NCAA Basketball Best Bets (Feb. 28): No. 1 Duke, No. 5 Houston & No. 6 UConn All In Action

Saturday is a great day for NCAA basketball, with games all day and into the night. Three games feature some of the best teams in the country to get things started at noon (ET). I’ll be focusing on those games in for today’s NCAA basketball best bets post. The cool thing, however, is this: it’s only going to get better from here.

Alright, let’s talk college basketball, starting with the No. 1 team in the nation.

(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)

NCAA Basketball Best Best For February 28

Odds used in making my NCAA basketball bets for Saturday's slate of games across the country can be found at bet365 and DraftKings.

No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 11 Virginia Cavaliers Odds & Prediction

• Spread: Virginia +10.5 at -110 | Duke -10.5 at -110
• Moneyline: Virginia +500 | Duke -700
• TOTAL: O/U 139.5 at -110/-110 (bet365)

It is going to take a heck of a team to knock Duke (26-2, 14-1 ACC) off its pedestal with how the Blue Devils are playing right now. After beating Michigan 68-63 and taking over the No. 1 spot, they could have relaxed against Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish were heavy underdogs, and the Bue Devils could probably beat them without bringing their ‘A’ game. But they made it clear from the start they meant business. A 54-22 halftime lead turned into a 100-56 victory.

Virginia could challenge the top-ranked Blue Devils on Saturday

Th Duke offense is running smoothly and efficiently, and their defense is on point. But Virginia might be a team that can take the Blue Devils down. The Cavaliers are coming in hot as winners of their last nine games. They last played on Tuesday, beating North Carolina State at home, 90-61. So, they’ll have all the confidence in the world and will likely not be phased by the Duke name.

Virginia averages 82 points a game, plays efficiently on both ends of the court, rebounds well, and isn’t reliant on 3-pointers. But it hasn't played a competitive schedule this season; they are 1-1 vs. ranked teams while Duke is 9-1.

• My Pick: Duke -10

I’d like to think the Cavs can give the Blue Devils a fight, and they probably will for the first half. But Duke is playing at such a high level right now that Virginia will not be able to keep up.

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No. 5 Houston Cougars vs. Colorado Buffaloes Odds & Prediction

• Spread: Colorado +18.5 at -110 | Houston -18.5 at -110
• Moneyline: Colorado OFF | Houston OFF
• TOTAL:  O/U 140.5 at -108/-112 (DraftKings)

Colorado (16-12, 6-9 Big 12) may be just what Houston (23-5, 11-4 Big 12) needs right now after three consecutive losses: a team it should beat.

The losses to Iowa State (70-67) and Arizona (73-66) were fairly close, but the third loss, to Kansas, not so much (69-56). The Buffs are not a good defensive team (No. 290 in the country, No. 12 in the Big 12). Houston should be able to create some open looks and get its offense back on track.

Betting the under looks like the smart play Saturday in Houston's matchup with Colorado

Defensively, the Cougars been playing fine. They just needed a little more support on the other end of the court. But Houston still has one of the best defenses in the country. Colorado is not a bad offensive team, but the Cougars should be able to contain it.

• My Pick: UNDER 141.5

Wait — so how come I’m not taking them to win after making the case that they can? Because I want to see the offense pick its game up before I put faith in them to cover an 18.5-point spread. At the same time, I don’t trust Colorado to stay within 18.5 points.

But anytime Houston is playing, I’m going to lean toward taking the UNDER every time.

The NCAA Tournament is quickly approaching, and Ballislife has championship odds plus more NCAA basketball bets on our website.

No. 6 Connecticut Huskies vs. Seton Hall Pirates Odds & Predictions

• Spread: Seton Hall +13.5 at -105 | Connecticut -13.5 at -115
• Moneyline: Seton Hall OFF | Connecticut OFF
• TOTAL: O/U 129.5 at -115/-105 (DraftKings)

This game is a little tricky.

UConn is considered the better team, by far. The record speaks for itself (26-3, 16-2 Big East), and the Huskies have often played their best when it matters most, hence a 6-2 record against ranked teams.

Seton Hall is not a bad team either (19-9, 9-8 Big East). When it played UConn earlier in the season, it overcame a 35-22 first half to make a game of it in the second. The Pirates outscored UConn in the second half 42-34. It wasn’t enough to win, but they certainly made a game out of what appeared to be a blowout (UConn won 69-64).

But then how come UConn opened at -14.5 when the first game was so close?

• My Pick: Seton Hall +13.5

UConn is the better team and could/should win by a healthy margin, but there have been 11 games where the Huskies were favored by double digits and failed to cover.