Top College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday, January 4th (2022)
And then there were none. After Rutgers knocked off No. 1 Purdue at Mackey Arena on Monday night, the New Mexico Lobos lost as the only remaining undefeated team in Division I. The Lobos did not pass their first test as the country’s remaining unbeaten, losing at Fresno State 71-67.
Are any other big upsets in store for today?
Here are our best bets for Wednesday’s college basketball action. (Odds courtesy of DraftKings)
Top College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday, January 4th (2022)
Penn State vs. Michigan Spread
Penn State passed its first big conference road test with a 15-point win at Illinois. Jalen Pickett is a calming presence for Micah Shrewsberry’s squad, and he is emerging as a sleeper conference Player of the Year candidate. Pickett is fourth in the league in scoring (16.8 points) and leads the league in assists (7.5).
Michigan is being overvalued for a 35-point home win in its last game against Maryland, but that should not overshadow the fact it lost on its home floor to Central Michigan the game prior. The Nittany Lions turn the ball over at the lowest rate in the country (12.9%), and Michigan’s defense ranks 275th in forcing turnovers. Thus, Penn State should be comfortable running its offensive sets in this road matchup.
Penn State has covered the spread in seven of its previous eight road games, while Michigan is 0-5 ATS following a SU win of 20+ points.
Bet: Penn State +3.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
UConn vs. Providence Spread
Danny Hurley’s UConn squad will be stewing after suffering its first loss at Xavier. But it is clear that to compete with UConn, one needs to be a physical basketball team that can compete on the backboards, which is precisely who Providence is.
The Friars rank sixth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (38.4%) and will test UConn’s depth, as they rank first in the league in free throws attempted per field goal attempt. Providence is also allowing conference opponents to shoot just 23.1% from beyond the arc through four games. It can follow the blueprint that Xavier used to keep UConn’s Jordan Hawkins to just 1-for-5 from 3-point range after the sharpshooter connected on multiple 3-pointers in every game he played at least 23 minutes this year. Offensively, Providence’s Ed Croswell has averaged fewer than seven points per game in the team’s three losses and has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games (all wins). His ability to neutralize Adama Sanogo will go a long way in securing another possible home upset.
Providence has covered seven consecutive games, and we look for an eighth tonight.
Bet: Providence +4.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Missouri vs. Arkansas Spread
Missouri’s Kobe Brown is one of the lone holdovers from the Cuonzo Martin era and is a big reason for the Tigers’ early-season success. Martin is averaging a career-high 15.6 points and is shooting better than 45% from 3-point range. He is one of four of Missouri’s top five leading scorers shooting better than 36% from deep, and Arkansas’ 37th-fastest tempo should play right into Missouri’s hands as a top-30 tempo team itself. The Tigers rank in the top four nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage, and two-point shooting percentage (61.3%) and match up well with the Razorbacks.
Missouri has covered four consecutive road games, and we look for a fifth straight tonight.
Bet: Missouri +7.5 (-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.