5 Best Bets for College Basketball Saturday: Fade City!

North Dakota (-7) vs. UMKC

There is no debate that North Dakota is the hottest team in the country right now. Per Haslametrics.com, the Fighting Hawks rank tops in the nation in "Momentum," a measure of a team's previous four to eight performances compared to its entire body of work. They enter Saturday on a seven-game win streak and currently sit atop the Summit League standings. We're not sure what Paul Sather has done to get his team playing so well down the stretch, but it's a train we're willing to hop on. Lay the points here.

Maryland (+2.5) @ Ohio State

This is our typical weekly fade spot. While Maryland has been playing a bit better in recent weeks, it's impossible to expect anything from this Ohio State team right now. The roster construction is a mess, and it's easy to believe head coach Chris Holtmann lost the locker room in a disastrous season in Columbus. The Buckeyes have one win in the Big Ten in 2024 and have been dreadful on the defensive end, ranking worst in the entire conference. Back the Terrapins to get it done on the road here.

Manhattan (-4.5) vs. Siena

It's another fade spot with a Siena team that continues to reach new lows. It's been historically the worst season in the college's history as they currently have the third-worst offense in the country, according to KenPom with just three wins on the season. And they aren't just losing; they are getting boatraced every night. The Saints have lost by double-digits in four of their previous five games, and we don't see that changing with a trip to Draddy Gymnasium. Consider alternate lining this one all the way up to -9.5.

Florida (+2.5) vs. Auburn

Despite being in contention for a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, Auburn's road resumé isn't much of anything at this point. Their best true away win likely came just last week in a victory over Ole Miss, who ranks nearly 30 spots lower in KenPom than this Gators team. The Tigers have struggled to show up in big spots often this season and you're sure to see a rocking atmosphere in Gainesville for a team that really needs another Quad 1 win on its resumé to help its bubble case. Back the hungrier dogs in this SEC bout.

North Dakota (-7) vs. UMKC

There is no debate that North Dakota is the hottest team in the country right now. Per Haslametrics.com, the Fighting Hawks rank tops in the nation in "Momentum," a measure of a team's previous four to eight performances compared to its entire body of work. They enter Saturday on a seven-game win streak and currently sit atop the Summit League standings. We're not sure what Paul Sather has done to get his team playing so well down the stretch, but it's a train we're willing to hop on. Lay the points here.