Top NCAAB Pick: Iowa State +9½ (-105) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)

Big Monday on the college basketball betting card ranges from a Mississippi Valley State team still seeking its first win, through an ACC rivalry and all the way to an enormous showdown in the Big 12 between co-leaders Iowa State and Houston.
Let’s go through tonight’s action with our NCAAB odds in hand to determine the optimal choice at the top-rated online sportsbooks.
Virginia Cavaliers vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Monday, February 19, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Cassell Coliseum
Sitting third just a game out of the ACC lead, Virginia can put pressure on North Carolina and Duke by snaring an early dubya to begin the week at Virginia Tech and also give the Cavaliers a sweep of the Commonwealth rivalry.
Home Team Wins Last 6
The Cavaliers and Hokies aren’t as far apart as the voters in the two conventional polls might tell you. The odds confirm it with Virginia Tech favored in this matchup by 3½ over No. 21 Virginia.
These two met almost five weeks ago in Charlottesville. Favored by 5, Virginia took the lead for good about midway through the first half and fought off Virginia Tech for the 65-57 final that marked the 6th-straight win and cover for the home team in the rivalry.
The last time a road team picked up a win was nearly four years ago when the Cavaliers prevailed 53-50 in a defensive showdown in Blacksburg, just enough to cover the 2½-point chalk they were giving up to the Hokies. Virginia leads the series, 98-59.
The Pick
Coming off their first home loss since falling to Houston in December 2022, it was good to see the Cavaliers gut through a tight win over Wake Forest last Saturday. Give me the points.
NCAAB Pick: Virginia +3½ (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils vs. Alabama State Hornets
Monday, February 19, 2024 – 08:30 PM ET at Dunn-Oliver Acadome
After 25 trips to the floor this season, Mississippi Valley State is still looking for its first win. According to BetOnline, it won’t come on Monday’s matchup at Alabama State, where the Delta Devils are 16-point underdogs.
Totals Split Last 4 Meetings in Montgomery
One of the 25 losses the Delta Devils suffered came against the Hornets when the two sides met in early January.
It was as close as Mississippi Valley State has been to a SWAC win. However, the Delta Devils couldn’t hold a lead in the final minutes as Alabama State took a 54-51 decision.
It was the conference opener for both schools. The good news for MVSU backers is the Delta Devils were well inside the 11-point spread oddsmakers laid on Alabama State, their second consecutive cover in the rivalry.
Scoring Continues to Plague Devils
Offense has been a huge issue for the Delta Devils. They rank last in scoring (54.4 ppg) and 359th (out of 362) in shooting (37.7%), all of which was evidenced by the fact they netted just 8 points in the first 10 minutes of the January matchup with Alabama State.
The Pick
Using a little Charlie Robison logic, these are desperate times for the Delta Devils and they’re just liable to play a little desperately against an Alabama State team that’s giving up too many.
NCAAB Pick: Mississippi Valley State +16 (-110) at BetOnline

Iowa State Cyclones vs. Houston Cougars
Monday, February 19, 2024 – 09:00 PM ET at Fertitta Center
ESPN is giving prime-time love to a huge top-10 showdown in the Big 12, where co-leaders Iowa State and Houston square off with the Cougars looking to avenge a loss to the Cyclones earlier.
Cyclones on 5-Game Cover Streak
Houston should be feeling very good after dismantling Texas on Saturday. It was almost as if the Cougars were toying with the Longhorns early before finding another gear to close the first half in an 82-61 final that doubled up a 10½-point spread.
The Cougars never trailed in the contest, with their biggest lead at 26 thanks to picking Texas clean with 13 steals. Houston is fifth in the country in that column (10.0 steals per game).
Iowa State is two rungs higher than the Cougars at 10.7 thefts a game, a figure the Cyclones didn’t quite reach in Saturday’s 82-74 victory over Texas Tech. It was just enough to cover the 7½ while easily getting past a 136-point total.
The Red Raiders made a valiant effort to rally from a 21-point hole. However, the Cyclones staved off their challenge thanks in large part to a 28-0 advantage in scoring off Texas Tech turnovers.
Cougars 6-0 in Big 12 Home Affairs
Iowa State handed Houston its first loss of the season when the teams met on January 9 in Ames.
The Cyclones zipped out to a 14-0 lead before the Cougars even knew what hit them.
Houston did mount an impressive comeback in the 57-53 defensive thriller that was knotted with a minute to go. It was the first time the programs met since 2010 and only the seventh time ever with Iowa State owning a 4-3 lead.
The Pick
Should be hand-to-hand combat and another close matchup that once again points to the underdog visitors covering for a winning college basketball pick.
NCAAB Pick: Iowa State +9½ (-105) at BetOnline

*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.