Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for Duke-Michigan, Arizona-Houston, and More)

Strap in, folks, we have a loaded slate of college basketball games set to take place today, including an unprecedented two matchups between top-four nationally ranked teams. It's as if we're being treated to a Final Four in the middle of February.

That makes today one of the best betting days of the college basketball regular season, so let's go ahead and lock in a few wagers. In this article, I'm going to break down three of my favorites, including my bet for each of the two games involving the top four teams.

Best College Basketball Bets Today

Tennessee +3.5 (-110) vs. Vanderbilt
Arizona +4.5 (-102) vs. Houston
Duke +3.5 (-120) vs. Michigan

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt Prediction

I'm going to back Tennessee as an underdog in this spot. Vanderbilt is going to have a tough test against the elite front court of Tennessee. The Volunteers mainly stick to attacking the interior of their opponent's defense, and that's exactly where Vanderbilt is weak, allowing teams to shoot 48.9% from two-point range.

On top of that, look for rebounding to play a big role in the outcome of this game. Tennessee is the second-best rebounding team in the country, grabbing 59.4% of available boards. Now, they'll face a Vanderbilt that's outside the top 100 in that metric, grabbing 51.5% of boards.

Tennessee has the stylistic advantage in this game, so I'll take the points with the Vols.

Pick: Tennessee +3.5 (-110)

Arizona vs. Houston Prediction

If you're looking to bet on Houston because Koa Peat is likely out of the lineup for Arizona, I would tell you to proceed with caution if the line is still at -5.5 in favor of the Cougars. That spread indicates the betting market already expects Peat to be out of the lineup, leaving little value in betting on Houston.

Instead, the move is to zig instead of zag and take the points with Arizona. Then, you'll be left with a great bet if Peat does suit up, and if he doesn't, you still have a chance to cover with a Wildcats team that boasts plenty of depth.

Overall, Arizona is the far better shooting team, ranking 42nd in effective field goal percentage, compared to Houston at 134th, but Arizona can also match Houston defensively, ranking just one spot behind them in defensive efficiency. The two teams rank fourth and fifth in that metric amongst all college basketball teams.

I'll take the points with Arizona in this must-watch matchup on Saturday.

Pick: Arizona +4.5 (-102)

Michigan vs. Duke Prediction

There is little to separate these two teams. They rank sixth and 13th in effective field goal percentage and first and third in defensive efficiency. They are also two of the best rebounding teams in the country, while mixing up their offensive play by both attacking the interior and shooting the three-ball.

One area of this game that I think could be the difference maker is turnovers, as it's the one potential weakness that Michigan has. The Wolverines turn the ball over on 16.2% of possessions, which ranks 168th in the country. They also do a bad job of forcing turnovers themselves, ranking 213th in opponent turnovers per possession. By comparison, Duke ranks 116th and 68th in those two metrics.

In a game between two of the best teams in the country, if Duke can win the turnover battle, they're going to have a chance to win this game. I'll take the points with the Blue Devils.

Pick: Duke +3.5 (-120)

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