Top College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday, December 31st (2022)
Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! I hope everyone festively rings in the New Year and you build some solid betting momentum heading into 2023.
Here are our best bets for Saturday’s college basketball action. (Odds courtesy of DraftKings)
Top College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday, December 31st (2022)
UConn vs. Xavier ML
UConn was two points away from extending a historic streak in its last game. The Huskies’ eight-point victory against Villanova was the only non-double-digit win of their 14-0 start, and their 13 double-digit wins to start the season were college basketball’s third-most since 1980. However, Villanova did not play particularly well, as its 18 turnovers were double its season average, and it made just 5-of-22 3-point attempts and still was within two with less than four minutes to play. Xavier is the country’s third-best 3-point shooting team (40.8%) and has the necessary size to match UConn’s mammoth frontline.
Xavier is 7-2-1 ATS in its last ten games against teams with a .600 winning percentage or better, but we will eschew the +2.5 point spread and call for an outright upset of the No. 2-ranked team in the country to kick off a loaded college basketball slate.
Bet: Xavier ML (+120 at DraftKings)
Baylor vs. Iowa State Spread
We certainly respect Iowa State at home, as “Hilton magic†has helped it raise its game to superhuman levels on its home floor over the years. But that magic is getting overblown in this matchup, especially for a Cyclones team whose biggest wins on a neutral court against Villanova and North Carolina do not look as good in hindsight as they did then.
Baylor has a significant advantage on the offensive glass, rebounding 36.8% of its misses (14th), while Iowa State allows a 31.0% offensive rebounding percentage (258th). And while the Cyclones forced 32 combined turnovers in their big wins over the Wildcats and Tar Heels, strengthening their D-1 best turnover rate (31%), Baylor is not far behind, forcing turnovers on 24.1% of opponents’ possessions (23rd).
The Bears failed miserably in their only true road game of the season, a 96-70 blowout loss at Marquette. However, they are 33-16-2 ATS in their last 51 road games, and we expect them to cover this short number today.
Bet: Baylor -2 (-110 at DraftKings)
Oklahoma State vs. Kansas O/U
The Cowboys have one of the oldest and most experienced rosters in Division I (top 60), which is a big reason their defense is ahead of their offense at this point in the season. Oklahoma State ranks 17th in adjusted defensive efficiency and held high-powered UConn and Virginia Tech to a combined 14 points under its season averages in non-conference losses. The Cowboys face a Kansas team that ranks outside the top 50 in points per game and one that was held under 70 points in games against Duke, Wisconsin, and Tennessee, two of which have worse defensive metrics than the Cowboys.
Kansas’ fifth-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency means it is due to cash an Under after the Over went 4-1 in its last five games. The Under is 12-3-1 in Oklahoma State’s last 16 games following a SU win, and two solid defensive teams should produce another low-scoring game.
Bet: Oklahoma State-Kansas Under 139 (-110 at DraftKings)
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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.