Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (How to Bet on Miami vs. Virginia in ACC Showdown)
By Reed Wallach
It's a quiet Monday of college hoops, a deep breath after an epic weekend on the hardwood.
All eyes will be on the 'Big Monday' double header between Miami and Virginia as well as Kansas and Kansas State. We have a best bet on the point spread in the ACC matchup as well as a pair of player props to chew on.
Keep reading for our best Monday hoops wagers, but just know that you should sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook to get $200 in bonus bets when you use the link below and win your first wager of $5!
Best College Basketball Bets for Monday, February 5th
- Miami (+6) vs. Virginia
- Nijel Pack OVER 12.5 Points
- Tylor Perry UNDER 14.5 Points
Miami vs. Virginia Prediction and Pick
Virginia is 12-0 straight up and 8-3-1 ATS inside the John Paul Jones Arena this season, but can they get a margin against Miami? Virginia has been dominant on defense, ranking No. 11 in overall efficiency, according to KenPom. Virginia has held four of its six opponents over its winning streak to under 60 points.
Virgini’s defense is No. 22 in effective field goal percentage, No. 22 in turnover percentage, and No. 13 in defending shots from 2-point range. Miami’s defense is ranked just No. 115 and No. 124 in effective field goal range, but the Hurricanes match up well against Virginia’s offense.
The Cavaliers excel in shooting from the perimeter (No. 38) and Miami’s excellent backcourt is No. 28 in defending from beyond the arc. Miami is vulnerable from inside the arc (No. 280), but Virginia is just No. 268 in shooting from 2-point range.
On the opposing end, Miami can attack Virginia’s top-tier defense from the perimeter. The Hurricanes’ offense is No. 44 overall in efficiency with top-40 metrics in shooting, free-throw percentage, and effective field goal percentage. From the perimeter, Virginia’s defense slips to No. 93 in defending the deep ball and Miami makes 9.1 3-pointers per game, which is second in the ACC.
Virginia is at its highest spot after winning six straight, so this number seems a tad inflated. Miami has played well of late and you shouldn’t trust Virginia to pull away playing at the No. 361 tempo in the nation.
Take the points with the Hurricanes. -- Shelby Demer
PICK: Miami +6
Nijel Pack OVER 12.5 Points
As Miami's season hits a critical point, in need of wins in bunches to make the NCAA Tournament, the team is going to its lead guard more and more with Pack's usage way up in ACC play. He has a usage rate of nearly three percent more in league games as well as taking more than three percent of shots.
While the Hurricanes are facing a stingy Virginia defense that plays at a methodical pace, I'm going to side with the guard to get over his point total, something he has done in nine of 11 games.
This is simply a usage play on Pack's point total. -- Reed Wallach
Tylor Perry UNDER 14.5 Points
Perry has a high usage rate this season, and this number is right at his season-long average, but he's simply not efficient enough to trust to get over this total against an elite defensive guard in Dajuan Harris.
The North Texas transfer is shooting only 34% this season, and Kansas' defense has been fantastic at contesting shots all season, 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed this season.
I believe this game can be more of a grind for each offense, and Perry is going to be needed as more of a facilitator as he struggles to shake Harris. I think this is a good sell-high spot after Perry combined to score 42 points in the last two games. -- Reed Wallach
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Track Reed's bets here!