Top College Basketball Picks for Friday, January 28 (2022)
In yesterday’s article, we ended up going 3-0 with each team winning outright. Tonight’s slate isn’t nearly as juicy and there aren’t that man exciting games, to begin with. I would absolutely look to manage your bankroll going into the weekend with tons of college hoops on Saturday, and of course, the NFL Playoffs on Sunday.
Below are my three favorite bets for January 28, but I won’t be putting nearly as much money on these bets in comparison to yesterday’s games, for example.
All odds via BettingPros consensus
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Purdue Fort Wayne vs Northern Kentucky: Northern Kentucky -2.5 (-110)
(7:00 PM ET tip)
Northern Kentucky already lost to Purdue Fort Wayne by double-digits, but I’m not ready to give up on the Norse here. The Norse should have success on the offensive end going against Purdue Fort Wayne’s brutal defense. The Mastodons are allowing teams to shoot an effective field goal percentage of 54.3 percent while giving up 35.6 percent threes and 54.8 percent of shots inside on the season.
Purdue Fort Wayne is ultimately the better offense with a much higher shooting percentage, however, Northern Kentucky should be able to dominate the boards in tonight’s game and that will allow the Norse extra opportunities to score some points against a terrible defense.
Bet: Northern Kentucky -2.5 (-110)
Marist vs Quinnipiac: Quinnipiac -120
(7:30 PM ET tip)
Marist has lost four of its last five games and played five straight home games. Now they’ll head out on the road and it doesn’t really get any easier. Quinnipiac is shooting 32.3 percent from three and 51.9 percent from inside the arc. The Bobcats will also get to the line at a higher pace, despite both teams not being great at getting to the line, to begin with.
The Bobcats have the higher effective field goal percentage and force more turnovers. They’ve also held teams to 33.9 percent from three and 48.6 percent from inside the arc. Defensively, Quinnipiac matches up well against Marist and should be able to limit offensive rebounds in this game.
I’ll take the home favorite.
Bet: Quinnipiac (-120)
Boise State vs Fresno State: Boise State (-115)
(11:00 PM ET tip)
Unfortunately, I’m not sure I’ll be staying up for this one on the East coast. I’ve got articles to write in the morning! Duh! But Boise State hasn’t lost a game since November 30. So I’m pretty confident with this team at this point.
The Broncos already defeated Fresno State, 65-55 at home in December, and just beat Utah State, San Diego State, and Wyoming, while keeping all three teams at 62 or fewer points. Boise State even has wins against Washington State and Santa Clara earlier this season.
The Broncos are holding opponents to a 45.2 percent effective field goal percentage while allowing just 21.6 percent offensive rebounds. Fresno State is a slightly above-average offense, shooting an effective field goal percentage of 50.7. But against Boise State, those above-average offenses turn into average offenses. And that won’t be enough to beat Boise State, as they get to the line at a high rate and earn 33 percent offensive rebounds.
I agree that this game will be tight throughout, but do believe Boise State comes away with the win with solid defense. Also, don’t get me wrong, Fresno State’s defense is also extremely good. We’re in for a great game… I just wish it wasn’t at 11 pm ET!
Bet: Boise State (-115)
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Jason Radowitz is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him @Jason_Radowitz.