loading...
League Logo
MLB
League Logo
MLB
League Logo
NFL
All
    loading...

    Today's top picks: Duke vs. North Carolina among best bets, plus more college basketball, NASCAR and 2022 Super Bowl picks for Saturday

    SportsLine's proven experts share their favorite bets on the Early Edge podcast for Saturday, Feb. 5
    Hero Image

    Host Allan Bell is joined by betting experts Mike McClure, Micah Roberts and Justin Perri on the Early Edge podcast, powered by SportsLine. Get highlighted plays for the college basketball, NASCAR and the 2022 Super Bowl for Saturday, Feb. 5, and you can stream the show live every morning on the SportsLine YouTube page.

    The guys are excited for a big weekend of sports, with 150 college basketball games on tap for Saturday and the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Coliseum on Sunday (6 p.m. ET). 

    Micah, a former bookmaker, provides updates on the odds movement on the 2022 Super Bowl. The spread has moved from 3.5 points to 4.5 on the Bengals vs. Rams matchup (6:30 p.m. ET). The sportsbooks are seeing two-way action on the new number, which should remain steady until at least Friday. The total has dropped to 48 from 50, and there has been unusual movement on the money line, with the Rams now -200 at most books. The early money is usually on the underdog, but it looks like sharp betters are backing Los Angeles.       

    As always, Justin is all over the college basketball, and with games like Kansas vs. Baylor and Duke vs. North Carolina, it's going to be a big day. He expects Duke to beat North Carolina in what could be Mike Krzyzewski's final game in this rivalry. But he isn't betting on the Blue Devils, with UNC 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings and 14-0 SU in its last 14 games at home. 

    In the Big 12 matchup, Kansas is favored by 2.5 against the Bears (4 p.m. ET). Baylor is 3-15 SU in the last 18 against Kansas, and he expects the Jayhawks to prevail but anticipates a very close game.   

    Playing off Perri's commentary, Allan jumps in with the SportsLine Plays of the Day, with the site backing Duke -3 against the Tar Heels (6 p.m. ET). The Blue Devils are 18-3 SU this season and are covering 71 percent of the time on the road and 77 percent when playing on four or more days of rest. The site is also backing Villanova -5 against UConn (noon ET). The Wildcats have covered in 66 percent of their home games and holding opponents to 54.1 points per game on their home floor.    

    Mike has three college basketball plays, and he is taking Michigan State -2 (+100) against Rutgers (4 p.m. ET). "I think Rutgers is getting a little too much credit in this one for playing on their home floor," McClure says. He sees the Spartans having a distinct advantage with their strong defense against the Scarlet Knights offense. Rutgers is sound defensively but inefficient on the offensive end, and Mike thinks MSU should be a two-possession favorite.

    McClure also is backing Kentucky +1 against Alabama (8 p.m. ET), with the Crimson Tide lacking on the defensive end. "Alabama isn't quite up to par in terms of defensive efficiency in these types of matchups," Mike says. "I expect Kentucky to have a pretty big edge in terms of getting and generating second-chance points, which should keep them in a competitive game, at the very least." Mike also is taking Over 146.5 in the Syracuse vs. Louisville matchup (2 p.m. ET), with the Orange putting up tons of points but struggling to prevent them.       

    Micah has a couple of picks, jumping on the NASCAR Busch Light Clash and taking Denny Hamlin +175 over Kyle Larson. There is no data on this track or the new cars, but Hamlin is an ace on short tracks. "Ten career wins on the short tracks," Roberts says, adding that Martinsville is the most comparable "and Denny Hamlin's the best at Martinsville." He also expects strong short-track drivers Martin Truex, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano to be in the mix Sunday.

    The race was created to piggyback off the Super Bowl in Los Angeles, and Micah has a couple of plays off the big game, as well. He isn't on the Rams to win yet, but he likes Von Miller to win the MVP award at huge odds of +6000. The L.A. pass rusher is healthy and on a tear. "Seven sacks in his last seven games, I believe he's got 12 tackles for loss, as well," Roberts says. "He is playing at his best." Roberts believes Miller can make some game-changing plays and win the award for a big payout. If he doesn't win the award, Roberts still likes Miller to go Over 3.5 tackles (-130). 

    Justin has a lot more college basketball, offering three more plays and considering several more to post later on Twitter. He also likes Michigan State -2 (+100) against Rutgers. "This is too small," Perri says. Rutgers is playing great at home, but they shouldn't be getting that much credit for the home-court advantage against a very strong Spartans team. His model has the spread at MSU -6.5.

    He also says the wrong team is favored in the South Alabama vs. Georgia State (2 p.m. ET) and is taking the Jaguars +3. He expects South Alabama to win outright, by at least two. Perri also is backing Southern -11.5 against Alabama A&M (6:30 p.m. ET). "Southern U should win this game by like 15 points," he says. Alabama A&M has lost by a combined 58 in its last two road games.

    Early Edge is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Castbox and wherever else you listen to podcasts. Enable push notifications so you always know when the latest episode is available! Every episode is also available on YouTube. Follow @SportsLine on Twitter and Instagram  

    Follow our crew on Twitter: @AllanBell247, @Mike5754, MicahRoberts7 and @JustinPerri8. You can listen to Early Edge on your smart speakers! Simply say "Alexa, play the latest episode of the Early Edge podcast" or "Hey Google, play the latest episode of the Early Edge podcast." For more betting picks and analysis, visit SportsLine.com. To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit CBSSports.com/podcasts.

    SportsLine Staff

    Share This Story