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College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (2/28)

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Welcome back to another day of best bets for the College Basketball slate.

Last night was an awesome night of hoops, and I hope everyone was around to watch it. Reed Sheppard put his Kentucky team on his back in a comeback victory, while Nevada hit an insane buzzer to take down Colorado State in an important Mountain West matchup.

It's truly shaping up to be a wild March Madness where anything can happen. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not complaining and am excited for the calendar to turn. Still, it has been a doozy of a season.

Here are my College Basketball best bets for Wednesday's slate.

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Wednesday’s College Basketball Best Bets

Last Time: 1-1 | Season: 46-44

Auburn @ #4 Tennessee

By far the most interesting game on the slate, two SEC goliaths take on each other in Thompson Boiling Arena tonight in Knoxville, Tenn. Both teams are jockeying for SEC title hopes while trying to boost their tournament resumé. A lot is on the line for tonight.

Despite both teams leaning more on their defenses, this should be a spectacular game to watch. Tennessee owns the most difficult rest-of-season strength of schedule, so this seems to be where the season begins for the Volunteers. Two of the conference’s, if not the league's best, in Johni Broome and Dalton Knecht, will be a delight to witness.

Rick Barnes' squad has one of the best interior defenses in the country, ranking in the top-10 defensive shooting percentage for the mid-range and near-proximity look. The Volunteers will force perimeter shots, which isn't exactly Auburn's strength. 

With the Tigers’ athleticism and speed, Bruce Pearl loves to score in transition, throwing line changes at you with the nation’s fifth-highest percentage of bench minutes. What isn't great for them is how Tennessee runs even faster, ranking 13th in quick points off turnovers. 

Despite the speed of both teams, both defensive tempos rank in the bottom 275 in the nation, with Tennessee coming in at 342nd. This means that both squads will force opponents deep into the shot clock and then strike offensively. Considering both defenses play the transition well, and there won't be any easy buckets down low for either squad, I have to lean the under here. Like most teams, Tennessee plays better at home and has the momentum edge. I expect the Volunteers to win and cover, but considering Auburn’s top-ranked interior defense, I feel much safer with committing to fewer points in the game. 

Play: Under 152.5 (-110 via BetMGM)

St. John's @ Butler

Looking at this matchup in the preseason, I didn't expect to be so excited for this game, but here we are. Both squads sit squarely on the bubble, with neither team feeling great about their tournament status. This feels like a do-or-die, must-win game, which elevates the excitement.

What really stands out to me here is St. John's advantage on the glass. With the fifth-best offensive rebounding numbers and top-ranked second-chance conversion percentage, I feel better about Rick Patino's squad, considering they will have plenty of opportunity to score each possession, especially considering the Bulldogs won't force many turnovers. 

These two teams met back right after the New Year, and St. John's handled business with a resounding 86-70 victory. Butler actually never led. The Johnnies did all that while shooting 57% from the charity stripe and 28% from beyond the arc. I know taking a road dog is always risky, but I am willing to roll the dice and trust that St. John's is the better team here.

Play: St. John's +1.5 (-110 via PointsBet)

Northwestern @ Maryland

This is the most exciting game of today's slate... right? Maryland has the definition of a home-court advantage, and the Wildcats don't exactly perform well on the road, ranking outside the top 300 in the away-from-court metric. Both teams play slow, methodical basketball, so taking the under is tempting. Still, Northwestern can shoot the lights out, and Maryland should get to the rack a lot with their ability to draw fouls and capitalize on second looks.

I see this almost as a heat-check game for Northwestern. They shot 45% from deep last game, with Ryan Langborg going 5-9. I think the Ty Berry injury rears its ugly head in this one, and we see how little depth the Wildcats have with foul issues. Maryland should take this one, keeping Northwestern squarely on the bubble.

Play: Maryland -5.0 (-110 via BetRivers Sportsbook)

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

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