The game of the night in college hoops is between Houston and Iowa State — but that doesn't mean that's the only intriguing game on Monday's slate.
There's value across the board, and I found three bets to make for Monday, including picks for Syracuse vs. Duke, Louisiana vs. Old Dominion and Abilene Christian vs. Tarleton State.
Let's take a look at my college basketball picks and NCAAB best bets for Monday, Feb. 16.
College Basketball Picks
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from Monday's slate of NCAAB games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 5 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Louisiana vs Old Dominion Pick
By Matt Cox
The Ragin' Cajuns were dead and buried a month ago, but a gritty Quannas White has mustered an impressive turnaround. Louisiana now sits at 6-7 in the conference, winners of five of its last seven contests.
A surging Coastal Carolina squad narrowly defeated the Cajuns on Thursday, but Louisiana had the weekend off to rest and prepare for ODU, which played Saturday.
The key here is Old Dominion star Robert Davis’ status. The Sun Belt preseason Player of the Year is reportedly day-to-day but has missed the Monarchs’ last three games.
ODU may be better off without his inefficient high-volume scoring tendencies, but the line may move the Monarchs’ way should he be confirmed active closer to tip.
Louisiana, meanwhile, has transformed into a totally different team thanks to the emergence of De'Vion Lavergne as the catalyst after soul-searching for shot creation and playmaking sans Jamyron Keller.
This game should manifest into a midrange jump shooting contest both ways, and UL’s "diet Houston" DNA should flourish in what could be an ugly game.
Pick: Louisiana +6 (Play to +5)
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Syracuse vs Duke Pick
By Matt Cox
The Orange continue to show a pulse, despite the Red Autry hot seat rumors growing louder by the day.
Fresh off an insane home win over SMU, this could be considered a tough spot — a quick turnaround to take on the vaunted Duke Blue Devils, who pulled away from Clemson in the second half with stifling defense.
However, the Orange did this exact same travel stretch a few weeks ago to North Carolina.
Syracuse’s relatively lean lineup may be punished by Duke’s bully ball, anchored by Cam Boozer, but it boasts multiple tough shot-makers on the other end.
Donnie Freeman is a known commodity, and Kiyan Anthony is fresh off his best game of the season as well. Easy looks aren’t often available against Duke’s defense, so individual shot-creators are a necessity.
Finally, Syracuse has been a much better first-half team year to date. The Orange grade out as a top-50 team isolating first-half scoring margin, per TeamRankings.
Duke could pull away late, but Syracuse should be able to keep this semi-competitive for the first 20 minutes.
Pick: Syracuse 1H +12 (Play to 10)
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Abilene Christian vs Tarleton State Pick
By Matt Cox
In one of the weirder scheduling spots of the season, Abilene Christian and Tarleton will do battle for a third time today in a rare in-season back-to-back spot.
Abilene mustered a monster comeback to pull away from the Texans at home on Saturday, and now the two teams will take the short trip over to Stephenville.
Conventional wisdom may point to the immediate revenge angle here working in favor of Tarleton, but the Texans are a shell of themselves right now.
Freddy Hicks hasn't looked right since returning from injury, and the Dior Johnson drama is never-ending. It's noteworthy that ACU beat a full-strength Tarleton side in the first meeting on Jan. 8.
There should be minimal home-court value given the two schools’ proximity and shared travel experience.
In short, the pressure and chaos that Tarleton imposes is largely negated by Abilene, which revels in that same style.
Pick: Abilene Christian +1
