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College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (1/13)

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As we are deep in the college basketball season, now is the time to use the plethora of data to get going on winning some money. 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. It's a slow slate today, but I am sure I can still find you some winners. Remember to shop around for the best odds. Especially for lower-tier games, you can find multiple value points depending on the books you bet at.

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

Check out our other best bets for Friday:

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Today’s Best College Basketball Betting Picks

 

Villanova at Butler

I didn't expect Villanova to be here at this point in the season, but they have seriously struggled, ranking 68th in KenPom while losing four out of their last five matchups. In a Friday the 13th matchup against the Butler Bulldogs, they will have to bring their A-game.

The problem is their A-game usually depends on making threes, and their shooters have been pretty hot this season. Despite 37.7 percent of points coming from beyond the arc, the 29th highest, Villanova is shooting from deep at a 33 percent clip which ranks bottom half of the league. To go with that, Butler has a top-100-ranked three-point defense and plays the perimeter well, forcing teams inside. 

This line is where it's at because of the blue-blood favor Villanova receives. In reality, Butler should be a two or three-point favorite. They play better at home, and their interior scoring should outmatch the Wildcats. Hinkle should be bumping tonight. This will be a fun one.

Play: Butler PK

 

Michigan State at Illinois

There may not be two teams trending more in the opposite direction than these two are. After some big wins, Illinois started Big Ten play 0-3, licking their wounds with wins over an injured Wisconsin team and Nebraska. Michigan State, meanwhile, is riding a seven-game winning streak, ranking 20th in the nation in the momentum metric.

The question is – what's sustainable? Will Illinois find its groove? Can Michigan State keep up its winning ways? I think Illinois is in for some trouble, especially in conference play. Despite their effectiveness down low offensively and defensively, I trust Michigan State way more with their ability to shoot from deep and facilitate well to find the open look. 

I expect this game to come down to the wire, which also favors the Spartans. Illinois ranks in the bottom 300 in free throw percentage, while Michigan State ranks in the top 50. I'd advise continuing fading Illinois until they prove their ability to stay consistent. 

Play: Michigan State +5.5

 

VCU at Dayton

In the battle of two 12-5 teams, Dayton looks to bolster its at-large resume with another top-100 team while VCU looks for a big upset. This should be an awesome matchup.

VCU is incredibly effective at the dribble drive and drawing fouls. Over a quarter of their points comes from the charity stripe, which is the third highest in all of DI basketball. Dayton also has the tallest team in the nation, making it difficult for VCU to succeed in the paint.

One of the Flyers’ biggest weaknesses is ball control, turning the ball over 21.2 percent of possessions. This bodes well for VCU, a team that forces turnovers at the fifth-highest rate in the country.

With Dayton being one of the slowest teams in the country, I expect them to control the pace here at home. Both defenses line up well with the opposing offenses, so scoring should be challenging. This game screams under to me.

Play: UNDER 129.5

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Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.

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