Best College Basketball Picks Today: Spartans Need Road Win Against Maryland To Keep Top Spot

We are merely days away from the beginning of March, meaning the “madness” has nearly arrived!

For Wednesday night’s slate, there is a ranked Big Ten matchup between No. 8 Michigan State and No. 16 Maryland, as well as a home test for the top-ranked Auburn Tigers, who will host a tough, tournament-bound Ole Miss team.

Keep reading below for an analysis of our best college basketball picks for these two games today!

No. 8 Michigan State @ No. 16 Maryland Odds

PICK: Michigan State +3.5 at FanDuel

Since their home loss to Indiana, the Spartans have looked utterly dominant. Jace Richardson has taken the next step in his offensive progression, providing Michigan State with another consistently reliable scoring option.

Further, the Spartans have shot 38.3% from behind the arc in their past three games (Michigan, Illinois, and Purdue), which could be the catalyst for another deep March Madness run.

If Michigan State continues shooting at this rate, it will be a challenging team to beat. The Spartans should at least keep this game within one possession.

Bet $5 at FanDuel, Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins

Michigan State Prediction

Due to their poor 3-point shooting, most modern-day basketball enthusiasts and statistic “gurus” would guess that the Michigan State Spartans would struggle to compete.

And that could not be further from the case.

The Spartans are in first place in the Big Ten, with the tiebreaker over Michigan, who they recently beat on the road.

Michigan State ranks ninth in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin and boasts a fringe top-20 offensive attack despite its 29.6% shooting clip from 3-point range (349th nationally).

Maryland Prediction

Maryland is one of the most well-balanced teams in the Big Ten on both ends of the floor, with a top-20 offense and defense, per KenPom.

The Terrapins’ frontcourt of Derik Queen and JuJu Reese averages roughly 30 points and 19 rebounds per game, while the backcourt features two 3-point shooters firing at higher than a 42% clip.

While Maryland has been a solid rebounding team all season, it has been even better recently, holding an 82.2% defensive rebounding percentage in its past three games.

Ole Miss @ No. 1 Auburn Odds

PICK: Ole Miss +13.5 at FanDuel

Ole Miss hosted Auburn a few weeks ago and lost by 10 points while allowing the Tigers to post 92 points. 

Interestingly enough, the Rebels actually won the turnover margin and got to the free-throw line 35 times. Had Auburn not knocked down 14 3-pointers at a 50% rate, this game could have gone either way.

Auburn hasn’t been decimating teams recently, and the SEC is the most competitive conference in college basketball, so expect the Rebels to keep it respectable.

Get $150 in Bonus Bets at FanDuel With a $5 Winning Wager

Ole Miss Prediction

Ole Miss is a few possessions away from being on the cusp of top-ten status. The Rebels lost to Texas A&M by one point, Purdue by two points, Mississippi State by three points, and Vanderbilt by five points.

Although the offensive end of the floor has been an issue on occasion, the team does have a balanced offensive attack, with six players averaging at least 10 points per game.

This season, Ole Miss’s key has been ball protection. It ranks second nationally in turnovers per game. If the Rebels protect the ball, they could have an outside shot at stealing an impressive win.

Auburn Prediction

Auburn has not yet secured the SEC regular season title, as it has a two-game lead over Alabama with four games remaining.

The Tigers also play Alabama once more, so the Tide can make up some ground if they pull off a road upset.

With so much left at stake for the Tigers, they will undoubtedly be focused heading into this game, especially since Ole Miss is currently the 23rd-best team in the country, according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin metric.

Auburn is riding a four-game winning streak since losing at home to Florida; however, the Tigers have not been blowing anyone out recently.