The Southeastern Conference and Big 12 will be strongly represented when the NCAA Tournament field and seedings are announced in 15 days. And with just a handful games left before conference tournaments tip off, the top teams are looking to get dialed in.
The penultimate Saturday of the men’s college basketball regular season features five games pitting top-25 teams against each other, including two each from the SEC and Big 12. The other features No. 1 Duke hosting 11th-ranked Virginia at noon ET in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup as the Cavaliers aim to take down the projected No. 1 overall seed for the tournament.
In the SEC, defending national champion Florida sits at No. 7 and hosts John Calipari’s No. 20-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, who have won five of their past six — losing in double overtime to Alabama. The other conference battle is a rematch as No. 17 Alabama visits No. 22 Tennessee. The Vols beat the Crimson Tide 79-73 on Jan. 24 but have lost two games since, while Bama has won seven in a row and has only lost to Florida since the last meeting.
Three of the nation’s top five teams are from the Big 12, and all three will be in action Saturday. No. 5 Houston should have it fairly easy against Colorado at noon ET, but No. 2 Arizona and No. 4 Iowa State will face stiffer tests. The Wildcats are set to host No. 14 Kansas, a rematch of the 82-78 loss that helped cost Arizona the top ranking a couple of weeks ago. Iowa State, which has lost twice in its past five games and faces Arizona on Monday, hosts No. 16 Texas Tech.
In addition to the loaded college basketball slate, there are five NBA matchups, headlined by Lakers vs. Warriors, and 13 games in the NHL. Two key Eastern Conference NHL matchups are on tap, with Sabres vs. Lightning and Red Wings vs. Hurricanes both set for 7 p.m. ET.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on at the top sportsbooks on Saturday, Feb. 28. All times Eastern.
College basketball best bets today, where to watch
No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona
Time: 4 p.m. ET | Location: Tucson, Ariz. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Arizona -9.5
It’s been a topsy-turvy few weeks for the Kansas Jayhawks (21-7, 11-4 in Big 12), starting with their huge home victory against the No. 1 Wildcats on Feb. 9. Arizona (26-2, 13-2) would lose again five days later, 78-75 to Texas Tech in overtime. But the Wildcats have bounced back with three consecutive victories, including against ranked BYU and Houston teams. KU has lost two of four games since beating Arizona — to Iowa State and Cincinnati — but come in off a 69-56 home victory against No. 5 Houston. The Jayhawks are 5-4 in road games this season, while Arizona has won 14 of 15 games on its home floor, with the setback being that tight loss to Texas Tech. The Wildcats are 9.5-point favorites in the Kansas vs. Arizona odds, and the SportsLine Projection Model thinks the Wildcats will have an easier time at home, as the model has them winning by 10 and covering the spread in 50% of simulations.
No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 4 Iowa State
Time: 4 p.m. ET | Location: Ames, Iowa | TV: CBS | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Over 146.5
All four of the Cyclones’ losses have come on the road, and the Red Raiders are 4-4 away from home, so playing in Ames should be a big edge for Iowa State. The hosts have losses against Cincinnati and TCU but have beaten Kansas and Houston this month and knocked off then-No. 1 Purdue back in December. In addition to taking down then-top-ranked Arizona two weeks ago, Texas Tech has beaten Kansas, Houston and BYU. Five of the Red Raiders’ seven losses have come against ranked teams. Iowa State outscores opponents by an average of almost 18 points and is seventh in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rating, but the Red Raiders are 11th in offensive rating. The Cyclones are 10.5-point favorites at home, and the SportsLine model likes the Over, giving it a “B” grade with its projected total coming in above 155 points.
No. 20 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | Location: Gainesville, Fla. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Under 168.5 | Expert: Over 168.5 (Chip Patterson)
The Gators (22-6, 13-2 in SEC) seem to be peaking at the right time, with the only blemish on their record over the past 14 games being a loss to Auburn on Jan. 24. They have five victories against ranked teams over that span. Arkansas (21-7, 11-4) has won eight of its past 10, with a double-overtime loss at Alabama and the other setback at home against Kentucky. Freshman Darius Acuff Jr. has been a force for the Razorbacks, averaging 22.2 points and 6.2 assists, both top 20 in the nation. The Gators have six players who score in double figures, and Rueben Chinyelu (11.3 points, 11.5 rebounds) has been dominant inside. The Gators are 10.5-point home favorites, but the SportsLine model has the Razorbacks covering the sizable spread in 50% of its simulations. Its best play is on the Under, which hits 62% of the time. Patterson disagrees, as he expects Acuff to have a big impact and Florida’s rebounders to create extra chances for the Gators.
NBA best bets today, where to watch
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | Location: San Francisco | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Warriors ML
The Lakers and Warriors are off to rocky starts coming off the All-Star Break, but uneven play is nothing new for the teams this season. Los Angeles (34-24) is sixth in the Western Conference but leads the Pacific Division, while the injury-ravaged Warriors (31-28) are eighth in the West and 3.5 games behind L.A. in the division. The Lakers have lost three of four since the break, losing 113-110 at Phoenix on a last-second 3-pointer Thursday despite getting 41 points from Luka Doncic. Golden State routed the Grizzlies 133-112 on Wednesday as eight players scored in double figures with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green among the Warriors who sat out. Curry will be out again, but Green could be back, and while the Lakers are 4.5-point favorites, the SportsLine Model gives an “A” grade to Golden State +156 on the money line, as it wins in 58% of simulations. Over 229.5 also gets an “A,” hitting almost 62% of the time.
NHL best bets today, where to watch
Detroit Red Wings at Carolina Hurricanes
Time: 7 p.m. ET | Location: Raleigh, N.C. | TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Hurricanes ML
The Carolina Hurricanes stormed into Tampa on Thursday night and came out with a 5-4 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have lost just two of their past 11 games — one in overtime and the other in a shootout — and are battling Tampa Bay for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Now they face a Red Wings team that sits second in the Atlantic Division behind Tampa Bay but has lost five of its past eight games. Detroit did come out of the Olympics break with a victory, beating the Ottawa Senators 2-1 in overtime on Thursday. The Red Wings and Hurricanes have met twice this season, with the home team winning each time. The December matchup in Raleigh was a 5-2 demolition of Detroit, and Carolina is a -187 money-line favorite in the Red Wings vs. Hurricanes odds. The SportsLine model has the Hurricanes winning 69% of the time.
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