Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Take the OVER in Utah vs. Stanford)
Sunday's college basketball slate isn't the biggest slate of games we've seen all week, but there are a handful of intriguing matchups to watch and bet on.
In this article, I'm going to break down my three favorites, including my best bet for a Pac-12 showdown between Utah and Stanford which promises to be a high-scoring affair.
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Best NCAA Basketball Bets Today
- Rutgers vs. Michigan State UNDER 136.5
- Maryland +8.5 vs. Illinois
- Utah vs. Stanford OVER 155.5
Rutgers vs. Michigan State prediction
This Big Ten matchup between Rutgers and Michigan State has a chance to be all defense, no offense. Both teams are amongst the best defensive teams in the nation, with Rutgers ranking 10th in opponent effective field goal percentage and Michigan State coming in at 25th.
One of my favorite stats to look at when handicapping for a total bet is Floor%, which measures the percentage of possessions that result in at least one point being scored. The Scarlett Knights rank near the top of college basketball in opponent Floor%, sporting the fourth-best mark at 41.5%. The Spartans aren't far off them coming in at 30th at 43.5%.
Finally, we have to note how bad of a shooting team Rutgers is, ranking 342nd in college basketball in effective field goal percentage.
All this adds up to this game being a defensive battle. I'll take the UNDER.
Maryland vs. Illinois prediction
Maryland has had some shooting issues when playing on the road this season, but I think its defense is good enough to keep this game closer than the spread indicates. The Terps enter the game ranking 20th in opponent effective field goal percentage and 46th in opponent turnovers per game.
Maryland also does a great job of creating second chance scoring opportunities, ranking 35th in extra scoring chances per game. So, as long as the Terps can not completely melt down in the shooting department, they have the make up of a team that won't get blown out in their losses.
Their record this season reflects that idea as well, with three of their six losses coming by just three points. I'll bet on them to keep it closer vs. Illinois.
Utah vs. Stanford prediction
Sit back and root for points in what should be an offensive affair against two of the better shooting teams in the country. Utah and Stanford enter today's game ranking 31st and 18th respectively in effective field goal percentage.
They also both play at a high pace as well, ranking inside the top 90 in the country in possessions per game. So, expect fast-paced action with plenty of scoring.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!