4 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Saturday 2/1/25

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Today's Best College Basketball Betting Picks

Florida vs. Tennessee

Under 142.5 (-110)

No one is complaining about a top 10 game at noon to kick off the Saturday slate. But if you're looking for fireworks, I'd steer clear of Thompson-Boling Arena. Though Florida-Tennessee profiles as an Elite Eight-caliber game, it figures to be a rock fight -- one which may struggle to reach 143 points.

This will be Florida and Tennessee's second matchup of the season. The Gators picked up a decisive 73-43 win the first time around as the game totaled just 116 points.

Now, the Vols were the biggest reason that game finished so low-scoring, and their outlook is better at home -- where their offensive rating jumps nearly 20 points.

But Tennessee is just 34th in adjusted offense, and they could be without point guard Zakai Zeigler (knee). That would put even more pressure on Chaz Lanier -- the Vols' leading scorer who Florida held to 3-of-16 shooting in the first matchup. Tennessee also managed just 73 points against Kentucky's 81st-ranked defense the last time out -- not ideal with Florida's 15th-ranked unit coming to town.

Still, even if Tennessee manages more than 43 points, they should do a better job on the defensive end. The Vols have KenPom's No. 2 defense and rank just 336th in adjusted tempo; Florida's three games against bottom 100 tempo teams have averaged 137 total points. They only managed a 44.1% effective field goal percentage (eFG%) the first time they faced Tennessee, so it's not like the offense carried the way despite the 30-point win.

With Bart Torvik and KenPom's projections showing fewer than 140 points here, I'll jump at the opportunity to grab under 142.5 at -110 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Louisville at Georgia Tech

Chucky Hepburn (LOU) Over 7.5 Assists (-112)

There aren't many point guards dishing the rock like Chucky Hepburn is right now. Though Louisville's lead guard is averaging a respectable 6.4 assists on the year, he's been on an absolute dime-heater of late. He's dished out 7-plus assists in 10 straight games, averaging 8.2 per game over that stretch.

With a soft matchup against Georgia Tech on Saturday, Hepburn's recent playmaking positions him well to go over 7.5 assists.

The Yellow Jackets enter the weekend with KenPom's 98th-ranked defense. They're below average in the ACC for scoring defense yet rank second in the conference for average pace. That's backed up by a No. 58 ranking in KenPom's adjusted tempo metric. They like to play fast, and their defense is merely so-so.

Right away, a fast-paced game bodes well for Hepburn's assist prop. A faster game means more possessions, more possessions mean more shot attempts, and more shot attempts mean more assists chances.

We've seen that play out with the other point guards on Georgia Tech's schedule. Against Power Conference teams, the Yellow Jackets have surrendered the ACC's third-most assists (6.4 per 40 min) to opposing point guards. Included in that is a 9-assist effort from SMU point guard Boopie Miller (5.7 APG) and a 7-assist game from Cincy's Jizzle James (4.1).

Those guards' success dicing up the Tech defense really bolsters his case of going over 7.5 assists. And while the Cardinals are road favorites, Hepburn has been the definition of a road warrior. Across six true road games, Chucky's averaging 17.3 points and 8.2 assists.

With that, we can also consider Chucky Hepburn over 15.5 Points (-114) and over 23.5 Pts + Ast (-111) in such a strong matchup for guards.

North Carolina at Duke

Cooper Flagg Over 31.5 Pts + Reb (-118)

Cooper Flagg gets his first taste of the North Carolina-Duke rivalry on Saturday night, and we can expect him to put on a show. The star freshman is averaging 23 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in conference play, so we can look for him to go over 31.5 points + rebounds (PR) on the big stage.

For starters, North Carolina will be the fastest team Duke's played this season. The Tar Heels are 14th nationally in adjusted tempo and have the highest average pace in the ACC. Their defense has actually posted respectable marks in conference play, but this still isn't a unit to fear for someone of Flagg's size and skill -- not when only two of their rotation players stand taller than 6 feet 6 inches tall.

As you'd expect, UNC's lack of size has really hurt them against bigger teams, especially on the wing. Against Power Conference forwards, the Tar Heels have given up the ACC's second-most rebounds (10.4 per 40 min), fourth-most field goal attempts (11.9), and an above-average number of points (14.8).

That bodes well for Flagg, particularly with how well he's played in pace-up spots. In their only other matchup against a top 50 tempo team, Flagg exploded for 26 points and 11 rebounds. In four games against top 100 tempo teams, Flagg posted 17, 31, 35, and 37 PR.

Throw in his solid home numbers (24.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG) against Power Conference teams, and it's easy to get excited about the freshman's chances against UNC. In prime time, look for Cooper Flagg to rise to the occasion, clearing 31.5 points + rebounds in the process.

Arkansas at Kentucky

Adou Thiero (ARK) Over 22.5 Pts + Reb (-115)

Former Wildcat Adou Thiero returns to Lexington on Saturday night as Arkansas takes on Kentucky. Though the home Cats are sizable favorites, they also sport an exploitable defense and play at a brisk pace. With that, we can look to Thiero in the points + rebounds (PR) prop market.

For the season, the junior is averaging just north of 22 PR per game. Thiero leads all healthy Razorbacks in points (16.1), rebounds (6.2), and field goal attempts (9.8) per game, so we should see his counting stats continue to climb in the wake of Boggie Fland's season-ending injury. Fland's missed two games thus far, in which Thiero notched 15 and 28 PR.

That's a wide range, but Saturday's matchup gives Thiero a shot at realizing his upside. Kentucky has the SEC's worst scoring defense, yet they're 36th nationally in adjusted tempo and second in the conference in average pace.

They've bled production across the board, though forwards have been particularly successful against them. In matchups with Power Conference teams, the Wildcats have allowed the most points (15.8 per 40 min) and third-most rebounds (9.6) to the position. Forwards have pounded them for 5.8 FTA per 40 minutes, most among Power Conference teams.

Thiero (6.4 FTA per game) should be able to take advantage of those struggles, especially with how well he's fared in pace-up spots. He's averaged 24.6 PR against top 100 tempo teams, reaching for 30 PR twice in five such matchups.

Considering how many possessions Kentucky's style of play leads to -- and their struggles to defend the wing -- this is an intriguing spot to buy low on Adou Thiero's points + rebounds prop.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.