Today’s College Basketball Picks: Spread & Prop Bets for Saturday, March 1st

• It’s a busy college basketball slate for March 1
• Top-seeded Auburn is in action, as are the fourth-ranked Houston Cougars
• Check out the best way to bet on these games below

We’re getting close to the madness, so when picking our favorite bets for the college basketbal Saturday slate, we went to the (literal) top of the charts.

That’s where the top-ranked Auburn Tigers step into Rupp Arena for a date with the battle-tested Kentucky Wildcats. The books can’t be calling a runaway in this one, making it a 4.5-point spread in this SEC matchup.

Meanwhile, over in the Big 12, it’s the 4th-ranked Houston Cougars and that vice-grip defense against the Cincinnati Bearcats, who are a whopping 15.5-point road underdog in the college basketball odds.

Check our best bets below, and enjoy your Saturday viewing.

College Basketball Odds Saturday

All odds as of March 8 from DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings promo code to sign up and tail our picks. 

Auburn vs Kentucky Pick

Life in the Southeast Conference for basketball is about as treacherous as the football side. The top-ranked Tigers have just two losses on the season, but there are enough traps to legitimately drop them out of the top seed in the SEC Tournament.

A team with just a single loss in its last 20, Auburn will be at Kentucky against a Wildcats team that has played seven ranked teams over the last six weeks. They’ve held their own, going 4-3 straight up and against the spread. They won last time out at Oklahoma.

They are one of the teams that can go toe-to-toe offensively with the Tigers, as the Wildcats are second in the conference at 85.6 points per game, while Auburn is at 85.1 per contest.

Auburn breaks away because of its defense, though, which ranks fourth in the SEC allowing just 68.4 points per game. They hold teams to 40.3% from the field and 29.5% from downtown.

Save for their loss to Florida, it’s been a full month since Auburn has had one go down to the wire, with the closest a 7-point decision over Arkansas. It will be spirited one at Rupp, but the beat goes on.

• The Pick: Auburn -4.5 (-115) at DraftKings

AUB vs UK Player Props

Auburn vs Kentucky player props from FanDuel on Feb 28. Claim the current FanDuel bonus code to get a bonus for Saturday’s NCAAM slate.

CBB Prop Pick: Broome Rebounds

Auburn’s senior big man is having a monster year, putting up 18.8 points and 11 rebounds for the top-seeded Tigers.

Johni Broome has been especially great rebounding the ball of late, topping his 12.5 rebound line set for Saturday in three of his last four outings.

Kentucky is not a great rebounding side, ranking 13th out of 16 teams in rebounding in the SEC, giving Broome a chance to do some damage inside on both ends of the court.

The Pick: Broome OVER 12.5 rebounds (-132) at FanDuel

Best Underdog ATS Pick

Let’s wrap with Houston, who is on its way to clinching the Big 12 regular season title, as they host the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Cincy is 17-11 on the year, and are doing it mainly on defense, allowing teams to score just 65 points per game.

That’s usually good enough to top most conferences, but not the Big 12, where Houston is the clubhouse leader, allowing a lowly 57.8 points per game. That’s the top mark in the nation.

During its current 7-game win streak, they have allowed just two teams to hit 65 points, with three of those teams failing to crack 60.

However, none of those victories have cleared the 15.5-point line set for this one. In fact, four games were single-digit results, and only one got to 11 points.

Even though they’re the fourth-lowest scoring team in the Big 12, the Bearcats are still putting up a decent 71.6 points per game, and their largest margin of defeat in the last nine has been 11 points.

Take advantage of the books’ favorable number here and cash in!

The Spread Pick: Cincinnati +15.5 (-110) at DraftKings

As we head into the final stretch of the college basketball season, Saturday, March 1st offers a slate of exciting matchups with plenty of betting opportunities. Whether you’re looking to bet on the spread or dive into some prop bets, there are plenty of options to consider for today’s games.

One of the marquee matchups of the day features a showdown between two top-ranked teams as the Duke Blue Devils take on the North Carolina Tar Heels. Duke comes into this game as a slight favorite, with a spread of -3.5 points. The Blue Devils have been playing well as of late, led by star freshman Zion Williamson, while North Carolina will look to counter with their own talented roster. This game has all the makings of a classic rivalry showdown, and could go either way. If you’re looking to bet on the spread, taking Duke -3.5 might be a safe bet given their recent form.

In terms of prop bets, there are plenty of options to consider for this game. One interesting prop bet to look at is the over/under on total points scored by Zion Williamson. The talented forward has been putting up big numbers all season, and could easily go off for a big game in this matchup. Taking the over on his point total could be a smart play if you believe he will have a big impact on the game.

Another intriguing matchup to keep an eye on is the clash between the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans. Michigan State comes into this game as a slight favorite, with a spread of -2 points. Both teams have been playing well this season, and this game could go down to the wire. If you’re looking to bet on the spread, taking Michigan State -2 might be a good option given their recent form.

When it comes to prop bets for this game, one interesting option to consider is the over/under on total rebounds for Michigan State’s star forward, Nick Ward. Ward has been a dominant force on the boards all season, and could have a big impact in this game. Taking the over on his rebound total could be a smart play if you believe he will control the glass in this matchup.

Overall, Saturday, March 1st offers plenty of betting opportunities for college basketball fans. Whether you’re looking to bet on the spread or dive into some prop bets, there are plenty of options to consider for today’s games. Be sure to do your research and consider all factors before placing your bets, and good luck!