Tuesday brings yet another slate of heavyweight matchups in college hoops. 10 games out of 30 on the schedule for February 17th have at least one ranked team, and there are a few other high-major conference games mixed in. We’ve gone through tonight’s slate and found three college basketball picks that you’ll want to have on your card before the games start. Let’s get into it.
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College Basketball Preview, Picks, and Best Bets for February 17
Matt Dewoskin ATS College Basketball Picks Record (Est 11/3/2025)
All Selections: 158-140-5
Perfect 3-0 Cards: 15-85
Michigan at Purdue
Start Time: 6:30 PM EST
Michigan enters this game with a 24-1 overall record and an 8-0 mark on the road. The Wolverines are 13-12 overall against the spread and 2-6 ATS on the road.
Purdue comes into this matchup with a 21-4 overall record and an 11-2 mark at home. The Boilermakers are 12-13 overall ATS and 4-9 ATS at home.
These two teams have split the last 10 games in this series. However, Michigan is 6-3-1 ATS in the last 10 games against Purdue. The home team is 7-3 outright over that stretch.
Michigan has won 10 straight since their wake up call at home against Wisconsin. The Wolverines are 2-3 ATS in road games over that stretch.
Purdue enters this game on a four-game winning streak. The Boilermakers had a three-game losing streak with road losses at UCLA and Indiana, and a home loss to Illinois. They’ve woken up since and covered three out of four of their recent wins.
Purdue is one of the few teams in the nation that can come close to competing with Michigan’s size. In addition to their bigs, Purdue has better guard play and a true home-court advantage. The Boilermakers are also better at holding on to the basketball. They’re the 14th-best team in the nation in turnovers committed. They’re also the better team from the free-throw line.
Purdue got over the hump, is playing better, and has a veteran team that can take a punch from Michigan. They also get Michigan in West Lafayette, and the Wolverines have provided a little too much bulletin board material. The crowd will be lit, and the Boilers will be locked in. Look for a master class from Braden Smith and the other grizzled vets on Purdue to keep this one close and pull out a tough win.
Best Bet: Purdue +2.5
SEMO at UT-Martin
Start Time: 8:30 PM EST
SEMO comes into this game with a 16-11 overall record and a 6-7 mark on the road. The Redhawks are 11-13 overall ATS and 6-7 ATS on the road.
UT-Martin enters this matchup with a 20-7 overall record and an 11-1 mark at home. The Skyhawks are 14-10 overall ATS and 4-5 ATS at home.
SEMO just beat UT-Martin by 16 as a 2.5-point favorite in Cape Girardeau. Why is this line UT-Martin -3.5? SEMO caught the Skyhawks on the first leg of a three-game road trip in January and smashed them. The line indicates a revenge spot for the Skyhawks.
The Skyhawks are 7-3 overall and ATS in the last 10 games against SEMO. UT-Martin has won four out of its last five at home, but only covered twice over that stretch. SEMO has won three of its last four road games, but has only covered twice.
UT-Martin is a legitimately good defensive team. The Skyhawks are 13th in the nation in points allowed, and it’s not because of their pace. UT-Martin defends the paint and limits looks at the perimeter. The Skyhawks got embarrassed a bit in the first matchup against SEMO, and should come out to play in this one. UT-Martin is the better defensive team, and they get to shoot on their floor. Lock up the Skyhawks to win and cover the 3.5 points in this one.
Best Bet: UT-Martin -3.5
Nebraska at Iowa
Start Time: 9:00 PM EST
Nebraska comes into this matchup with a 22-3 mark overall and a 6-1 road mark. The Cornhuskers are 14-11 overall ATS and 6-1 ATS on the road.
Iowa enters this game with an 18-7 overall record and a 12-2 mark at home. The Hawkeyes are 15-10 overall ATS and 7-7 ATS at home.
Iowa has won seven of the last 10 in this series, and covered six times over that stretch. The Hawkeyes have won and covered three straight games against Nebraska.
Nebraska has lost three of its last five, but they’re all losses to true Big Ten heavyweights. The Cornhuskers lost at home to Purdue and Illinois, and got clipped by Michigan in Ann Arbor. Iowa has lost two in a row coming into this game. They dropped a look-ahead spot against Maryland, and got beaten in the game they were looking ahead to against Purdue.
Iowa comes into this game with a top-10 scoring defense. The Hawkeyes limit pace and do a great job of staying in front of their opponents. On offense, Iowa is really good at scoring on the inside. The Hawkeyes are 15th in the nation in shooting percentage on two-point shots. Nebraska is 89th in the nation in shooting percentage against two-point shots.
Iowa needs to bounce back after back-to-back losses, and we’ve seen Nebraska struggle with the upper tier in the Big Ten. Iowa isn’t one of the ‘power’ teams in the conference this year, but they have a lit home environment and clear advantage on both ends of the floor. Look for Iowa to choke out Nebraska and pick up a chippy win as a short favorite. Lock up the Hawkeyes to get the win and cover.
Best Bet: Iowa -1
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis of every college basketball game in the 2025-26 season, tune in to 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!
