🏀 College Basketball Predictions Today: Does NC State Stand a Chance Against Boozer?

This is March. It's finally the greatest time on the sports calendar, with the first conference tournaments tipping off this week and Selection Sunday under two weeks away.

Monday's slate leans into the spirit of the season, with a must-watch doubleheader on ESPN being the focus of my college basketball predictions today. No. 1 Duke takes on NC State while Iowa State hits the road to play Arizona in a top 10 showdown.

🏀 College basketball predictions today: Best player props & ATS picks

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 4 units | Max profit: 3.58 units

💰 Best college basketball bet today

Duke vs. NC State prediction: Duke -9.5 (-110) at NC State

Duke is ranked No. 1 and among the March Madness odds favorites, but betting on the Blue Devils has almost more to do with NC State's recent collapse. The Wolfpack are 1-6 ATS since February and 1-4 straight up in their last five.

NC State's struggles include losing its last two games to Notre Dame and Virginia, two teams Duke has beaten by an average margin of 35 points in its last two outings.

The Blue Devils have covered in four straight games and are one of two teams ranked in the top six in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

🔥 More college basketball picks & player props today

Duke vs. NC State prediction: Cameron Boozer Over 32.5 points + rebounds (-118) at NC State

The Wooden Award odds race isn't much of a race, with Cameron Boozer sprinting ahead (-4000). The freshman is top 15 in the country in both PPG (22.5) and RPG (10.0), ranking in the top two in the ACC in both categories. 

He's the most consistent player in the country. Boozer has hit a double-double in 16 of 29 games and has gone Over 32.5 combined points and rebounds 15 times.

NC State doesn't have the size to stop him. The Wolfpack are in the bottom six in ACC play in both PPG allowed (77.5) and RPG allowed (34.8).

Iowa State vs. Arizona prediction: Arizona -7.5 (-120) vs. Iowa State

These two programs have been in the top 10 all season, but are heading in different directions as of late. While the Wildcats have all but locked up a No. 1 seed, the Cyclones have lost two straight ranked matchups by nine-plus points.

Despite starting the season 16-0, Iowa State's recent play has made it hard to fathom it getting a top-two seed. The Cyclones have lost five games since mid-January and are 3-4 ATS in the last month.

With Koa Peat back, Arizona is at full strength and has covered in two straight games against top-25 teams.

Iowa State vs. Arizona prediction: Brayden Burries Over 1.5 made 3-pointers (-102) vs. Iowa State

With Peat back on the court, Iowa State won't be able to focus as much on stopping the Wildcats' other star freshman, Brayden Burries. Burries has been an assassin in some of Arizona's biggest games, shooting 45.9% from behind the arc in the Wildcats' last seven ranked matchups.

In those seven games, he's averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers per game and has hit at least two triples in five of them.

Iowa State has played lockdown defense in the paint this season, making Burries' shooting even more important. The Cyclones allow the fourth-most threes per game in Big 12 play (8.5).

💡 How I'm betting college basketball today

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.

While there's only two matchups at the high-major level tonight, both are on national TV (ESPN) and both have plenty of reasons to watch. For those reasons, I'm putting multiple units on both Duke and Arizona to shine as they put the finishing touches on regular seasons that will earn them No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke has been obliterating low-end ACC teams behind the play of Boozer, so I'd take Duke up to -10.5 and Boozer to hit the Over on points and rebounds at any price shorter than -130. As for Arizona, they've been hot since their two-game losing skid, and I'd take the Wildcats up to -8.5 against Iowa State. 

🚀 Best college basketball parlay picks today

There are two major games on the schedule tonight, and I'm all over the favorites (Duke and Arizona) in both. And when the Blue Devils and Wildcats shine, it's usually due to their star freshman, Boozer and Burries.