Top College Basketball Picks for Monday, February 21 (2022)
As I was doing research for today’s college basketball slate, I started to notice that the regular seasons for most teams are nearing a close. We’ll be betting on conference tournaments in a couple of weeks. This is when college basketball starts to takeover! So follow along as I look to build our bankroll as we finish out the regular season in style.
Compare odds from all major sportsbooks for College Basketball >>
Penn State vs Maryland: Penn State +130
(7:00 p.m. ET)
The Penn State Nittany Lions are currently on a two-game winning streak and are looking to get back to .500 with a win on the road against Maryland. Meanwhile, the Maryland Terrapins have been a hard team to trust this season. Maryland has lost a game to Iowa, allowing 110 points, and also lost a game allowing just 62 points to Purdue.
But with all that said, I like Penn State’s defense to keep Maryland’s offense in check, even on the road. Penn State is holding opponents to a 47.5 percent effective field goal percentage while allowing just 44.7 percent from inside. Maryland’s basically going to have to shoot lights out from three, but it’s Penn State that’s the better three-point shooting team. And the team that shoots more regularly from downtown in the first place.
Bet: Penn State +130 at Caesars Sportsbook
Florida State vs Boston College: Florida State -110
(7:00 p.m. ET)
The Florida State Seminoles are completely banged up. I know this. However, there’s still so much more talent and potential on this Seminoles team in comparison to Boston College.
At this moment, we have no idea if all five former starters will even play in this game, but what we do know is that Boston College is shooting a 46 percent effective field goal percentage while making just 29.5 percent from deep and 46.7 percent from inside.
On the other hand, Florida State is still shooting 34.2 percent from deep and should also get to the foul line at a higher rate. I tried talking myself out of betting Florida State without knowing who was starting, but I mean, Florida State at -110 against a low-tier Boston College team just caught my eye. I know Florida State is technically a low-tier team this year as well, but the talent level and coaching on Florida State is just 100 times better than at Boston College.
Bet: Florida State -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Evansville vs Valparaiso: Valparaiso Over 66.5 Team Total (-115)
(8:00 p.m. ET)
I rarely go with team totals, but I don’t trust Evansville on either side of the ball tonight. The Purple Aces are 2-13 in conference play and just lost to Valparaiso, 72-56, at home. Now tonight, two days later, Valparaiso has a team total of just 66.5, at home, after putting up 72 against Evansville on Saturday.
In that game, Valparaiso shot about 65 percent from inside and nailed over 45 percent of shots from deep (on just 11 attempts.) Valparaiso also had 21 foul shot attempts, but only hit 13. Usually, Valparaiso is much better from the line, as they’ve hit over 75 percent of foul shots this season.
So even with Evansville being a slow offense and Valparaiso taking just 11 attempts from three along with a poor free-throw shooting display, Valparaiso still scored over 66.5 points in that game. I’d like to think Valparaiso can get to at least 70 tonight.
Bet: Valparaiso Over 66.5 Team Total (-115) at WynnBet
Join the BettingPros Discord Chat for Live Betting Advice >>
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Whether you're new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section - including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners - or head to more advanced strategy - like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread - to learn more.
Jason Radowitz is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him @Jason_Radowitz.