Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for St. John's-UConn, Nebraska-Maryland, and More)

The Daily Dunk came back with a vengeance on Tuesday, pulling off the 3-0 sweep by cashing in on Minnesota, Missouri, and Iowa State all to cover.

We have a solid slate of games ahead of us on Thursday with eight ranked teams in action. Let's dive into my best bets for three of them.

Best College Basketball Bets Today

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

UConn -5.5 (-110) vs. St. John's
Nebraska -17 (-110) vs. Maryland
Mississippi State +14.5 (-110) vs. Alabama

Betting $100 Every Day for a Year: Day 52

$25: Nebraska -17.5 (-105)
$25: Mississippi State +14.5 (-115)
$25: UConn -5.5 (-110)
$25: Ohio State +7 (-110)

Yesterday: 3-1 (+$32.4)
YTD: 93-106-1 (-$49.27) pic.twitter.com/m89vhZYA2A
— Iain MacMillan (@IainMacBets) February 25, 2026

St. John's vs. UConn Prediction

Don't be quick to bet St. John's in tonight's Big East duel just because the Red Storm got the better of UConn in the first meeting between these two teams. There's still plenty of evidence that the Huskies should have the advantage tonight, especially playing on their home court.

I'm not convinced that St. John's shooting is good enough to be able to hang with UConn for a second straight game. The Red Storm rank just 168th in the country in effective field goal percentage, while the Huskies rank 24th. Defensively, UConn ranks just one spot below St. John's in defensive efficiency. The two teams come into this game ranked 18th and 19th in that metric.

Not only can UConn match the defensive prowess of St. John's, but the interior of the Huskies' defense is its strength, ranking 14th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shoot 45.9% from two-point range. That will match up well with whats St. John's does offensively.

With all of that in mind, I'll lay the points with UConn in tonight's marquee rematch.

Pick: UConn -5.5 (-110)

Maryland vs. Nebraska Prediction

I'm going to jump at the chance to fade Maryland in any spot that makes sense, and tonight is one of those areas. Maryland is one of the worst power conference teams in the country this season, ranking outside the top 300 in both effective field goal percentage and defensive efficiency. Nebraska, by comparison, ranks 25th and 13th in those two metrics.

Both teams rank inside the top 50 in three-point shot rate, but Nebraska ranks in the top 10 in perimeter defense while the Terps rank 347th, allowing teams to shoot 37.5% from beyond the arc.

This game has all the signs of a blowout in favor of the Cornhuskers.

Pick: Nebraska -17 (-110)

Mississippi State vs. Alabama Prediction

I'm not convinced Alabama is as good of a team as its record and ranking indicate. Mississippi State, which has a record of 13-14, isn't far off in many metrics. Alabama is undoubtadly the better shooting team, but the Crimson Tide ranks just 234th in defensive efficiency, only two spots ahead of the Bulldogs at 236th.

No team shoots the 3-ball at a higher rate than Alabama, but that feeds right into Mississippi State's defensive strength. The Bulldogs rank 58th in opponent three-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot just 31.7% from beyond the arc.

Give me the 14.5 points with the Bulldogs.

Pick: Mississippi State +14.5 (-110)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!