Best College Basketball Betting Picks for Thursday, February 5th

It’s anything but a typical Thursday in college basketball.

The usual light night on the schedule is overflowing with 51 games and a marquee Big Ten game in Ann Arbor.

Second-ranked Michigan seeks its 21st victory, hosting a struggling Penn State squad at Crisler Center.

We’ll break down three plays for the Thursday action. Remember to monitor the odds throughout the day, as the sides and totals market is constantly changing.

Here are the free college basketball picks for Thursday, February 5.

Best college basketball plays today — Odds Courtesy of DraftKings

Penn State/Michigan Over (162.5)

West Virginia (+5.5) at Cincinnati

Memphis (+1.5) at UAB

Penn State/Michigan Over (162.5) — 6:30 p.m. ET

In the first matchup between these clubs, Michigan edged Penn State, 74–72 on January 6. Not only did the Wolverines fail to cover as 24.5-point road favorites, but the game stayed Under the total of 169.5 points.

Tonight’s total drops six points from the first meeting, as the two teams combined for 16 3-pointers in last month’s matchup. Penn State rides a five-game Over streak, although this is the highest total the Nittany Lions have seen since the last game against Michigan.

The Wolverines busted out for 83 points in last Friday’s victory over rival Michigan State, snapping a two-game streak of scoring 75 or fewer points. Michigan has finished Under the total in four of the last five home games, but look for a huge offensive effort from Dusty May’s team against PSU.

West Virginia (+5.5) at Cincinnati — 7:00 p.m. ET

The Mountaineers held off the Bearcats in the first meeting, 62–60 in Morgantown on January 6. WVU is coming off a 10-point home loss to Baylor last Saturday, but the Mountaineers are 6–1 this season off a defeat.

Cincinnati has dropped three of their last four games, capped off by a 76–54 rout at the hands of Houston last Saturday. The Bearcats have won three consecutive home contests, including shocking Iowa State as a 5.5-point underdog on January 17.

In Big 12 play, Cincinnati ranks last in offensive efficiency and the Bearcats shot a miserable 10-of-27 on 2-point attempts in the first matchup with WVU. Three of the Mountaineers’ four road losses in the league came against Iowa State, Arizona, and Houston, the top three teams in the Big 12. Let’s look at West Virginia as a road underdog to cash at Cincinnati.

Memphis (+1.5) at UAB — 9:00 p.m. ET

In one of the more quirky stats you’ll ever see, UAB is 5–0 in the AAC on the road, but 0–4 at home. The Blazers seek their first home conference win tonight against Memphis, who was tripped up by Tulane on Sunday.

The Tigers look for their second conference road victory after losing at FAU, Tulsa, and Wichita State. Memphis has won four straight meetings with UAB since 2024, including capturing all three matchups last season.

The Blazers are coming off road wins at UTSA and North Texas, but UAB has been held to fewer than 71 points in three of four home conference defeats. Let’s look at Memphis to continue their domination of UAB.