College Basketball Parlay Picks for Saturday, February 25, 2023

This is the last full slate of college basketball on a Saturday this season. Conference tournaments will start on Monday, as a few dozen teams will play their regular season finales this weekend. There are a lot of intriguing storylines down the stretch, but once again we are looking for value when we are betting on college basketball. Typically, the most value lies in games that are ignored by most of the public, and that is the case this weekend too.

College Basketball Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

Florida State Seminoles at Miami (FL) Hurricanes

Leonard Hamilton has done an excellent job in his two decades with the Florida State Seminoles. Although Hamilton has yet to reach the Final Four, he has won almost 200 more games than any other FSU coach, and he has been responsible for eight of the Seminoles’ 18 trips to the NCAA Tournament. FSU has been very competitive in the ACC, and this team looked set to be a real contender during the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Unfortunately, the Seminoles took a step back in 2021 and 2022 before completely freefalling this year. FSU went 2-9 in non-conference play with some terrible losses, and it’s now clear that the Seminoles have given up on the season. They were blown out by 40 points in their last road game, and they trailed Boston College by 19 points with just over two minutes left in the first half before rallying to make the final score respectable.

Florida State lost by 23 points in its first game against the Miami Hurricanes last month. The Seminoles trailed the Hurricanes 54-28 at halftime despite playing at home in Tallahassee, showcasing how much this team has given up on its coach. FSU has now lost seven of its last eight games, and the only win in that stretch was against a Louisville team having what might be its worst season ever.

The canary in the coalmine for FSU basketball is just how bad the defense is this season. Hamilton’s teams have always struggled on offense, but they have never been this dreadful in defense. They are ranked outside the top 250 teams according to Ken Pomeroy, and opponents are making almost 37% of their threes against the Seminoles. Additionally, although this is the second tallest team in the country, FSU has done a terrible job with rebounding.

This will have Miami looking to run up the score on one of its biggest rivals. The Hurricanes have the sixth best offense in the country according to Pomeroy, and they have an effective field goal percentage of 54.8%. Isaiah Wong and Nijel Pack are both very good three-point shooters, while Norchad Omier is averaging 14.0 PPG and 10.0 PPG as the big man in this four-guard offense. Jordan Miller does a good job helping down low when needed as a 6’7 guard too.

The college basketball betting odds will have Miami favored by double digits at home, but that’s not enough points. This is going to be a blowout, and the Hurricanes will put it to the Seminoles early. Bet Miami to win the first half, and don’t be surprised if the Hurricanes win this game by 30+ points.

Kansas City Roos at South Dakota Coyotes

At first glance, these teams look to be pretty evenly matched. The Kansas City Roos are 11-19 and 7-10 in Summit League action, while the South Dakota Coyotes are 11-18 and 6-11 in conference play. Both teams have really struggled over the last month too as Kansas City has lost four straight games and six of its last seven tilts, and South Dakota has dropped five in a row.

However, it appears that two of Kansas City’s starters are sidelined for the rest of the season. Allen David Mukeba Jr. hasn’t played a game in over two weeks, and second leading scorer Shemarri Allen is out after being injured against North Dakota last week. Mukeba and Allen are two of the three most important players on the Roos as Mukeba leads the team with 7.5 RPG and is averaging 9.5 PPG while making over 50% of his field goals. Meanwhile, Allen is averaging 17.0 PPG and is much more efficient than leading scorer RayQuawndis Mitchell. That will give the Coyotes a major edge in a game where the college basketball betting line will likely be three points or less.