Another Saturday and another college hoops slate with over 100 games to get in front of. These Saturdays aren’t sprints, they’re marathons. The good news is that we’ve got some help to get you through today’s gauntlet. With that many games on the schedule, the books are bound to get a few numbers wrong. We’ve gone through them all and found three college basketball picks that you’ll want to lock up as you settle in for a day of hoops. Let’s get into it.
Are you looking for a sportsbook to place bets on our college basketball picks? Check out MyBookie.ag!
College Basketball Preview, Picks, and Best Bets for February 21
Matt Dewoskin ATS College Basketball Picks Record (Est 11/3/2025)
All Selections: 165-145-5
Perfect 3-0 Cards: 16-88
Central Connecticut State at Chicago State
Start Time: 2:00 PM EST
Central Connecticut State comes into this game with a 16-10 overall record and an 8-7 road mark. The Blue Devils are 14-10 overall against the spread and 8-7 ATS on the road.
Chicago State enters this matchup with a 6-22 overall record and a 4-6 mark at home. The Cougars are 13-14 overall ATS and 5-4 ATS at home.
CCSU has won all three games in this series outright. However, Chicago State has covered two out of three. The Blue Devils won by 11 points at home against Chicago State two weeks ago as an 8.5-point favorite.
Central Connecticut State has won six of its last seven games. The Blue Devils have covered five times over that stretch.
Chicago State has won four of its last seven outright. The Cougars are 3-1 in their last four home games, and they’ve covered all four games. They’re off a one-point loss to Fairleigh Dickinson in Chicago as a 1.5-point underdog.
Central Connecticut struggled in January, but they’ve righted the ship and have been on a roll for most of February. They’ve beaten Chicago State by double-digits once, and they’ve never lost against the Cougars. The Blue Devils have clear advantages on both ends of the floor, and the Jones Convocation Center doesn’t really get lit. Chicago State has played better recently, but its wins have been mostly against other NEC bottom feeders. CCSU should win and cover this easily. Let’s lock up the real Blue Devils.
Best Bet: CCSU -4
Southern Illinois at Northern Iowa
Start Time: 6:00 PM EST
Southern Illinois enters this matchup with a 13-15 overall record and a 5-8 mark on the road. The Salukis are 13-14 overall ATS and 8-5 ATS on the road.
Northern Iowa comes into this game with an 18-10 overall record and a 12-3 mark at home. The Panthers are 15-12 overall ATS and 7-7 ATS at home.
Northern Iowa has won six of the last 10 matchups in this series. However, Southern Illinois has won back-to-back games. The most recent win was in January when the Salukis won by 15 points as a 1.5-point underdog. Northern Iowa has won and covered four straight home games in this series.
Southern Illinois has won and covered three straight road games, and they’re off a win over Drake in Des Moines.
Northern Iowa has won and covered five of its last six overall. The Panthers have also won and covered their last four home games.
The handicap here is simple. This is a home team series, and Northern Iowa has been back to wrecking teams at home. The Panthers are one of the 25-best defensive teams in the country, and their offense is surprisingly efficient. They should choke out the Salukis offense and take advantage of SIU turnovers. Let’s lock up the Panthers to roll in this one and get the cover.
Best Bet: Northern Iowa -6.5
Michigan at Duke
Start Time: 6:30 PM EST
Michigan enters this game with a 25-1 overall record, and the Wolverines are 14-12 overall ATS.
Duke comes into this matchup with a 24-2 overall record and is 14-12 overall ATS.
This game is played at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. These two teams haven’t played each other since 2013. The crowd for this one will lean toward Duke, but there should be enough Wolverines fans to be heard.
Michigan is 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games, but have won all 10 outright. They’re off an 11-point win as a 2.5-point favorite at Purdue.
Duke is 9-1 in their last 10 games outright, but 6-4 ATS over that stretch. The Blue Devils have won three straight after getting stormed on by North Carolina.
Michigan has the better shooting team and the better defense. The Wolverines are the fourth-best shooting team in the country, and have the seventh-best mark in the nation for shooting percentage against. Michigan has a size advantage over Duke, and the Blue Devils will struggle to get buckets in the paint. That means that Duke needs to make three’s to stay in this one. The Blue Devils are 129th in three-point shooting percentage, while the Wolverines have the eighth-best three-point shooting percentage against in the country.
Michigan is arguably more battle-tested, and they’ve had this circled all year. If Michigan wants the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament, they need to win this one. The gritty Wolverines choke out the Blue Devils and cover the 2.5 points. Lock up Michigan.
Best Bet: Michigan -2.5
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!
