Saturday College Best Bets | March 8, 2025
Written by: Colby Marchio
Published: Fri Mar 07, 2025, 2:25 pm ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
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Saturday's college basketball slate is loaded, and I have my eyes on two spots where the home teams have the edge. Missouri looks to bounce back at home on senior night, while Marquette has revenge on its mind against St. John's. With conference tournaments looming, expect both teams to come out locked in and ready to cover.
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Last Month in CBB: 44-47 (-6.27 Units)
Thursday's Card: 2-4 (-1.45u)
#19 Kentucky vs #15 Missouri Best Bet
Can the Tigers bounce back after two straight road losses?
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The Missouri Tigers enter Saturday looking to bounce back from two straight road losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, both average SEC teams. Now back home for senior night, they face No. 19 Kentucky, fresh off a dominant 95-65 win over LSU on Tuesday.
The Wildcats have struggled outside of Rupp Arena, ranking as the 10th-worst road team per Haslametrics. Now, they must travel to Missouri to face the 60th-best home team. In SEC road games, Kentucky ranks 13th in defense, third-worst in forcing turnovers, and fifth-worst in interior defense.
Missouri, on the other hand, excels offensively at home—ranking 12th in two-point scoring, 23rd in three-point shooting, and fifth in free throw rate. They also boast a top-75 defense, ranking 34th in turnover defense.
With a chance to regain momentum before the SEC Tournament, the Tigers should be locked in for senior night. I am taking the home team to cover the three and a half.
Best Bet: Missouri (-3.5) on BetOnline
#6 St. John's vs #20 Marquette Best Bet
Will the Golden Eagles get their revenge on St. John's?
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I am obsessed with Rick Pitino and the St. John's Red Storm, but what exactly are they playing for here—besides pride? They have already locked up the Big East regular-season title and just need to close out the season in Milwaukee before heading home to chase a conference tournament championship.
Marquette, on the other hand, has plenty on the line. They need to regain momentum after Wednesday's loss to UConn and will be looking for revenge after falling 70-64 to St. John's on February 4. Add in the emotional factor of senior night, and the Golden Eagles should be locked in from the start.
The Golden Eagles are a different team at home, boasting the 19th-best defense per Bart Torvik. They force turnovers at an elite level and defend the perimeter at a top-75 clip. That defense is backed by a top-75 offense that takes care of the ball and ranks top 70 in two-point scoring.
With St. John's lacking motivation in this spot, Marquette as a short home favorite is tough to pass up. The Golden Eagles should come out focused on senior night, while St. John's likely has its sights set on the Big East Tournament. Give me the home team to take care of business.
Best Bet: Marquette ML (-125) on BetOnline
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Former D1 (club) baseball player, Colby has been betting since his college days at DePaul, where he had to endure the worst collegiate basketball the Big East has ever seen. He is an advanced analytics nerd and has never seen an underdog he has not liked. Hot. Corn. Bull. It does not matter the dog he loves them all.
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