The 2025-26 college basketball season is in full swing, and we’re here to help you cash in on the action. Let’s dive into the top college basketball best bets today for Saturday, February 14th. We have multiple Top 25 teams on the schedule with plenty of intriguing matchups. Don’t miss out on the best college basketball picks below as you cash your own bets. Note that all odds are accurate as of this writing, but are always subject to change. Good luck! 

 

College Basketball Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 2/14

Our college basketball best bets today begin with an ACC matchup between NC State and Miami (FL). Plus, we focus on a Big 12 battle as No. 1 Arizona hosts No. 16 Texas Tech. Check out more college basketball predictions below for other games today, including Purdue vs. Iowa and Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara. Let’s jump in.  

Miami FL vs. NC State Prediction: Saturday, 2/14

Miami (FL) and North Carolina State experienced vastly different results in their latest games. NC State suffered an ugly 41-point road loss to Louisville this past Monday. Meanwhile, Miami pulled off a wire-to-wire home upset over No. 11 UNC with a subsequent court storming. 

Let’s count on the Wolfpack to bounce back at home after that blowout loss. At the same time, we can fade the Hurricanes on the road in a classic letdown spot following a big win. NC State also owns multiple matchup advantages that can help it cruise to a win while covering the spread. 

First off, NC State has responded well after losing this season. The Wolfpack are 5-1 following a loss, including 3-0 after a loss of 10+ points. Head coach Will Wade’s teams are also now 13-2 after a loss over the past 3 seasons combined, which includes his time with McNeese. He’s shown a proven pattern of getting his guys back on track. 

NC State should be motivated to right the ship after such an embarrassing loss to a fellow top team in the ACC. The Wolfpack had previously won 6 straight games and 8 of their last 9 before Monday’s blowout. That stretch included a pair of impressive road wins at Clemson and SMU, as well as comfortable double-digit victories over lower-tier teams like Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Florida State. 

As for Miami, before the win over UNC, it previously struggled against tough competition. The Hurricanes had only faced one other team in the top half of the ACC, and it was a 10-point road loss at Clemson. In their two other harder games this season, the ‘Canes lost by double digits against both Florida and BYU as well. 

When looking at this game specifically, it’s a bad matchup for Miami on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Hurricanes lean heavily on their interior scoring. They rank 11th nationally and 1st in the ACC in terms of percentage of total points coming from two-point range. They’re also shooting a poor 30.3% on three-pointers in conference play, while ranking 345th in the country in percentage of total points from three-point range. 

Well, NC State’s defense forces opponents to the perimeter while severely limiting scoring inside. The Wolfpack rank top 20 in the sport in two-point scoring distribution, and bottom 20 in allowing three-pointers. Miami’s interior-focused offense will have issues against this style of defense, and it doesn’t have the outside shooting to exploit NC State’s woes from deep.

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack can lean on its own three-point scoring offensively to build a lead. NC State is shooting a lights-out 39.5% from three this season (7th in the country), including 40.0% during conference play. That bodes well against a Miami defense that ranks 237th nationally in opposing three-point shooting percentage, while allowing ACC teams to shoot 36.7% from deep (15th in conference).

NC State’s offense can set the tone and stretch out a lead if it gets going from three. It also helps that the Wolfpack avoid turnovers at the 13th-best rate in college basketball, while ranking 21st nationally in offensive efficiency (per KenPom). 

PICK: NC State -5.5 (-120 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

 

Texas Tech vs. Arizona Prediction: Saturday, 2/14

College Gameday will be in Tucscon on Saturday as Arizona hosts Texas Tech in a marquee Big 12 matchup. The 23-1 Wildcats lost their first game of the season on Monday, falling 82-78 at Kansas. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders are 18-6 overall and 8-3 in conference play thus far. 

Arizona should be primed and ready to bounce back after losing earlier this week. As noted, it’s the Wildcats’ first blemish on the year. They previously had won their first 23 games by an average of 21.7 PPG. 

Responding after a loss is what Arizona does best. During head coach Tommy Lloyd’s tenure, the Wildcats are 26-3 straight up and 19-10 ATS after a loss. That includes a 9-3 SU/8-4 ATS mark last year. Lloyd knows how to get his team back on track in these spots.

That last loss at Kansas is perfectly understandable. Arizona was likely bound to fall at some point, and Allen Fieldhouse is arguably the toughest road environment in the sport. Plus, the Jayhawks have looked like one of the best teams in the country over the last month, while currently riding an 8-game win streak. 

As for this matchup, Arizona holds some key edges on both ends of the floor. The Wildcats boast one of the top offenses in college basketball, ranking 8th nationally in offensive efficiency while averaging 88.8 PPG (11th). They can especially dominate the interior and own the offensive paint against Texas Tech. 

Arizona scores inside at the 5th-highest rate in the country, while leading the Big 12 in two-point shooting percentage during conference play. The ‘Cats also own the 4th-highest offensive rebounding rate in Division I. Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka are both handfuls down low, while Koa Peat and Jaden Bradley are exceptional at scoring around the rim and in the mid range. 

The tendency and strong ability to score inside will be a problem for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders lack size, depth, and overall defensive strength in the frontcourt. JT Toppin is great, but there’s only so much he can do, and Tech doesn’t have enough big bodies to deal with both Krivas and Peat at the same time. Plus, TTU allows opponents to score from two-point range at the 20th-lowest rate in the country. 

On the other side, Texas Tech is too reliant on the three-pointer to keep this one close. The Red Raiders are 9th nationally in three-point shooting percentage (39.1%) while ranking 6th in point distribution from beyond the arc. Of course, they could get and stay hot from deep, but it’ll be tough to do against Arizona. 

The Wildcats are holding Big 12 opponents to 29.7% shooting from three so far, which is tops in the conference. They also boast the best two-point defense in the league, and 3rd nationally. If those three-pointers aren’t falling, and Toppin is bottled up inside, then it could be a long day for Texas Tech’s offense. 

Finally, the Red Raiders’ struggles away from are hard to ignore. Texas Tech is just 6-5 SU in road/neutral games this year, including 0-3 SU as underdogs. It’s also had issues against top-tier programs, with losses to Kansas, Purdue, Illinois, Houston, and Arkansas already. Let’s add Arizona to that list this weekend as the Wildcats earn a comfortable home win. 

PICK: Arizona -9.5 (-110 on BetMGM Sportsbook)

 

Best College Basketball Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 2/14

  • UCLA +15.5 (-102 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
  • Clemson vs. Duke – Under 133.5 Total Points (-110 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
  • St. John’s vs. Providence – Over 168.5 Total Points (-110 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
  • Baylor +6.5 (-110 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
  • Iowa Moneyline (+102 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
  • Virginia -4.5 (-110 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara – Over 157.5 Total Points (-110 on BetMGM Sportsbook)

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