutgers, though.

The Wolverines have hit the over only 33.3% of the time as a road dog, and this Rutgers team is adept at turning any game into a rock fight. 

The Scarlet Knights, meanwhile, have only hit the over 40.7% of the time this season — and only two of their last six games have gone over 134 points (and just barely at that, with 135.5 against Indiana and 134.5 against Illinois, both on the road).

Rutgers has always had a stingy defense, but they’ve really clamped down in conference play. We don’t think this Michigan team has the firepower to hit the over in this one.

Where to Bet On NCAA Basketball

• BetOnline: Best overall
• Bovada: Best for live betting
• MyBookie: Top pick for prop bets
• SportsBetting.AG: Best crypto bonuses
• Everygame: Best bonuses

How to Bet On College Basketball Online

Here’s a quick guide to registering as a new player at BetOnline.

Step 1 – Register at BetOnline

• Fill out your details
• Wait for a validation link to arrive 

Step 2 – Validate your account

• Check your email inbox for the validation link
• If it’s not there, check your spam box
• Once you’ve located it, click the link to complete the account validation

Step 3 – Deposit and bet

• Deposit using your chosen payment method
• Opt-in for BetOnline’s 50% up to $1,000 bonus if you wish
• Navigate to the Basketball section and choose ‘NCAA’
• Fire up your bets!

College Basketball Bets Explained

Moneyline

This is the most popular online bet that exists in American sports – not just for NCAA basketball picks, but for sports betting picks in general.

The moneyline is simply another term for a ‘straight win’ bet. You’re placing a bet on a team, in this case, a college basketball one, to win.

The moneyline is represented by a plus or minus sign. The plus sign is associated with underdogs, while the minus sign is reserved for the favorites.

Evens is expressed via -100 or +100. We don’t know why. Surely just ‘100’ would suffice. But we don’t make the rules. We simply explain them.

ATS

ATS is an acronym that stands for ‘Against the Spread’. This is a bet that is made against the bookmakers’ moneyline.

For example, if you were betting on the Texas Longhorns vs the Duke Blue Devils, and the bookmaker had Duke as the favorite but also offered a +6.5 on Texas, betting against the spread would be taking Texas at +6.5.

In this scenario, you’d win the bet if Texas won by any margin or lost by fewer than 7 points. You’d also win morally for not betting on Duke or supporting them in any given way, shape, or form.

Over/Unders

Over and under betting is a wager on a pre-agreed value before the game and whether the said value is exceeded or falls short.

The most popular form of this type of bet is ‘total points’. This is when you bet on whether the total points in a college basketball game will exceed a certain amount or fall below.

You can also bet over and under on specific player stats, which are also known as player props. That leads us neatly into our next section.

Props

A prop bet is an event or statistic that is independent of the outcome of a game. Many players make player prop bets, such as Yuri Collins to register over 8.5 assists in a game – which would be a great bet right now!

You may also see there is such a thing as novelty prop bets. This can be something as insane as how long the national anthem will be before the national championship game and is not something you can typically research.

Futures

A futures bet is pretty self-explanatory. It’s essentially making a bet on an event that is set to take place in the future – and not on the day the bet is placed.

In most NCAA basketball sections in bookmakers, you may find futures bets for the final four or the eventual championship winner.

In fact, we’d say that’s where most bettors’ familiarity with futures comes from – betting on the eventual championship winners at the end of the postseason.

Parlays

The parlay can be a lucrative beast in the hands of the right bettor. The premise is simple, choose two or more selections in one bet slip and combine them for greater odds.

To win a parlay, all the selections you’ve chosen must settle as a win. For example, if you bet the moneyline on Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, and Miami Hurricanes, but only two of those teams win? The bet will settle as a loss.

To summarize, the parlay is a high-risk, high-reward bet. It’s shot up in popularity considerably in recent years, with same-game parlays becoming a regular staple in the online betting world.

