As the sports betting world turns its attention to other events, college basketball fans have a treat in store for the first Saturday in February. Three games featuring top 10 teams will highlight the college basketball slate for February 3, 2024.
Without further adieu, let’s investigate these three marquee games for Saturday’s college basketball schedule. Check out our best bets below. Good luck!
Houston Cougars at Kansas Jayhawks
For the first time ever, the No. 4 ranked Houston Cougars (19-2) and the No. 8 ranked Kansas Jayhawks (17-4) face off in a Big 12 conference game.
Houston enters the game on a five-game winning streak, outlasting Texas Monday night 76-72 in overtime. The Cougars are led by guard L.J. Cryer, a senior out of Katy, Texas. After playing three years at Baylor, Cryer joined Houston for the 2023-2024 season and has scored 15.1 points per game for the Cougars.
Kansas enters this game with less momentum. The Jayhawks are a mere 4-3 in their past seven games, losing road games at UCF, West Virginia and Iowa State during that span. Senior guard Kevin McCullar, Jr. leads Kansas offensively this season, scoring 19.8 points per game while grabbing 6.4 rebounds per outing.
Best Bet: Kansas Jayhawks (+2.5)
Visiting Phogg Allen Fieldhouse is never an easy task for Kansas opponents. Houston may be the higher ranked team, but that doesn't mean that they should be favored on the road in this spot.
In their first trip as conference comrades, expect the Cougars will not cover the spread while the Jayhawks record their 18th victory of the season. Take the points!
Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tobacco Road rivalry renews Saturday as the No. 7 ranked Duke Blue Devils (16-4) travel to the Dean Smith Center to face the No. 3 University of North Carolina Tar Heels (17-4).
Duke has won 11 of its last 12 outings, losing only to Pittsburgh two weeks ago during the past two months. The Blue Devils are led by Kyle Filipowski, a 7-0 center out of Westtown, New York. This season, Filipowski leads Duke in both points (17.5 per game) and rebounds (8.7 per outing).
The Tar Heels are looking to rebound from their last outing, a 74-73 loss at Georgia Tech. Prior to that defeat, UNC had won 10 straight outings. UNC is led by R.J. Davis, a senior guard from White Plains, New York. Davis is ninth in the country in scoring, averaging 21.5 points per outing for North Carolina.
Best Bet: Over 150 Total Points
Offense is rarely an issue for these teams. UNC leads the ACC in scoring, averaging 82.6 points per contest. Second-place Duke is also pouring in 81.0 points per game.
Expect these two rivals to race up and down the court in this back-and-forth affair. This should be fun one to watch!
Tennessee Volunteers at Kentucky Wildcats
The final top 10 showdown features the No. 5 ranked Tennessee Volunteers (15-5) taking on SEC rival and No. 10 ranked Kentucky Wildcats (15-5) Saturday night. Tip-off is slated for 8:30 pm.
Tennessee is looking to avoid another losing skid this season. After dropping three straight games to teams in the Top 25, the Volunteers reeled off wins in 11 of their past 13 games. But a 63-59 loss to a surging South Carolina squad at home Tuesday has Tennessee faithful concerned. Senior guard Dalton Knecht leads the Volunteers with 20.1 points per game.
Kentucky has stumbled recently, going just 3-3 in their past six games. The Wildcats are looking to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season when Tennessee comes to town. Kentucky is led by Antonio Reeves, a 6-6 senior that is averaging 19.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest.
Best Bet: Kentucky (+1.5)
These two rivals play close games, often falling under oddsmakers’ predictions for the final score. While that would typically be the best bet, Kentucky at home is a better one.
The Wildcats have topped Tennessee three of the past four times in Rupp Arena, giving bettors reason to pick that the Volunteers will not cover this minimal spread Saturday. Give me the Wildcats!
