This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Duke at 
Wake Forest
Wake Forest has been trending down ever since the calendar flipped to December. The Demon Deacons have lost three of their last four games, with their lone win being a one-point victory at home against lowly Appalachian State. Furthermore, two of the losses were 20-plus point blowouts to Clemson and Rutgers, so Wake Forest has not looked good at all over the last couple of weeks. Now, the Demon Deacons host their toughest opponent to date.
In contrast, Duke is riding a four-game win streak, with wins over top-tier opponents Ohio State and Iowa during that span. Duke also crushed the two weaker opponents they faced, so the Blue Devils are playing up to its high expectations.
Duke only has two losses this season, and both came against teams with defenses that rank top-25 in adjusted efficiency, per KenPom. Wake Forest's defense enters Tuesday at No. 118, so Duke shouldn't have too much trouble in this one. The Blue Devils are among the most talented teams in the country, and its young group of players is gaining experience as the season rolls along, so there's no reason to expect them to take a step back.
Strange things happen in college athletics, so it's always possible Wake Forest keeps this one close, but looking at these rosters and resumes to date, my money is on Duke to win big.
College Basketball Best Bet: Duke -8
Virginia at 
Miami
Miami is flying high, currently riding a seven-game win streak. The Hurricanes are about to be put to the test, however, as they will face by far their toughest challenge since they played Maryland back on Nov. 20. Miami got crushed in that game, which looks even worse now considering that the Terrapins are on a skid, losing their last three games.
Virginia, meanwhile, is coming off its first loss of the season, a hard-fought game against Houston. Prior to having its eight-game win streak snapped, Virginia had defeated the likes of Baylor, Illinois, and Michigan, so the Cavaliers have been thoroughly tested.
Looking at how these teams match up against each other, Virginia's offense has a sizeable advantage considering Miami's defense has been its Achilles heel this season. Just over a week ago, Miami allowed 105 points to Cornell at home, so it will need to perform better if it wants to have any success against ACC teams. The Hurricanes rank No. 124 in adjusted defensive efficiency and now have to face a Cavaliers team that ranks No. 11 on offense.
It's also worth noting, Virginia swept the season series against Miami last season, cruising by 13 at home before winning by three at Miami. Virginia has substantially improved this season, while Miami is playing at a similar level to last season, per KenPom's adjusted efficiency standings. Many players from last season will be on the court again for Tuesday's game, so these results still carry some weight.
Miami's offense will likely put up a fight in Tuesday's game, but ultimately I'm betting Virginia's defense will force difficult shots all game long, enabling the Cavaliers to pull away by the end of it.
College Basketball Best Bet: Virginia -2.5
Oklahoma vs. 
Florida
Florida enters Tuesday's game with a 7-4 record, but all seven wins came against significantly inferior opponents, while all four losses came against teams that are ranked above them in KenPom's adjusted efficiency standings. And the losses weren't moral victories, either. Florida lost by seven to Xavier, 29 points to West Virginia, and 21 points to Connecticut. The Gators have respectable numbers in the efficiency department, ranking near the top 50 in offense and defense, although looking at how it's performed against challenging teams makes one wonder if they're about to take a downward turn now that they can no longer pad their stats against weaker opposition.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, has already defeated a few teams that are on a similar level as itself, beating Nebraska, Seton Hall, and Mississippi earlier in the season. The Sooners are solid on both ends of the court, although they've mainly won with their offense, a sharp-shooting bunch. Oklahoma boasts the second-highest effective field goal percentage among all D1 teams, in addition to making 40 percent of three-point attempts, the 15th-highest percentage in the land.
All in all, it's hard to buy into Florida at this point in the season. The Gators have yet to defeat a single quality opponent, while the Sooners already have a few resume-building wins under their belt. I'll take the points in what figures to be a close game.
College Basketball Best Bet: Oklahoma +3.5
Tuesday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Tuesday:
- Duke -8
- Virginia -2.5
- Oklahoma +3.5
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