Top 3 College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (1/24)
Tonight, the Marquette Golden Eagles will battle the Villanova Wildcats in a Big East matchup. Can the Wildcats decipher the Golden Eagles' defense? In the Big Ten, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions meet in a battle of two of the best offensive teams in the nation. And finally, who has the advantage in the only top-25 matchup of the night, as the Purdue Boilermakers host the Michigan Wolverines?
Here are the best college basketball picks for Friday, January 24.
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Friday’s Best College Basketball Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Villanova vs. Marquette
The Wildcats have lost three of their last four games after a one-point loss to the Georgetown Hoyas on January 20. In each of their losses, they've failed to score more than 68 points. Tonight, they face a defense that is allowing just 66.5 points per game. Additionally, the Golde Eagles have allowed 59 points in back-to-back contests.
What's even more concerning for the Wildcats is that this game is being played at Marquette. The Golden Eagles are allowing just 64.2 points per game on their home floor. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are averaging nearly six points fewer per game when playing on the road. So while the Wildcats are averaging 76.9 points per game, they've struggled in recent games, don't shoot well on the road, and are about to face one of the best defenses in the nation. Everything is pointing to them hitting their Under tonight.
The Pick: Villanova Under 67.5 (-115)
Michigan vs. Purdue
The only top-25 matchup of the night will be played in West Lafayette, Indiana, as the Boilermakers take on the Wolverines. The Boilermakers have won seven of their last eight games, but they're coming off a 73-70 home loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Meanwhile, the Wolverines have won six of their last seven, but they've played back-to-back overtime games against two of the worst teams in the Big Ten.
This game will ultimately come down to whether the Boilermakers' defense can shut down the Wolverines' offense. The Wolverines rank 10th in the nation in scoring, averaging 84.6 points per game. But in road games, they're averaging just 80.3, and they're about to battle a defense that hasn't allowed more than 80 points in a game since a December 21st loss to the Auburn Tigers.
If this game was being played in Michigan, then it might be worth looking at the Wolverines. However, with this game being played at Purdue, the spread simply isn't large enough. The Boilermakers' defense will prove to be too much for the Wolverines, and though the Boilermakers won't score a lot of points, they'll score enough to cover this spread.
The Pick: Purdue -4 (-110)
Penn State vs. Iowa
There is no total too high to avoid when these two teams step on the court. The Hawkeyes are averaging 87.3 points per game, which ranks fourth in the country. While opponents usually try to slow them down, that won't be the case tonight, as the Nittany Lions also score at a high rate, averaging 84.2 points per game.
Because both teams score so much, opponents tend to have success against them as well. Both are allowing over 70 points per game, with the Hawkeyes giving up an average of 78.5 per contest.
The Hawkeyes’ most recent contests saw just 139 points. However, in their 10 games before that one, at least one team scored 85 points in every contest, with some seeing both teams easily clear that number. Two of the Nittany Lions' last three games have gone over 160 points. Considering how offensive-minded both of these teams are, it may even be worth taking an alt-line at a higher total.
The Pick: Over 168 (-110)
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.