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Top College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Sunday (1/8)

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Happy New Year All! This is where the college basketball season really takes off as we are officially in the year of March Madness. I hope that successfully betting on college basketball was part of your New Year’s resolution because I will be providing successful plays up until the end of the season. Remember to shop around for the best odds. Especially for lower-tier games, you can find multiple points of value depending on the different books you bet at.

Here are my best bets for today’s men’s college basketball slate.

And check out our other best bets for Sunday:

All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Ohio State at Maryland

I am normally scared of betting on road favorites in college basketball, but this is a special case. Compared to most DI programs, Maryland doesn’t have as much of a home-court advantage, ranking 262nd in the home-court metric, whereas Ohio State has actually played better on the road this season.

Where I expect this game to be won is on the glass. The Buckeyes’ top-ranked offense has succeeded at such a high clip due to their ability to rebound the ball and capitalize on second-chance opportunities. Their 36.7 percent offensive rebound rate ranks 11th highest in DI, with their second-chance conversion percentage coming in ranked at 16th. 

There are a lot of outcomes to this game. The Terrapins rank 363rd in momentum and 362nd in consistency so I would be surprised if the final actually comes down to a single possession. If you have the ability to tease this out, one way or another, I would take that. Either team could win by 20, but Ohio State is the right play here. 

Play: Ohio State -1.5 (-115)

Houston at Cincinnati

Again, I don’t normally choose this many road favorites but man, this Houston team is something else. To describe the Cougars’ defense as suffocating wouldn’t be doing it justice. They rank in the top five in both two-point and three-point percentage defensively, while forcing turnovers on nearly a quarter of the opponent’s possessions. You cannot buy a bucket down low against this team.

Cincinnati has been quite underwhelming this year after entering the season with tournament hopes. They come into this game ranked 72nd in KenPom with only a single top-100 win on their resume. Their strength is ball control, but they have yet to face a defense like Houston’s.

Bar Torvik has this game closer to a 12.5-point spread, three points of value. Houston is 11-5 against the spread this season, and I am okay riding the wave of lower spreads until the books recognize this team for the gauntlet they are.

Play: Houston -9.5 (-110)

Other Plays:


Wright State -5.5 (-105)

American -4.0 (-105)

Mount Saint Mary’s +1.0 (-115)

 

As a friendly reminder, I post all my plays on the BettingPros app and website, so make sure to follow all my selections that might not make it in these articles.

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our How To Section — including How to Avoid the 7 Biggest Sports Betting Mistakes â€” or head to more advanced strategy — like Thinking Like an Expert Sports Bettor â€” to learn more.

Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>


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