March is nearly here, which means that college basketball is about to heat up. Before we get to the best time in college sports, there are still some things to figure out as the regular season comes to a conclusion. Not to mention some quality matchups.
Tonight’s college basketball docket has 16 games to bet. The North Carolina Tars versus the Miami Hurricanes and the Baylor Bears at the TCU Horned Frogs headlines the slate.
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Best CBB Bets at Caesars for Monday, February 26
Drexel Dragons at Delaware Blue Hens, 6:30 p.m. ET
The Drexel Dragons make the short trek to Newark, Delaware, to face the Delaware Blue Hens in a CAA clash with seeding implications for the conference tournament.
Drexel (17-11, 10-5) sits in fourth place in the CAA, one game behind second-place UNC-Wilmington. Meanwhile, Delaware sits in sixth place at 17-11 and 9-6 in conference play. Both teams will have two regular season games after tonight’s contest.
Drexel took the season’s first matchup, 77-71 last month, for their third straight victory in the series. The Dragons have won six of the previous 10 matchups with the Blue Hens overall. Still, Delaware leads the all-time series 85-83.
Drexel is 3-5 since defeating Delaware on Jan. 20 and had its two-game winning streak snapped the last time out at Hofstra 67-59.
The Dragons rank third in both scoring (73.9) and scoring defense (67.1) while also posting the third-best scoring differential (+6.7) during conference play.
The Dragons are also the conference’s top 3-point shooting percentage team, rank second in opponents 3-point percentage, and rank in the top four in offensive and defensive field goal percentage.
Additionally, they are fantastic on the defensive and lead the league in rebound margin (+6.5).
Sophomore guard Justin Moore leads the Dragons in scoring 12.2 points a game, and senior forward Amari Williams is second in points (12.1) and tops the team in rebounding (7.8).
Delaware is 5-4 since facing Drexel in Philly, though they are coming off a 90-71 loss to the College of Charleston the last time out.
The Blue Hens rank seventh in the CAA in scoring (72.3) and fifth in scoring defense (68.8). The Blue Hens are sixth in scoring defense at +3.5 a game.
Delaware is second in field goal percentage and fourth in field goal percentage defense. The Blue Hens are an average 3-point shooting team, though they don’t shoot an overabundance of them and own a top 3-point defense. They are a decent rebounding team with a +1.6 margin.
Six-foot-7 forward Jyare Davis leads the Hens with 17.7 points and is second with 7.5 rebounds, while Gerald Drumgoole Jr . also averages double-figures at 13.7 ppg. Forward Christian Ray tops the squad with 9.1 boards a contest.
Drexel vs. Delaware Prediction
Delaware opened as a one-point favorite, with the over/under set at 138.5. But money has come heavily on the Blue Hens and they are now a 2.5 point favorites.
This should be an outstanding game. But go with Delaware in what should be a highly competitive game.
The Blue Hens have been playing better basketball than the Dragons have lately. The Blue Hens are 7-4 at home, winning three of their last five. Conversely, the Dragons have lost their last five games on the road and are 5-10 overall away from home.
Furthermore, I like the over, as I have the total set at 140.5. The Blue Hens have four players who average double-figures during CAA play, with Davis averaging over 21 points a game at the Bob Carpenter Center.
Drumgoole has been playing well lately. Ray and Niels Lane also compile 10 points a contest during conference matches.
Williams has been fantastic on the road and against the Blue Hens over the past few seasons. Moore also plays better on the road and has been great against the Blue Hens.
Moreover, the average score of a game at the Bob Carpenter Arena over the last five contests is 147, with the Blue Hens averaging 74 points and allowing 73 during this stretch. Similarly, the Dragons allowed 72 points a game on the road over their past five games.
Best Bet: Delaware Blue Hens -135 at Caesars (3.0 units)
Over 138.5 Points at Caesars (2.0 units)
Miami Hurricanes at North Carolina Tar Heels, 7 p.m. ET
While the Miami Hurricanes’ streak for consecutive NCAA bids appears likely to end at two straight, their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels is important for both squads.
Miami (15-13) sits in 12 place in the ACC at 6-11 with two regular seasons left following tonight’s contest. The Hurricanes are one-half game behind 11th-place Boston College and one-and-one-half games behind 10th-place Virginia Tech.
If the Hurricanes can move up to at least the 11th spot, they can avoid playing in the conference tournament’s opening round.
Miami enters tonight’s contest on a six-game skid. The Hurricanes may also be without starting point guard Nijel Pack for a third straight game as he is questionable with a lower-body injury.
The Canes are 2-7 on the road this season, losing the past four away contests by at least eight points.
North Carolina (21-6) sits atop the ACC standings at 13-3 after gritting out a 54-44 victory over Virginia. It was the Tar Heels’ second straight victory, though just their third in the last six. The Heels are 11-1 at home.
Hurricanes at Tar Heel Prediction
UNC opened as a 13.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 153.5 points. The Tar Heels are a 14.0-point favorite, and the total has gone up to 154.5 points.
I have UNC as a 14-point favorite and expect them to roll to a victory. However, the Tar Heels have only played one previous time following a day off this season. Plus, only two of the Heels’ last seven victories have been by more than 10 points.
Furthermore, Miami is 1-1 following one day’s rest. Four of the Canes’ last seven losses were by single digits. While the Hurricanes have won just three of the previous nine games against the Tar Heels, four of the six setbacks have been by single digits.
So, I will pass on placing a bet on the game’s spread. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the UNC money line in a parlay.
I also have the total set at 150.5 points. But the Hurricanes are awful defensively, ranking No. 201 in defensive rating.
Moreover, the average score in UNC’s last four games at the Dean Smith Center is 170 points. The Tar Heels and Canes have topped 152 points in four of their previous four games in Chapel Hill.
Best Bet Over 154.5 points (0.1 units)
West Virginia Mountaineers at Kansas State Wildcats, 7 p.m. ET
This Big 12 clash features two teams in the bottom half of the conference standings as the West Virginia Mountaineers (9-18, 4-10 Big 12) travel to the Big Apple Kansas style to face the Kansas State Wildcats (16-11, 6-8).
The Mountaineers are tied for last in Big 12 play with the Oklahoma State Sooners. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are connected with the Texas Longhorns for ninth in the conference.
WVU at Kansas State Prediction
Kansas State opened as a -9.5 point favorite, with the over/under set at 142.5 points. But the Wildcats are now a 10-point favorite, though the total has dropped a half-point to 142.
Neither team entered tonight’s contest in good form. WVU and K-State are both 3-7 in their last 10 games.
Expect Kansas State to pick up the victory here. However, take the Mountaineers to cover here, as I have the spread at minus 6.5 for the Wildcats.
Plus, West Virginia has played K-State tough in their last three trips to Manhatten (KS).
Best Bet: West Virginia +10 (1.5 units)
Bonus Pick
Norfolk State at Morgan State: Pick Norfolk State -195 (5 units)
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