As we get closer to March Madness, college basketball betting on schools you've probably never heard of is just around the corner. Take the mid-major Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, for example—they shocked the nation with a Final Four run in 2018 and look poised for another tournament appearance this year.
So if you want turn a profit on these smaller schools before the rest of the country jumps on the bandwagon, here are our mid-major betting tips for college basketball odds on games from February 12-14.
ATS team to watch: Loyola Ramblers (17-3 SU, 12-5 ATS)
Upcoming: Drake Bulldogs - Saturday, February 12 at 12 p.m. ET, and Sunday, February 14 at 3 p.m. ET.
We featured the Drake Bulldogs in this article last week after they cracked the AP Top 25, and they were promptly destroyed by Valparaiso by 17 points despite coming in as 13-point favorites. Drake bounced back with an 80-59 win against Northern Iowa on Wednesday but has been replaced in the Top 25 by another Missouri Valley Conference team in the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers.
Loyola has won 10 games in a row and is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14. The Ramblers are highly efficient on offense, ranking third in the country with a field-goal percentage of 52.1, and have the top scoring defense in the country, holding opponents to just 56.3 points per game.
The two MVC schools are now on a collision course with Drake hosting Loyola this Saturday and Sunday. While it's difficult to make an ATS pick until we see what the line will open at, the Under could be in play with these sides combining for 124 and 127 points in their two meetings last year.
Loyala had been crushing Unders, going below the total in eight straight contests before last weekend's two-game set with Evansville, a pair of totals which oddsmakers had set at incredibly low numbers of 118 and 120.5.
With Drake averaging 81.4 points per game, expect the O/U to be higher this weekend. Despite their scoring success, the Bulldogs rank outside the Top 200 in possessions per game, while the Ramblers play at one of the slowest paces in the country.
Team to beware of: UAB Blazers (16-2 SU, 10-6-1 ATS)
Upcoming: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs - Friday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday, February 13 at 4 p.m. ET.
The Blazers have cruised to the top of the Conference USA standings with a 16-2 mark and six straight wins, but another victory won't come easy this weekend on the road against Louisiana Tech.
The Blazers are one of the stingiest defensive teams in the country, holding opponents to just 57.8 ppg but the Bulldogs aren't too shabby in that department, either, limiting foes to 65.9 ppg on 40.2 percent shooting.
While defensive play tends to travel well, shooting often doesn't and the Blazers don't buck that trend. UAB averages 75.8 ppg on 46.6 percent shooting at home, but those numbers drop to 62.8 ppg on 41.5 percent shooting in away contests.
Louisiana Tech is coming off a tough road loss to North Texas but is 10-1 SU at home this season and has covered the spread in eight of its last 10 games overall. The Bulldogs have also owned the head-to-head rivalry against UAB in recent years, going 3-0 SU and ATS in the last three meetings, with each win coming by double digits.
Over/Under team: Oakland Golden Grizzlies (8-15 SU, 17-6 O/U)
Upcoming: Robert Morris Colonials - Friday, February 12 at 7 p.m. ET, and Saturday, February 13 at 5 p.m. ET.
Oakland has been one of the best Over bets in the country this season, going 17-6 O/U and going above the total in six of its previous seven games.
While the Golden Grizzlies have been solid on the offensive end of the floor thanks to point guard Jalen Moore and his 18.7 points and 8.0 assists per game, their brutal defense has been the real reason they have been cashing Overs.
Oakland is among the worst defensive squads in the country, surrendering 81.6 points per game on 48.2 percent shooting. Luckily for Moore and the Grizzlies, this weekend they'll be facing off against the Robert Morris Colonials, who are equally as bad at guarding opposing players.
The Colonials also rank outside the Top 300 when it comes to scoring defense, allowing 78.5 ppg on 47 percent shooting to Division I foes. Both teams, while decent on the offensive glass, are also among the worst defensive rebounding squads in the nation.
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