Navigate

College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (1/8)

by |

Though most of the attention on the college sports landscape today will focus around the football National Championship Game between Michigan and Washington on the gridiron, there are still 14 college basketball games that provide bettors opportunity to make money.

We focus on our two best plays from this 14-game slate to begin a new week, analyzing a game from the CAA and the MEAC.

Read on for Monday’s College Basketball best bets.

Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>

Monday's College Basketball Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Northeastern @ Monmouth (-3.5) | O/U 140.5 (-110/-110) 

Northeastern enters this game having lost four of its previous five, and since it has not beaten a team ranked higher than 189th in KenPom, its most positive result is arguably a two-point loss at Virginia. However, the Huskies caught the Cavaliers at an opportune time, with them wrapping up finals and looking ahead to a top 25 matchup against Memphis in their last game before the holiday break. We expect a Monmouth squad that has won three of its last four to continue the momentum and improve to 2-0 in conference play.

The Hawks are coming off an outright win as 3.5-point underdogs against Towson, a game in which they held the Tigers to 43 points and 26.7% shooting from the floor. However, arguably the most impressive part of the victory was how Monmouth competed on the glass, out-rebounding a Towson team that entered second nationally in offensive rebounding 45-42. Xander Rice continues to fill it up for his head coach, who is also his dad. Rice has scored in double figures in six of the previous seven games, and scored 20-plus points nine times this season. We look for Monmouth to stay hot from the perimeter (it ranks 32nd in the country with a 37.4% team 3-point shooting percentage) against a Towson defense that allows opponents to shoot 36.3% from deep.

Monmouth is a perfect 7-0 ATS when it has 2-3 days off this season and is 10-3-1 ATS overall, and we expect it to get another cover at home tonight.

Pick: Monmouth (-3.5)

Norfolk State @ North Carolina Central (pk)| O/U 137.5 (-110/-110)

North Carolina Central started December with three consecutive losses to USC Upstate, Virginia, and Radford. However, that losing streak is excusable considering the Eagles got a combined 22 minutes from their two primary ball-handlers and ball-screen operators, Fred Cleveland and Ja’Darius Harris. Those two are back and healthy, and Cleveland has averaged 21.2 points per game during the team’s recent five-game winning streak, while Harris has also scored in double figures in all five games since a two-game absence, averaging 18.4 points. Those two should pose plenty of problems for a Spartans defense that ranks 249th in adjusted defensive efficiency, and they should also come in handy against Norfolk State’s relentless pressure (the Spartans turn opponents over on 21.4% of possessions, 31st-most in the country).

North Carolina Central should have a huge edge in free throw disparity, as the Eagles rank 30th in free throws attempted per field goal attempt, while the Spartans defense ranks 349th in that category. The Eagles are a solid 8-4-1 ATS at home since the start of last season, while the Spartans are 11-15 ATS when playing on equal rest as their opponent.

Pick: North Carolina Central (pk)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Monday:


Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts

Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.

Try Premium for FREE in our mobile app

BettingPros App