College hoops rolls into February with a short Sunday slate. However, this is the first Sunday schedule that feels like college basketball is putting its best foot forward with a nice mix of power programs, mid-majors, and little guys. We’ve gone through the schedule and found three college basketball picks that you’ll want to lock up. Let’s get into it.
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College Basketball Preview, Picks, and Best Bets for February 1
Matt Dewoskin ATS College Basketball Picks Record (Est 11/3/2025)
All Selections: 130-120-5
Perfect 3-0 Cards: 12-73
Samford at Western Carolina
Start Time: 1:00 PM EST
Samford enters this game with a 10-12 overall record and a 3-8 road mark. The Bulldogs are 8-12 against the spread overall and 4-7 ATS on the road.
Western Carolina comes into this matchup with an 8-12 overall record and a 6-2 mark at home. The Catamounts are 7-11 ATS overall and 3-3 ATS at home.
Samford has completely owned this series. The Bulldogs have won 10 of the last 10 games played outright, and covered eight of the last 10 games against Western Carolina. The Bulldogs have lost four straight conference road games. Western Carolina has won two straight coming into this one. These teams played once this year, and Samford won by five at home.
Samford has the better scoring offense and scoring defense in this matchup. Neither team is great at shooting, but Samford has an advantage over Western Carolina. The Catamounts allow 83.2 points per game to opponents. That’s 339th in the nation. Samford is 215th in shooting efficiency, but Western Carolina is 334th in opponent shooting efficiency. Western Carolina has an advantage on the boards, but Samford is one of the best teams in the country at limiting turnovers.
The Catamounts can’t really get a stop on defense, and they won’t generate turnovers to get second chances. Samford is simply the better team, and they need a road win in conference. Let’s lock up the Bulldogs to keep this one close and potentially steal a win here.
Best Bet: Samford +2.5
St. Peter’s at Rider
Start Time: 2:00 PM EST
St. Peter’s comes into this game with a 12-7 overall record and a 2-6 mark on the road. The Peacocks are 12-6 overall ATS and 4-4 ATS on the road.
Rider enters this matchup with a 2-18 overall record and a 2-6 mark at home. The Broncs are 6-13 overall ATS and 1-6 ATS at home.
St. Peter’s has won three of the last four matchups in this series. The Peacocks just won and covered a 10.5-point spread at home against Rider a few weeks ago. St. Peter’s has won and covered in five of the last six games, including a road win and cover at Quinnipiac. Rider has lost and failed to cover in four of their last five home games.
St. Peter’s is 34th in the nation in opponent scoring, and it’s not just a slow pace of play. The Peacocks are 58th in opponent shooting efficiency, so they’re capable of staying in front of teams on defense. St. Peter’s is also 45th in the country in turnovers generated. The Peacocks aren’t very good on offense, but Rider can’t defend and will struggle against a chippy Peacocks defense. St. Peter’s should get a lead, choke the Broncs out, and cruise to win and cover in a sleepy spot.
Best Bet: St. Peter’s -7.5
Illinois at Nebraska
Start Time: 5:00 PM EST
Illinois enters this matchup with an 18-3 overall record and a 5-0 mark on the road. The Fighting Illini are 12-9 overall ATS and 4-1 ATS on the road.
Nebraska comes into this game with a 20-1 overall record and a 12-0 mark at home. The Cornhuskers are 13-8 overall ATS and 5-7 ATS at home.
Nebraska won this matchup as a 9.5-point underdog at Illinois back in December. However, Illinois is 8-2 in its last 10 games against Nebraska. The Fighting Illini are currently on a 10-game winning streak and 7-3 ATS over that stretch. Nebraska is off their first loss on the road against Michigan.
Nebraska struggled with Michigan’s size, and Illinois is the tallest team in the nation. Also, Nebraska was a bit overdue for a loss. This is where their losses could start to snowball. The Cornhuskers have Purdue on their schedule on February 10th.
The Fighting Illini might have the best offense in the nation and a top-30 defense. Nebraska is better defensively, but can give up points on the inside. Illinois doesn’t pay at a rapid pace, but they are remarkably efficient on offense. The Fighting Illini also rarely turn the ball over and are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation.
Nebraska has picked up its first road loss. It’s time for the Cornhuskers to drop one at home, and this is a clear revenge spot for Illinois. Lock up the Fighting Illini to keep this one close and potentially steal this one outright on the road.
Best Bet: Illinois +2.5
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis of every college basketball game in the 2025-26 season, make sure to tune into The College Basketball Experience. Colby Dant, Moneyline Mac, and Noah Bieniek talk about each game on the entire slate. Listen for input on ATS and moneyline college basketball picks every night!
