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 Wednesday, February 25th. We have multiple Top 25 teams on the schedule with plenty of intriguing matchups. Check out the best college basketball picks below as you cash your own bets. Note that all odds and betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but are always subject to change. Good luck! 

College Basketball Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 2/25

Our college basketball best bets today begin with a Mountain West matchup between Utah State and San Diego State. Plus, we break down a West Coast Conference battle as Saint Mary’s hosts Santa Clara. Check out more college basketball predictions below for other games today, including St. John’s vs. UConn. Let’s jump in.  

 

 

 

Utah State vs. San Diego State Prediction: Wednesday, 2/25

This is a massive Mountain West matchup. Utah State is 13-3 in conference play, while San Diego State is 12-4. The winner could be in the driver’s seat to win the league over the final week of the regular season. 

It’s almost a must-win spot for San Diego State, which is 1-5 in Quad 1 opportunities thus far and ranked 44th in the NET. The Aztecs are coming off back-to-back losses and now desperately need a resume-boosting win to get on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. They have tough road games at New Mexico and Boise State up next, so getting a victory at home tonight seems paramount. 

Utah State, meanwhile, is likely comfortably in the bracket. The Aggies are 24th in the NET and benefit from a slightly easier schedule to wrap the season. Their hardest remaining games are against Grand Canyon and New Mexico, but both are at home. 

San Diego State’s situational spot is also hard to ignore. The Aztecs are trying to avoid a 3-game losing streak for the first time since the 2017-18 season, which was Brian Dutcher’s first year on the job. Since then, SDSU is 7-0 in games after consecutive losses. Earlier this year, it beat Oregon by 17 points following back-to-back losses. 

Furthermore, over the past 5 seasons, San Diego State is now 20-2 straight up in conference play after losing the previous game. That includes a 14-1 mark at home after a loss against Mountain West opponents. In this stretch, the Aztecs are also 10-3 against the spread as single-digit favorites or as underdogs. 

As for this game, specifically, it’ll come down to who wins between the conference’s best offense against the top defense. Utah State is 1st in the Mountain West and 21st nationally in offensive efficiency. Meanwhile, San Diego State’s defensive efficiency leads the league and is 16th in the country. The Aztecs are also 5th nationally in defensive efficiency since the beginning of January, per BartTorvik. Let’s bank on that shutdown defense getting the better of the Aggies’ scoring potential. 

When these teams first met last month, San Diego State held Utah State to its second-lowest point total of the year (71 points). The Aggies shot just 41% from the field and 23% from three-point range. They still won at home, but the offense was mostly held in check. 

Utah State is elite at scoring inside and getting to the rim. However, this is where San Diego State excels defensively. The Aztecs are 18th nationally and 1st in the Mountain West in two-point defense, with the 7th-highest block rate in the country. They shut down the paint and force teams to find scoring elsewhere, which could force Utah State into empty possessions and scoreless stretches. 

The big thing for San Diego State is its own offense, which has been very inconsistent this year. In the prior meeting, the Aztecs managed just 66 points while shooting 40% from the field with only one double-digit scorer. Notably, though, they were down two key contributors in Magoon Gwath and Elzie Harrington. Both have returned recently and should boost the offense moving forward. 

Let’s roll with San Diego State to get a big win at home. The Aztecs lost to Grand Canyon at home last week, which brings up another situational angle. SDSU hasn’t dropped back-to-back home conference games during Dutcher’s entire tenure (since 2017). That’s a perfect 6-0 in these spots after previously losing at home in Mountain West play. 

Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary’s Prediction: Wednesday, 2/25

We’re into the final week of the West Coast Conference regular season before the league tournament starts up. Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s face off in a marquee late-night matchup on Wednesday. Let’s make a pick on this game featuring a pair of the conference’s top teams.

These WCC rivals first met last month, with Santa Clara taking a 62-54 win at home. That sets up a revenge spot for Saint Mary’s as it hosts this rematch. The Gaels should be plenty motivated to win comfortably, especially to gain some momentum heading into Saturday’s showdown with Gonzaga. 

In that first meeting, Saint Mary’s was held to a season-low 54 points while shooting just 31% from the field and 18% from three-point range. We should see a much better offensive performance this time around, specifically from the perimeter. The Gaels are shooting 38.1% from three this season (15th in Division I) and 40.8% in conference play (1st in WCC). They should also win the rebound battle as the top-ranked offensive and defensive rebounding team in the league. 

Saint Mary’s is also averaging 78 PPG in their 9 games since that loss. The offense is operating at a high level and should be locked in to avenge that previous poor showing. Plus, the Gaels are scoring 84.9 PPG across 7 home conference games thus far. 

On the other end, we know Saint Mary’s will show up defensively. Randy Bennett’s squad is allowing just 64.3 PPG this season (8th in the country) and 62.9 PPG at home in conference play. The Gaels are 24th nationally in defensive efficiency at KenPom, while ranking 17th in two-point defense and 34th in opposing three-point shooting. 

The Saint Mary’s interior defense will be key in this matchup. Santa Clara is 29th nationally and 1st in the Mountain West in two-point shooting percentage. The Broncos get to the rim often and are efficient inside. Yet, the Gaels have the elite paint defense to keep Santa Clara’s offense quiet. 

Santa Clara is a very solid team currently on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament. The 14-2 record in conference play shouldn’t be overlooked either. However, the Broncos are running into a motivated Saint Mary’s squad on the road. 

On that note, Saint Mary’s is 11-3 ATS at home this season. Plus, over the past 5 seasons, the Gaels are a near-perfect 38-1 at home in conference play. Their only home loss in this stretch was against Gonzaga two years ago. Furthermore, they haven’t dropped 3 conference games in a season since the 2021-22 campaign. At 14-2 in league play so far, Saint Mary’s should get this victory and do enough to cover the spread. 

 

 

 

Best College Basketball Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 2/25

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