Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for Michigan-Illinois, Yale-Cornell, and More)

Bring out the brooms! We pulled off a 3-0 sweep in yesterday's edition of Daily Dunk, cashing in on Michigan State, Wichita State, and UC Irvine.

Let's use carry that momentum into today's slate of games so try to boost our bankroll ahead of the weekend. As always, I have three bets I love for tonight, including one on the Big Ten showdown between Michigan and Illinois. Let's dive into them.

Best College Basketball Bets Today

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Cornell +4.5 (-110) vs. Yale
George Washington -3.5 (-110) vs. Dayton
Michigan -1.5 (-110) vs. Illinois

Betting $100 Every Day for a Year: Day 54

$10: Jaeger +180 vs. Thompson/Simpson
$30: Cornell +3.5 (-102)
$30: George Washington -3.5 (-110)
$30: Michigan -2 (-110)

Yesterday: 2-2 (+$8.50)
YTD: 96-111-1 (-$93.04) pic.twitter.com/U5n9hLcvue
— Iain MacMillan (@IainMacBets) February 27, 2026

Yale vs. Cornell Prediction

Despite Yale sporting the much better record, I actually think Cornell is the side to back as a home underdog tonight. The Big Red is one of the best shooting teams in the country, let alone the Ivy League. They rank 10th in all of college basketball in effective field goal percentage, whereas Yale ranks 23rd.

Where Cornell struggles is defensively, ranking near the bottom in defensive efficiency. I'm going to hope their shooting, specifically their three-point shooting, is going to be enough to keep this game close. It's worth noting that Cornell ranks in the top 20 in three-point shot rate, but Yale ranks 248th in opponent three-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 35.3% from beyond the arc.

I'll take the points with Cornell.

Pick: Cornell +4.5 (-110)

Dayton vs. George Washington Prediction

These two teams may have very different records, but George Washington clears Dayton in several statistics. For starters, the Revolutionaries rank 34th in effective field goal percentage at 55.4%, including a 59.1% on their home court. By comparison, Dayton ranks 148th in that metric at 52%, including a 49.7% when playing on the road.

Not only that, but George Washington has a stylistic advantage as well. 46.7% of the Revolutionaries' shots come from three-point range, which ranks 36th in the country. Now, they get to face a Dayton team that has done a terrible job of defending the perimeter this season, allowing teams to shoot 36.1% from three-point range.

George Washington is going to get the ball to drop from three-point range on their way to winning and covering the spread.

Pick: George Washington -3.5 (-110)

Michigan vs. Illinois Prediction

Illinois has one of the highest 3-point shot rates in the country, which means it's important to take a look at how its opponent does in defending the perimeter. Unfortunately for them, Michigan has one of the best perimeter defenses in the country, allowing teams to shoot just 29.5% from beyond the arc, which is the best mark amongst all power conference teams. That's going to lead to a tough challenge for the Illinois offense.

I also have some concerns about the defensive ability of Illinois. The Fighting Illini rank just 71st in defensive efficiency, far worse than Michigan, which comes in ranked third.

I'm surprised this spread isn't bigger in favor of Michigan. I'll back the Wolverines as road favorites.

Pick: Michigan -1.5 (-110)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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