This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Friends, I'm not going to sugar coat it: it is rough out there. While today kicks off my favorite three weeks of the year, the slate is sparse and brutal. My advice today is to tread lightly, and if you must play along on this Monday, do so with caution and forgiveness in your heart. Let's see what we can unearth today.
Howard at 
South Carolina State
Howard let us down last week with a bad loss at Morgan State and followed that up with another at NC Central on Saturday. However, the Bison are still tied for first in the MEAC with a week to go and finish off a four-game road trip at lowly SC State. The fortunes of Howard have been tied to the status of big man Steve Settle III who missed both losses mentioned above with a head injury. As of this writing, his status today is unknown, so keep an eye on that if interested in playing this game.
College Basketball Best Bet: Howard -5.5 (universal)
Baylor at 
Oklahoma State
I believe Baylor is primed for another deep run in March as it continues to adjust its rotation to include Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. JTT is just seven games into his return after missing most of this season recovering from last year's severe knee injury. All of the Bears' conference losses have come against KenPom Top 25 teams and at #42, Okie State isn't at that level. After rallying around Avery Anderson's season-ending injury with three straight wins, the brutal and unrelenting Big 12 schedule has taken its toll on the Cowboys. OSU has lost four straight by an average of almost 15 ppg. Baylor beat OSU by 16 in Waco with Anderson, and any home court advantage the Cowboys may have will be cancelled by Anderson's absence. Baylor rolls to keep its slim Big 12 title hopes alive.
College Basketball Best Bet: Baylor -1 (@ DraftKings)
Portland State vs 
Sacramento State
My handicap for this game is very elementary: a win by Sac State would be their best conference road win this year and would be Portland State's worst conference home loss this year. A Vikings win coupled with a loss by Idaho State tonight would propel Portland State into the top half of the Big Sky and a 5-seed in the conference tournament. Portland State is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games as favorites, and with this reasonable line, this is a reasonable play.
College Basketball Best Bet: Portland State -3.5 (universal)
Monday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Monday, February 27:
- Howard -5.5 (universal)
- Baylor -1 (@ DraftKings)
- Portland St. -3.5 (universal)
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the College Basketball odds page on RotoWire.
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