A same-game parlay mixes bets from one game as opposed to several different events. If you’re making one for a college basketball game, it might look something like this:

• Alabama vs Marquette
• Alabama to win
• Brandon Miller to record over 18 points
• Tyler Kolek to register over 6.5 assists

Live Bets

Live betting is another self-explanatory term. Instead of making a wager on an imminent event or match, instead, you are betting on live, real-time action as it unfolds.

There is often good value to be found in live betting, especially when it comes to college basketball, where the action results in big swings.

Seasoned punters may make decisions to back teams when they are down, with the expectation they make a comeback to win the game.

There may also be an opportunity to exploit a player who is showing signs of getting hot by betting on the next bucket made or a specific player’s total points, assists, or rebounds.

Why Bet on College Basketball?

Less Time Between Games

You may have noticed, but the college basketball schedule is jam-packed. You have wall-to-wall games, sometimes seven days a week. What does that mean for you?

Generally speaking, it means the lines aren’t as sharp as in other sports. Less time in between games means less time to properly analyze teams and ensure the odds are up to snuff.

That’s where a dedicated college basketball fan such as yourself may be able to read between the lines and find some much-coveted value.

As we’ve said, the college basketball schedule is more exploitable for bettors. But not just for the reasons we’ve mentioned above.

There’s nobody more biased than somebody who supports their alma mater. If you mix a bit of that with some hometown pride, you’ve got a potent combination of delusion.

While the general public concentrates on betting with their feelings and loyalty, you can bet with your head.

Live Betting Presents More Opportunities

A wise man once said basketball is a game of runs. No, he wasn’t drunk and mistakenly talking about baseball. He was talking about basketball’s eternal pendulum swing.

Tom Thibs, who is also a wise man, said that if you can get a basketball game within 10 points – anything can happen. Do you see what we’re getting at here?

Teams will go on big scoring runs and get hot before eventually hitting a brick wall. Then the other team will take over. Using a live betting platform and your own knowledge, you can successfully predict and back these outcomes.

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College Basketball Betting Strategies

Nothing is Foolproof

The first strategy to master when it comes to college basketball is accepting there is no surefire strategy for betting on college basketball.

Just know that if any websites out there offer you foolproof betting strategies on college basketball, they’re most likely lying.

Make Multiple Online Betting Accounts

As we said, there are no foolproof strategies out there. However, there are certain tips you can utilize to get ahead though, and this is one of them.

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t have an account at every betting site that will take you. Not only will they have lucrative sign-up offers you can use, but each will have different strengths and weaknesses you can use.

While there are undoubtedly some betting sites that are superior to others (hello there, BetOnline), it’s still worth your while to register with other bookmakers so that you can compare the odds between them. It costs nothing and only benefits you.

Utilize Bonuses

Let’s talk about one of the aforementioned benefits of registering at multiple betting websites. We’re talking about bonuses, of course. Promotions, if you’d prefer.

Bonuses and promotions can unlock edges that may otherwise not exist on a regular day-to-day basis. One such example of this is odds boosts.

Although no odds boosts are arbitrarily decided, every now and then, you’ll be able to find good value. Furthermore, some bonuses will even allow you to decide which exact odds you’d like to boost yourself – which is even better.

The most lucrative promotions you’re likely to find are welcome bonuses. This is because they’re the ones that get you over the line and registered to begin with.

You’ll often find that after registering, you can start betting with some extra money on top of your deposit, with some notable terms and conditions, of course.

Go Shopping for Lines

In the digital age of betting online, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be shopping around for the best odds on your college basketball matchups.

You’ll find that a lot of the time, there are relatively minor differences, but occasionally, you’ll notice a discrepancy that’s worth taking advantage of.

You can take advantage of promotions this way, too. For example, one bookmaker might be offering boosted odds on a specific March Madness match-up that you’ve had your eye on.

Knowledge is Power

The key to long-term profit in any sport is knowledge. We’re not saying you have to be a college basketball expert, but it absolutely pays to be ahead of the curve.

