College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (1/30)
Welcome back to another day of best bets for the college basketball slate. We had a clean sweep last time but this season has been extra hard. College basketball is difficult to handicap already but this year has been especially interesting. There is plenty of time for teams to form identity and we're only continuing to learn as the season progresses. College hoops has historically been my best sport to cover so I'm confident we'll bounce back.
Here are my best bets for Tuesday's slate. You can follow all my bets on my BettingPros profile as I add last-minute bets and player props once they drop.
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Monday's College Basketball Best Bets
Last Time: 3-0 | Season: 34-33
Marquette at Villanova
The Big East has always been the most difficult conference to handicap but I'm feeling good about this one. It's a toss-up with the spread around a pick-em and despite Marquette outranking Nova in all the metrics, where the Golden Eagles struggle is on the road.
Villanova should command the pace here at home but Kyle Neptune's squad has struggled recently. Ranking 338th in consistency and 348th in momentum, Villanova has lost four straight and five of its last six, with their only win coming against DePaul.
What Marquette does well is force turnovers, doing so at the seventh-highest clip in the nation. While Shaka Smart and Co. struggle a bit on the road, they are the better team here. They take care of the ball and will have the opportunity to score nearly every possession. Marquette's mid-range shooting ranks third in the nation and their defense is underrated. The Golden Eagles will limit second-chance looks and transition offense as well. This is an easy pick for me, Marquette is winning this game.
Play: Marquette +1.0 (-110 at DraftKings)
Texas Tech at TCU
Both Texas squads are coming off remarkable road wins with the Horned Frogs a triple overtime thriller against Baylor and Texas Tech taking down Oklahoma. It's time to take both of these teams seriously.
The Red Raiders have shown their capacity to play on the road and have gone 11-1 in their last 12 games with their only loss coming to Houston. Texas Tech can shoot from deep, and avoid foul trouble as well, despite relatively physical play.
What stands out to me is how these defenses line up against one another. Texas Tech forces teams to beat them on the perimeter, but the Horned Frogs prefer the interior look. Texas Tech alternatively scores over a third of their points from beyond the arc, the 78th highest in the nation. TCU should force them inside, which isn't exactly Tech's bread and butter.
If I had to choose, I'd take TCU with the spread. Luckily for me, I'm much more confident about the total so I'm going to comfortably take the under here.
Play: Under 149.5 (-110 at PointsBet)
San Diego State at Colorado State
If you've been following the college basketball season, this game needs no introduction. Still, I understand that following Mountain West games are difficult for most of the country. Both teams sit comfortably in the tournament, so you should get to know them.
San Diego State has been as consistent as they come with Jaedon LeDee arguably the most improved player in the league. The Aztecs’ defense is stout, rebounding to eliminate second-chance looks while they shouldn't allow anything from deep.
On the other side of the ball, Colorado State may not score well from deep but has the advantage in the mid-range and near-proximity look. They take care of the ball well and are skilled at getting to the charity stripe. The home-court advantage isn't exactly great for the Rams and I trust this San Diego State team. I'll take another short dog here outright.
Play: San Diego State +1.5 (-105 at Caesars)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Tuesday: