Best College Basketball Predictions and Picks Today (Target Alabama on Saturday with This Betting Angle)

Reed Wallach | Feb 22, 2025

Feb 11, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

It’s a triple digit college basketball slate, and there are a handful of high leverage games on the docket. 

With so many games to look over, there are 132 on the slate, let’s focus on some of the biggest that are sure to get a ton of attention. There are teams like SMU that can use a quality home win against Clemson to fortify its NCAA Tournament hopes, but does this matchup set up for a Tigers road win? 

What about the status of Alabama and its high octane offense against Kentucky. Is there a way to bet on the Crimson Tide on Saturday at home after two straight losses? 

Lastly, we’ll close with BYU, who will look to keep up with Arizona on the road in the second meeting between the two teams. 

Best College Basketball Picks Today

• Clemson ML (-128) vs. SMU
• Alabama Team Total OVER 94.5 vs. Kentucky
• BYU (+7) vs. Arizona

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Clemson vs. SMU Prediction and Pick

I like Clemson as road favorites in this one. 

Whether Boopie Miller plays or not the Tigers should have the edge in this one as I trust the team’s transition denial defense to force SMU to operate in the half court against a team that can match its size. 

The Mustangs have been a top four shooting team in ACC play in terms of effective field goal percentage, but the team has really excelled at generating second chances, tops in the league in offensive rebounding rates. However, the Clemson double big lineup may be able to keep the Mustangs rebounding edge minimized and if that’s the case and the Tigers can slow this game down I far prefer the visitors to thrive. 

SMU has not beaten a team inside the KenPom top 50 this season, and Clemson rates as a better team than the 38th ranked Mustangs. Clemson checks in 22nd with comparable 3-point shooting to SMU, each team is shooting 38% from beyond the arc. 

However, its inside the arc with the likes of Viktor Lakhin and Ian Schieffelin around the rim that can be the difference against an SMU defense that is shaky defending the post. 

I’ll pay to see SMU beat an elite team and I’ll play the cheap moneyline on Clemson. 

PICK: Clemson ML (-128)

Kentucky vs. Alabama Prediction and Pick 

Both Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson were practicing in the lead up to the game, but it seems that the two are on the wrong side of questionable heading into this game against Alabama. 

This was already going to be a tricky matchup for the Wildcats, who lost 102-97 at home to the team about a month ago at full strength, and without arguably its two best players, it’ll be even more challenging. 

Both offenses are elite, even with Kentucky being down the likes of Butler and Robinson the last few games the team is still tops in the SEC in effective field goal percentage. However, it’s the Crimson Tide defense that has a gear that the Wildcats don’t have. 

Alabama’s ability to funnel teams to the rim is key against the Kentucky set of wings that are shooting 40% from three-point range on a top four rate in SEC play. The Crimson Tide have the lowest three-point rate allowed in the conference, and with Kentucky potentially down two key ball handlers, the team will struggle creating on the interior against the length of the home favorites. 

Meanwhile, Kentucky’s defense continues to be porous. The team has been torched inside, posting the 166th best near-proximity field goal percentage allowed on the year, which will play right into Alabama’s elite rim-running offense that is engineered by Sears’ creation. 

The spread has been bet up pretty good on the heels of Alabama losing two straight that I believe the natural pivot is to take the Crimson Tide team total over. 

Of course, 95 points is a high number on the surface, but not for Alabama, who has gone over this number in five of 13 SEC games and four of six against those outside the KenPom top 50 in adjusted defensive efficiency, including dropping 102 on Kentucky in the first meeting. 

PICK: Alabama Team Total OVER 94.5 

BYU vs. Arizona Prediction and Pick

This is a rematch from a few weeks back when Arizona won at BYU by double digits. 

While some may expect a repeat from the first matchup, I’m going to back the Cougars to stay within a bloated number against a rim-reliant Wildcats team. 

In the first game, a 85-74 Arizona win, the Wildcats shot 38% from beyond the arc while the sharp shooting Cougars hit on 29% of their attempts. This is a departure from the norm as the ‘Cats are outside the top 300 nationally in three-point percentage and BYU is inside the top 50. 

The Cougars will live with Arizona shooting from the perimeter, and I’m going to bank on some natural regression in this department. BYU allows the 30th highest three-point rate and is a top 10 defensive rebounding team, a tough matchup on paper for Arizona. 

BYU’s offense has had some growing pains at times this season, but this team checks in as the best offense in terms of effective field goal percentage in Big 12 play. It’s big issue has been turnovers, but the Arizona defense is bottom third in the league in turnover rate. 

I’ll take the points in a matchup that suits BYU nicely. 

PICK: BYU +7.5

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