With that in mind, make sure you research line-ups, keep up to date with injury news and analyze any betting trends that you think are worth taking a look at.

Remember, you’re always looking for an edge. An edge is what opens you up to value. Value is what you need to make a good bet.

Even if you occasionally lose, which will certainly happen, if you’re only taking on good value wagers, it’ll absolutely pay off in the long run.

Be a Specialist

There are way too many teams out there for anyone to be an expert on all of them — and sometimes, that even extends to Vegas. 

Rather than trying to bet on different teams every day, pick a few to specialize in. Follow them. Watch their games. Track their stats and trends. 

Over time, you’ll know those teams like the back of your hand — and you’ll likely be able to spot a wonky line from a mile away.

Think Outside the Top 25

The majority of the betting public sticks to the top-ranked teams, as well as a few blue bloods that might be down on their luck. It’s usually easy to familiarize yourself with these teams, as they’re on ESPN seemingly every other night.

However, all that exposure means that more people will have a bead on those teams, making it harder to find value in their lines.

If you explore further down the scoreboard, you might find some less-popular teams that offer a ton of juicy betting opportunities. For example, if you look at the current top teams’ ATS in Division 1, you’ll see names like Pitt, Utah Valley State, and Stetson — not exactly programs full of bandwagon fans.

That’s good news for you, though, and bad news for all the others who’ve spent all their time watching Duke and Kentucky. 

Pick Your Poison

The modern game has trended towards favoring 3-point-heavy teams, and you’ll find squads that specialize in the long ball all over the rankings. However, there are also more traditional teams out there, ones that prefer to make their hay by pounding it to their big men inside.

So which is better? That’s up to you — but understand that teams that rely on the 3-pointer are much more prone to variance than pound-it-in-the-paint teams. 

Some bettors are fine riding the wave with sharpshooting squads, but if you don’t have the stomach for wild swings, then think about picking a few favorites that play things closer to the hoop.

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Guide to College Basketball Betting

Is it safe to bet on college basketball?

Yes, it’s completely safe to bet on college basketball. However, we do recommend doing due diligence on the websites you are signing up for if you’ve not seen them previously vetted or mentioned here.

We ultimately recommend that all bettors sign up with BetOnline, as this sportsbook usually features the highest odds among online sports betting sites.

Can I make money betting on college basketball?

Yes, you can win money betting on college basketball if your predictions are correct. You can also lose money betting on college basketball. That is the nature of gambling. If you understand that, you’ll go far.

What is the best site for college basketball predictions?

There is no definitive number-one website for college basketball picks. You will find different sites have different hit rates on picks depending on the season and who is providing the analysis.

Who is number one in NCAA basketball?

The number one team in NCAA basketball can change every week. If you plan on betting on or against the top team, it’s smart to check the AP rankings when they’re released every Monday during the season.

Where can I find college basketball computer picks?

College basketball computer picks are available from a number of websites, usually behind paywalls. You don’t need them, though. The best bet you can make is by analyzing and researching yourself.

Get Ready to Make Your College Basketball Picks

So, what’ll it be? Are you taking the moneyline for Kansas Jayhawks or betting against the spread for the Texas Longhorns?

Have you got Kentucky Wildcats making a splash in the Monday night game, or do you like Wake Forest?

However you decide to make a bet on your college basketball matchup, we hope this article has enriched you with a sufficient amount of knowledge to find the best value picks available.

Remember to check out BetOnline if you’re looking for an excellent online platform to lock in your bets on college basketball action.

We’ll sign off with our golden rules – have fun, gamble responsibly, and never bet on Duke.

DISCLAIMER: Online gambling comes with risks. There’s no guarantee of financial gain, so you should only gamble with what you can afford to lose. All information on this site is for entertainment purposes only.

While gambling can be fun, it can also be addictive. If you or anyone you know suffer from a gambling addiction problem, we recommend that you call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 to speak with an advisor. Please remember that our guides and all gambling sites are only for people who are 18+. Also, check with local laws to find out if online gambling is legal in your area.