Best College Basketball Bets for Thursday, February 12: Take Belmont and Tennessee State to Cover

• Belmont won the last game against Northern Iowa, but the Panthers won the previous three

• Tennessee State is 9-4 ATS on the road; Southern Indiana is 1-8 ATS at home

Tonight’s college basketball schedule is not packed with a bunch of widely recognized teams. But that does not mean it’s a bad night to bet on college hoops. No, if anything, it makes tonight a great time, which is why we are sharing our ‘Best College Basketball Bets’ list with you guys.

If you are feeling less inclined to bet on teams you know little about, that’s understandable. Most people feel that way, which means it is unlikely sportsbooks take so much action on a game that the line shifts. That means bettors can take advantage of mispriced games.

Tennessee State Tigers vs. Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles Odds & Pick

• Spread: Tennessee State -5.5 (-110) | Southern Indiana +5.5 (-110)     

• Moneyline: Tennessee State -230 | Southern Indiana +190

• Total: OVER 149.5 (-110) | UNDER 149.5 (-110)

Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Join FanDuel and claim your welcome offer: Bet $5, Get $100 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins. Get more info on the FanDuel Promo Code in our detailed overview.

Tennessee State (16-8, 10-4 OVC) is one of the top three teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, tied with Southeast Missouri State for second-best, one game behind UT Martin. They are coming off a big 83-56 win over Western Illinois and have won four of their last five games.

When they played Southern Indiana (5-19, 2-12 OVC) at home on Jan. 17, the Tigers won, 73-67.

As for the Screaming Eagles, the struggle has been real all season, as they have scattered five wins across 24 games, with two coming in conference play (71-54 vs. Tennessee Tech and 96-64 vs. Western Illinois). 

They last played on Saturday, vs. Southeast Missouri State, losing 90-65.

• My Pick: Tennessee State -5.5 at -110 via FanDuel

I do not understand why this spread is so low. Yes, the margin of victory was just six points in the first game with the game at Tennessee State. But when a team is 3-8 at home like Southern Indiana, I don’t think there is much of a home-court advantage.

The Tigers rank No. 1 in scoring in the conference and play decent but unspectacular defense. Southern Indiana has one of the worst offenses in the country (No. 331) and one of the worst shooting teams (No. 359 in effective field goal percentage).

Tennessee State should have crushed them the first time, but they’ll make it happen tonight.

Win a $5 Wager at FanDuel, Get $100 in Bonus Bets

Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Belmont Bruins

• Spread: Northern Iowa +5.5 (-114) | Belmont -5.5 (-106)  

• Moneyline: Northern Iowa +210 | Belmont -260

• Total: OVER 136.5 (-110) | UNDER 136.5 (-110)

Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook

After cruising through their nonconference slate with a 10-1 record, Belmont (22-4, 12-3 MVC) lost a pair of early conference games, both by a single point: vs. Indiana State, 81-80 in OT, and vs. Southern Illinois, 68-67.

They won their next nine before taking a loss Monday at Bradley, 95-84 in OT.

The Bruins rank first in the conference in several statistical categories, including effective field goal percentage (also No. 5 in the nation), assists, rebounding (defensive), scoring margin, and three pointers. It would not be shocking to see them dancing come tournament time.

Northern Iowa looked respectable during the nonconference portion of its schedule, going 8-2 before facing its first conference opponent. They even got off to a solid 4-0 start in conference play before running into Belmont the first time (Jan. 7, 2026).

The Bruins took that game, 78-65, and the Panthers went on to lose six of seven.

• My Pick: Belmont -5.5 at -106 via FanDuel

The spread is likely just 5.5 points because Northern Iowa has the No. 1-ranked defense in the country (60 points per game allowed). But Belmont shot 60% from the field and 48% from the three-point line in the previous matchup.

Northern Iowa also has the No. 1-ranked three-point defense. It was clearly not up to the task then, and there is no reason to think it will be now.

Bet $5 at FanDuel, Get $100 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins