Top 3 College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (2/21)

Image of author by |

The Michigan State Spartans battle the Michigan Wolverines in the only matchup between top-25 teams tonight. Who has the advantage in the in-state rivalry game? Meanwhile, the Villanova Wildcats will look to pull off another upset victory when they host the 16th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles. Finally, the Loyola Chicago Ramblers will host the Dayton Flyers, as they look to avenge a two-point overtime loss from earlier in the season.

Here are the best college basketball picks for Friday, February 21st.

Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>

FanDuel Super Bowl 2025

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Friday’s Best College Basketball Bets

Marquette vs. Villanova

This spread is a bit shocking. The Wildcats are just 15-12 overall and 8-8 in conference play. They've lost back-to-back games by at least seven points and they're about to take on one of the best teams in the country.

The only explanation for this spread is that the Wildcats defeated the St. John's Red Storm 73-71 in their last home game. But that was a letdown spot for a Red Storm team that had won back-to-back games over top-20 teams and had another top-25 matchup on the horizon.

The Golden Eagles have lost their last two road games, but those contests were against St. John's and the Creighton Bluejays. Both of those teams have proven to be considerably better and more consistent than the Wildcats this season. And while the Golden Eagles have been far from dominant on the road this season, they're still 6-4.

Pick: Marquette -1.5 (-110)

Michigan State vs. Michigan

The Wolverines have won six consecutive games entering tonight's contest against the Spartans. While they've managed to escape with victories in each of those contests, they didn't win a single one of those games by more than four points. You have to go back to January 12th to find the last time they beat a team by more than four.

Meanwhile, the Spartans are just 3-3 in their last six, but they're coming off a huge win over the Purdue Boilermakers. Their game against the Wolverines marks their second of four consecutive contests against ranked opponents. 

The Wolverines are favored by 2.5 points, but as I've already pointed out, even when they win, they're not winning by much. Therefore, I don't trust either of these teams against the spread (ATS). Instead, I'll take the over.

The Wolverines are averaging 81.6 points per game, while the Spartans are averaging 79.1. Three consecutive Spartans games have gone under 152.5 points, but these two teams have shown they're willing to play fast. I don't see either winning in blowout fashion, which means both teams will do their share of scoring. 

Pick: Over 151.5 Points (-115)

Dayton vs. Loyola Chicago

When these two teams met in Dayton on January 18th, the Flyers won an overtime thriller 83-81. The Ramblers outshot the Flyers from the field and three-point range in that game, but they turned the ball over 19 times, which ultimately was their undoing in a tight contest.

Despite the Ramblers’ success on the road just over a month ago, they're 2.5-point underdogs in today's contest. That surprises me considering they've won five consecutive home games, including a big nine-point win over the Saint Louis Billikens last Friday.

Playing on the road has been a problem for the Flyers this season. Yes, they've won two consecutive away from home, but they're just 2-4 in road conference games, and they've lost to far inferior teams in those contests. Therefore, I'll back the Ramblers to cover this small spread and potentially pull out the victory.

Pick: Loyola Chicago +2.5 (-110)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:

Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.