NCAA Basketball Best Bets (Feb. 24): Odds & Top Picks Featuring A-10, Big East & MAC teams

Tuesday’s NCAA basketball slate features a variety of conference games with few top-ranked matchups. However, I still see a lot of value across the today's slate. From a bettor’s perspective, I’ve found these are often the best boards to attack compared to loaded slates that the entire country is betting on.

With that in mind, here are our best NCAA basketball bets for Tuesday’s matchups across the Big East, Atlantic-10 and MAC.

(Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

NCAA Basketball Best Bets & Odds for Tuesday, Feb. 24

You can find all odds used in my NCAA basketball predictions at DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and TheScore Bet.

Marquette at Georgetown Prediction

With just a couple of weeks left in the Big East regular season, it's safe to say that this is by far the worst Marquette squad we've seen in over a decade.

Will Marquette Get Its First Road Win?

I was pretty shocked when I saw this line initially and largely because of Marquette's known struggles on the road this year.

The Golden Eagles are struggling at 9-18 overall, 4-12 in the Big East, but notably 0-10 on the road this season. Marquette is led by Nigel James (16.1 PPG, 4.9 APG), but there hasn’t been much consistency outside of him — especially when the team is away from Milwaukee.

Georgetown is Coming Off a Gauntlet

Georgetown has dropped four straight games, but context matters as those losses came against top opponents like UConn, Seton Hall, Villanova, and Butler. While they still have some time to climb the Big East standings and go on a late run, it would very likely require a win tonight to spark one.

Another loss at home would be catastrophic for the Hoyas. It could position them in last place by the end of the week as Marquette is currently in last place and only a game behind them.

With a solid 9-6 record at home and a realistic shot at the five seed at best, we should see a desperate Hoyas team that won't look ahead or down on the Big East's current bottom feeder.

• My Pick: Georgetown -2 (-125 Caesars SportsBook)

Georgetown won its first matchup by nine at Marquette in December. With Georgetown desperate and Marquette winless away from home, this feels like a spot to back it to win this matchup again.

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Already looking ahead to the NCAA Tournament? Ballislife has championship odds plus more March Madness futures bets on our website.

No. 23 Saint Louis at Dayton Prediction

Saint Louis deserves all the credit for what it’s done this season despite playing a relatively manageable schedule compared to some other ranked teams.

Dayton is Solid, but Doesn't Touch Saint Louis

The No. 23 Billikens are 25-2 overall and 13-1 in the A-10, featuring a juggernaut offense that's averaging 90.1 points per game on 51.7% shooting while allowing just 68.1 PPG. They also lead the conference and rank high among the nation's leaders with 19.0 assists and 38.6 rebounds per game.

Dayton is solid at home at 13-2, and its 51st-ranked defense is certainly respectable. But if the last matchup showed us anything, it’s that Saint Louis can handle that unit just fine offensively. The Billikens poured in 102 points in the previous meeting.

Avila Drives this Top-Ranked NCAA Offense

Do-it-all big man Robbie Avila is the engine that makes everything go for Saint Louis.

If you've watched Avila play, you'd know his scoring doesn’t fully capture his impact on the floor even while leading his team with 12.7 PPG.

The veteran Avila is not only one of the best mid-major centers over the years but is arguably the most skilled big man in the country. Similar to Nikola Jokic, he can space the floor, facilitate from the high post, and punish mismatches on the block.

Simply put, the entire offense goes through him, and the results make a lot of sense because Saint Louis has surrounded him with good wing players and shooters.

• My Pick: Saint Louis -2.5 (-115 BetMGM)

With the Billikens at 16-10 ATS this season to boot, they’ve been the more complete team on both ends all year. If you're not comfortable laying the points here, feel free to include their moneyline to boost a parlay.

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Xavier at Providence Prediction

Expect plenty of scoring in what should be a competitive Big East matchup Tuesday night in Rhode Island.

Despite its 12-15 record, don't sleep on Providence as we head down the final stretch of the regular season. They're a battle-tested unit and have played competitively against the conference's best teams, including a win over St. John's and an overtime loss to UConn.

Providence is an Over Machine this Year

When you look at Providence's metrics this season, it isn't surprising that the Friars play in a lot of shootouts. According to KenPom analytics, they're ranked 28th nationally in offensive efficiency but just 190th defensively. Their offensive ranking becomes even more impressive considering they've faced the eighth-best collective defense in the country.

However, what really puts the nail in the coffin on this point is the Friar's willingness to push in transition. Providence ranks 18th in the country in adjusted tempo, which has been a significant shift from the slower-paced teams Ed Cooley has coached in the past.

History and fouls point to another high total

The first meeting between these teams totaled 181 points in a 97-84 Xavier win.

Finally, Providence commits a sky-high 19.3 fouls per game and shoots 76.4% from the line — both factors that will stop the clock and help the over.

• My Pick: Over 170.5 (-110 BetMGM)

This shapes up as another wide-open, offense-first matchup with both teams sitting at 5-11 in the Big East and Providence at home this time.

Buffalo at Akron Prediction

Both of these MAC teams profile as "over" teams, even if their metrics show they get high-scoring results for different reasons.

Buffalo’s defense invites points

There are a couple of different ways teams could be considered "over" squads: they could either play at a fast pace to increase the overall amount of possessions both teams have, they could simply be a very efficient offense, or they could just be so bad defensively that neither of the first two things matters.

So although Buffalo plays at a slower pace, its defense ranks near the bottom of the country allowing 75.0 PPG and sitting around the 290th range, nationally, in defensive efficiency.

These glaring defensive issues seem to get exposed more away from home as the over has hit in five of the Bulls’ last six road games.

Akron will dictate the tempo

Meanwhile, Akron is balling at 22-5 overall and 13-1 in the MAC, pouring in 89.4 PPG while being considered a top 50 offense in efficiency according to KenPom. Notably, the Zips can also take control of the glass at 38.0 rebounds per game and have won 10 straight against Buffalo.

• My Pick: Over 157.5 (-112 DraftKings)

Expect the Zips to score relentlessly while controlling the game with a quick tempo to allow Buffalo enough possessions to contribute enough toward the over.