Two College Hoops Best Bets Saturday For Iron, Egg Bowls Of Basketball

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College basketball eases the blow of there being no football to bet on. Granted, it's not quite March Madness, but Saturday's insane college hoops card will keep me on the couch all day. Since it's the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend, I have more money in my budget to bet on college basketball. 

With that in mind, let's get my two looks for Saturday, both in the SEC, including perhaps the game of the year thus far: #1 Auburn at #2 Alabama. 

College Hoops Betting Card: February 15

  • Alabama Crimson Tide -113 moneyline vs. Auburn Tigers via FanDuel, risking 1.13u.
  • Mississippi State Bulldogs +3.5 (-105) at Ole Miss Rebels via FanDuel, risking 1.05u.

Auburn at Alabama (-113), 4 p.m. ET 

This season, the Iron Bowl of basketball is more interesting than the football version of this rivalry because these are the top two teams in the AP poll: #1 Auburn vs. #2 Alabama. It might be a square bet (we'll discuss that more in a second), but I'm taking the Crimson Tide Saturday. 

Per Haslametrics.com, Alabama has considerably more momentum heading into this game (the Tigers rank 319th in momentum, while the Crimson Tide are 131st) and consistency in its performance (Auburn ranks 158th in consistency, Alabama is 81st). The Crimson Tide has a better shot profile (higher 3PAr and dunk and short-range shot rates on offense, lower on defense). 

Alabama Crimson Tide PG Mark Sears drives into the lane against the Auburn Tigers at Coleman Coliseum. (Photo Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports)

Alabama Crimson Tide PG Mark Sears drives into the lane against the Auburn Tigers at Coleman Coliseum. (Photo Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports)

Also, Alabama senior PG Mark Sears averaged 23.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in two games vs. Auburn last season. I like betting on college basketball teams with veteran leadership in their backcourts and the Tigers start a freshman at point guard (Tahaad Pettiford). 

Lastly, Auburn senior All-American big Johni Broome is the best player on the floor and could win Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year this season. Yet, the Crimson Tide has a lot of bigs to throw at Broome, including starting senior PF Grant Nelson and senior C Clifford Omoruyi. 

My buy-price is "Alabama -135" or "Crimson Tide -2.5". 

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Mississippi State (+3.5) at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. ET

We go from the Iron Bowl to the Egg Bowl of basketball. I'm going back to the well with my "shot profile" analysis. Per Bart Torvik, the Bulldogs have a +6.7% dunk differential and the Rebels have a -2.6% dunk rate differential. #22 Mississippi State takes more "close 2-pointers" and allows fewer on defense. #19 Ole Miss puts up more long-mid-range jumpers and forces fewer. 

Mississippi State Bulldogs wing Cameron Matthews posts up Ole Miss Rebels PG Sean Pedulla at Humphrey Coliseum. (Photo credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images)

Mississippi State Bulldogs wing Cameron Matthews posts up Ole Miss Rebels PG Sean Pedulla at Humphrey Coliseum. (Photo credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images)

Furthermore, the Bulldogs have a strength-over-weakness edge on the glass. Mississippi State is sixth in second-chance conversion percentage on offense and Ole Miss is 180th in defensive second-chance conversion percentage, per Haslametrics.com. 

Finally, this seems like a "trap line" considering how these teams' forms entering Saturday. The Rebels have won three of their last four games. While the Bulldogs have lost three of four and are just 2-8 against the spread over their last 10. 

My buy-price is "Bulldogs +2.5"

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Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants. I'll add bets to my college basketball 2025 betting record via X all season.