It’s the final full Saturday of the college basketball regular season, and that means a loaded board with plenty of chances to make some money. Friday ended in a split — nothing special, but at least it wasn’t a losing night. Now the focus shifts to a busy Saturday slate.
I’ve got four bets lined up throughout the day, starting with a noon tip and running all the way into the late-night games. We’ll hit matchups from the ACC to the WAC, featuring teams closing the regular season strong and others already battling in their conference tournaments. Everyone’s chasing a ticket to the Big Dance — our goal is simple: cash in along the way.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
Virginia Tech Hokies +11.5 (-118)
The number feels a bit too high for a rivalry game like this. Virginia Tech already beat Virginia outright as a 5.5-point home underdog on New Year’s Eve and has won and covered three of the last four meetings between the teams. The Hokies have also covered five of their last seven games and are an impressive 9-0 against the spread on the road this season. Amani Hansberry has been a major addition, leading the team in scoring while ranking second in rebounding. Meanwhile, Virginia has struggled at the betting window, going 3-7 against the spread (ATS) in its last 10 games and failing to cover three of its last four at home.
UMass Lowell River Hawks -2.5 (-110)
UMass Lowell has had the edge in this matchup lately, winning six of the last seven meetings with Albany and covering the spread in five of those games. The River Hawks also swept the two regular-season matchups and now meet the Great Danes again in the America East Tournament. UMass Lowell is playing good basketball right now, covering in six of its last seven games. The River Hawks also rank second in the conference in scoring at 74.9 points per game (PPG) and lead the league in rebounding. Meanwhile, Albany has dropped three of its last four games.
Drexel Dragons -4.5 (-110)
Drexel already showed it has the edge in this matchup, beating Northeastern in both regular-season meetings and covering the spread each time. The Dragons also come into the CAA Tournament in good form, winning and covering three of their last four games. Coach Zach Spiker has built this team around strong defense and balance, allowing just 67.1 PPG, the third-best mark in the conference. Northeastern, meanwhile, struggles badly on that end of the floor, giving up more than 81 PPG, the worst in the CAA. The Huskies just covered for the second time in 10 games in their opening-round win and don’t look like a team ready to make a deep run.
California Baptist Lancers -5.5 (-112)
California Baptist is in a good spot to close the regular season strong as it looks to lock up at least the No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament. The Lancers have already beaten Southern Utah twice this season and have won five of the last six meetings between the teams. Defense has been their identity, holding opponents to just 67.4 PPG, the second-best mark in the conference. Dominique Daniels leads the WAC in scoring at 22.2 PPG and has dominated this matchup with 52 combined points in the two meetings this season. Southern Utah struggles on the defensive end, allowing nearly 80 points per game, the worst in the conference. California Baptist has also won and covered its last three games, while the Thunderbirds have dropped seven of their last 10.