Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for Iowa State/OSU, Tennessee-Alabama, and More)

The bad news is there's no NFL action to watch and bet on today. The good news is we have a loaded slate of college basketball games to dig into.

If you're looking for some bets for today's slate, you're in the right place. In this article, I'm going to break down my three best bets for Saturday's action. Let's dive into them.

Best College Basketball Bets Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Houston -1.5 (+100) vs. Texas Tech
Iowa State -9.5 (-110) vs. Oklahoma State
Tennessee +5.5 (-122) vs. Alabama

Houston vs. Texas Tech Prediction

Houston is too good defensively to not win this game. The Cougars lead the country in defensive efficiency, and they kept Texas Tech to shooting 41% from the floor in their first meeting. What's even more important than their shooting defense is their ability to force turnovers. Houston won the turnover battle at +8 in that game, which ended up being the difference-maker as the Cougars scored 13 points off turnovers.

Unless Texas Tech finds a way to limit its turnovers in the rematch, Houston is going to complete the regular-season sweep.

Pick: Houston -1.5 (+100)

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State Prediction

Iowa State has been fantastic on both sides of the court. The Cyclones rank 11th in effective field goal percentage and sixth in defensive efficiency. Oklahoma State ranks 78th in effective field goal percentage and 125th in defensive efficiency in those two metrics.

I'm going to back the Cyclones today, but it's not just because of those two numbers. Oklahoma State struggles with turnovers, turning the ball over on 16.3% of its possessions, which ranks outside the top 150 in college basketball. Now, the Cowboys have to take on an Iowa State team that ranks fourth in opponent turnovers per possession, forcing turnovers on 22.9% of their opponent's possessions.

That's a bad recipe for Oklahoma State in this game. I'll lay the points with the Cyclones.

Pick: Iowa State -9.5 (-110)

Tennessee vs. Alabama Prediction

The Tennessee defense is going to be the difference-maker in this game. The Volunteers are 25th in defensive efficiency, and even more importantly, they're 34th in opponent three-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 30.1% from three-point range. If they can keep that level of perimeter defense up, they're going to cause the Crimson Tide plenty of fits.

Alabama is not nearly as good on the defense end, ranking 188th in defensive efficiency.

If Alabama had a significant advantage on offense, I'd consider laying the points on them at home, but Tennessee's effective field goal percentage is just 1% lower than Alabama's this season.

Give me the points with the Vols on Saturday night.

Pick: Tennessee +5.5 (-122)

With the latest FanDuel promo code new-user offer, you can place a $5 wager and win $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins. Create your new FanDuel account today to lock in this impressive welcome offer from one of the top sportsbooks in the nation.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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