Top 3 College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (2/26)

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The 2024-25 Men’s College Basketball season rolls on with another loaded Wednesday night of games to wager on. Our top men's college basketball bets today feature a marquee Big Ten matchup between Michigan State and Maryland. Plus, we lock in picks for Utah vs. Arizona in the Big 12 and then San Francisco vs. Oregon State in the West Coast Conference.

Note that all betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but shop around for the best odds. Enjoy these college basketball picks and predictions for Wednesday, February 26th.

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NBA DraftKings 2025

Wednesday's Best College Basketball Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Michigan State at Maryland (-3.5) | O/U 150.5 (-110/-110)

The biggest game on tonight's slate takes us to the Big Ten where Maryland hosts Michigan State. Both teams are playing excellent basketball right now as two of the conference's top squads. Picking a side is tough here, but the home favorites have a slight edge. 

Maryland has been on a roll over the past two months. They are 10-2 straight up (SU) over the last 12 games with a pair of one-possession road losses as the only blemishes. The Terrapins boast impressive road wins at Illinois, Nebraska and Indiana in this stretch as well as a home victory versus Wisconsin. They're up to 11th in the NET Rankings, 15th at KenPom and 12th at BartTorvik while emerging as a legit Final Four sleeper. 

The Terps have also been excellent at home. They're 8-0 SU and 6-2 against the spread (ATS) at home during conference play so far. Tonight marks their third straight home contest after beating Iowa and USC by 26 and 17 points, respectively, in the past two. Maryland has covered the spread in four straight home games as well, winning by an average of 15 points per game (PPG). 

Maryland's starting lineup is one of the best and most balanced in the country. All five starters are averaging double-digit points and any of them can be the leading scorer on a given day. Freshman Derik Queen is a projected NBA Draft lottery pick and gives the Terps an ideal frontcourt complement alongside senior Julian Reese. Meanwhile, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice are excellent two-way producers in the backcourt. 

As for Michigan State, this is a potential letdown spot. The Spartans are coming off a big road win at rival Michigan last Friday. The statement victory also pulled Tom Izzo's squad into first place in the Big Ten standings. The Spartans have a marquee matchup at home vs. Wisconsin on deck. It's a tough sandwich spot facing the red-hot Terrapins. 

Michigan State's lack of three-point scoring is bound to cost it against certain opponents. The Spartans are shooting just 29.6% from three this season (348th in Division I) while relying heavily on inside scoring and free throws. 

Maryland is holding conference opponents to a 31.6% three-point shooting percentage and doesn’t foul much. Queen and Reese are both strong rim protectors and defensive rebounders to limit the Spartans' paint scoring as well. The Terps' defensive-minded backcourt can match up with Michigan State's breakout freshman Jace Richardson. 

On the other side, Michigan State's top-tier defense can't be overlooked. Maryland's balanced scoring production and fast offensive pace (24th nationally) can set the tone, though. The Terps are also shooting 38.1% from three in conference play. The Spartans could be overmatched as they prefer to play slow and don't have trustworthy perimeter scoring. 

Pick: Maryland -3.5 (-102)

Utah at Arizona (-15.5) | O/U 152.5 (-110/-110)

Earlier this month, Arizona had an 11-1 start to conference play and looked like a real Big 12 contender. The Wildcats have since lost three of their last four games and desperately need to get back on track before the postseason. This is the prime get-right spot at home with Utah coming to town. 

Arizona should be motivated to win big after suffering a brutal home loss to BYU on Saturday. Arizona probably should have won the game but a phantom foul call with three seconds left ultimately resulted in a one-point loss. BYU also shot 64.7% from the field and 45.2% from three with 14 made three-pointers. Utah won't shoot it nearly as well tonight (more on that soon). 

The Wildcats have a massive road test at Iowa State on deck. This is an ideal bounce-back opportunity with an "easy" opponent visiting. Arizona has dominated the Utes over the years, going 19-4 SU against them since the schools became conference foes in 2012. Utah has never won in Tucson during that span and its last four road trips to Arizona were 19, 26, 18 and 16-point margins.  

Arizona has also responded well after losses ever since Tommy Lloyd took over. They are 19-3 SU and 13-8-1 ATS after a loss in the regular season over the past four years under Lloyd. Backing a big favorite is risky, but Arizona is 6-3 ATS as a double-digit favorite this season. They are also 18-9-1 ATS when favored by 10+ points over the past two regular seasons. 

Utah is having a shaky season at 15-12 overall and 7-9 in conference play. The Utes also just fired head coach Craig Smith after losing to UCF on Sunday. We have to wonder where the players' heads are at amid a coaching change and a lost season. The lack of motivation is a real factor here, especially being on the road. 

Besides that, Utah ranks 12th and 13th in the conference in offensive and defensive efficiency, respectively. It's struggling to shoot from three-point range (207th in Division I) and the free-throw line (361st). The Utes also rank 357th and 285th nationally in offensive block and steal rates. That's not ideal when facing a top-20 defense like Arizona's on the road. 

Utah has struggled a ton on the road already. It's 1-7 ATS on the road this season and 0-3 ATS as a double-digit road underdog. When previously facing other top-tier teams on the road, the Utes lost by 34 at Houston, by 23 at Iowa State and by 25 at Baylor. Arizona should be the next name on that list with a blowout win. 

Pick: Arizona -15.5 (-102)

San Francisco at Oregon State (-2.5) | O/U 142.5 (-110/-110)

If you've been following college basketball betting this season, you know backing Oregon State at home is as profitable as it gets. The Beavers are 14-2 ATS at home this year, covering spreads by 8.1 PPG (fifth-best mark in Division I). They're also 12-1 ATS as home favorites so far. Let's ride that trend again tonight. 

Wayne Tinkle's squad simply raises its game to new heights when playing in Corvallis. The Beavers' home-court advantage is nothing new, by the way. They went 13-4-1 ATS at home in conference play over the previous two seasons while in the Pac-12. Now Oregon State is welcoming West Coast Conference foes into unfamiliar territory. 

Oregon State isn't a projected NCAA Tournament team right now and needs a miracle in the conference tournament to reach the Big Dance. Still, the Beavers have a few qualities that make them dangerous. They're shooting 37.2% from three this season (36th nationally) and boast the sport's ninth-best free-throw shooting percentage. The Beavs also get to the free-throw line at the highest rate in the WCC.

San Francisco is the better overall team than Oregon State by most advanced metrics. Still, it is a tough spot playing a conference newcomer on the road here. Plus, the Dons will host Gonzaga this Saturday and may be looking ahead to that rivalry matchup. San Francisco is also just 1-3-1 ATS as a road underdog this year. 

Oregon State's offense is good enough to hang around and beat good teams with its free-throw ability and three-point scoring, which are both usually elevated at home. When these teams met last month, San Francisco won by 11 points at home. That result deserves some context, though.  

The Beavers went just 1-for-9 from three-point range while San Francisco shot a lights-out 59.1% from deep with 13 made threes. Those numbers could easily be flipped in this rematch, despite San Francisco's strong perimeter defense. The Dons are shooting only 32.7% from deep in conference play and the offense could be slow to get going on the road here. 

Pick: Oregon State -2.5 (-115)