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Top 3 College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (1/1)

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Happy New Year! The 2024-25 college basketball season rolls on and we have an intriguing Wednesday slate of games to wager on as you ring in the new year. Our top men's college basketball bets today feature a couple of ACC matchups between Stanford vs. Clemson and North Carolina vs. Louisville. Plus, we target the UConn vs. DePaul showdown in the Big East.

Note that all betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but shop around for the best odds and sportsbooks. Enjoy these college basketball picks and predictions for Wednesday, January 1st. 

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Wednesday's Best College Basketball Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

UConn (-10.5) at DePaul - 146.5 O/U 

A month ago, UConn found itself in a tough spot after going 0-3 in the Maui Invitational. The talks of a three-peat quickly stopped and the Huskies' weaknesses came to the forefront. Well, Dan Hurley's squad has flipped the script since then with six straight wins, including crucial non-con victories over Gonzaga, Texas, and Baylor. 

Meanwhile, DePaul's 7-0 start to the season is proving to be a bit of a fluke. The Blue Demons have since played four top-100 KenPom teams and lost all four - going 0-4 ATS as well. Three of those were respective losses of 14, 28, and 20 points to Texas Tech, St. John's, and Northwestern. They're getting exposed by better opponents now. 

Connecticut has squeaked out close wins over Butler and Xavier to begin conference play. Although the slim margins are a tad concerning, we've also yet to see the Huskies at their best against Big East competition. That could be bad news for DePaul here. 

One of the key matchups where UConn can stretch out a comfortable lead is via the three-pointer both ways. The Huskies' three-point defense is due for positive regression as they're allowing opponents to shoot 38.8% from deep (350th nationally). Conversely, they held teams to 31.2% from three last year (37th) and 29.7% two years ago (14th). UConn should improve at defending the three moving forward in conference play. 

On the flip side, DePaul has been lights-out from three this season but will likely cool down. The Demon Deacons are shooting 38.9% from deep (22nd) and rely on the three-pointer for 43.5% of their total scoring (3rd). Those are unsustainable numbers for a team that was completely rebuilt in the offseason with Chris Holtmann in town. 

After failing to cover the first two games of conference play, UConn should win by double-digits in an easier matchup. The Huskies went 13-7 ATS vs. Big East competition last year, including 7-3 ATS on the road. 

Pick: UConn -10.5 (-110)

Stanford at Clemson (-10.5) - 142 O/U 

Stanford will play its first road ACC game today as it travels to Clemson. For betting purposes, we can't overlook these new cross-country road trips for teams from either coast in the conference. There's a chance Stanford is a bit sluggish offensively - especially against a good defensive team in Clemson. 

The Tigers are 26th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. They're holding opponents to 66.5 PPG (70th) overall, but that number drops to 60.2 PPG in Clemson's wins this year. Brad Brownell's squad should be buttoned up defensively at home as they look to move to 3-0 in conference play. 

Stanford has faced only three teams rated in the top 100 at KenPom. It's averaging just 67.7 PPG in those three matchups and just got held to 61 points by Oregon last time out. The Ducks are a similar upper-tier defensive team like Clemson and we could see a similar poor offensive showing from the Cardinal. 

Plus, Clemson will control the tempo of this game at home and keep things slower-paced. The Tigers are 288th overall in adjusted tempo while forcing opponents to 19.2 seconds in average possession length (363rd nationally). The tight defense will keep this game low-scoring overall as Clemson grinds its way to a home win. 

Pick: Under 142 Total Points (-112)

North Carolina at Louisville (-1) - 164.5 O/U

Our last college hoops pick takes us to another ACC matchup between North Carolina and Louisville. Both programs are off to shaky starts this season and a win today could prove to be critical for either's NCAA Tournament hopes. 

UNC is 8-5 this year with all five losses against top-20 KenPom teams. That's been the Tar Heels' issue - competing with their upper-tier opponents. Their poor record against good competition thus far means a road win at Louisville is that much more important. UNC's recent win over UCLA on a neutral court was much-needed and a step in the right direction. 

Meanwhile, Louisville has a pair of neutral court wins vs. Indiana and West Virginia but has otherwise struggled against better competition. The Cardinals are 0-5 straight up and 1-4 ATS vs. teams in the current top 40 of KenPom - including double-digit losses to Tennessee, Duke, and Ole Miss. Pat Kelsey's team has regressed a bit as the season's gone on and a two-point win over Eastern Kentucky last Saturday is worrisome heading into this matchup. 

North Carolina has struggled to shoot and defend the three-pointer. The Heels are shooting 32.0% from three (234th nationally) and allowing opponents to make 35.5% from beyond the arc (264th). However, Louisville also has issues in both areas. The Cardinals have a 29.9% three-point shooting percentage (303rd) while giving up 36.2% from deep (288th). 

Since that weakness is a wash for UNC in this spot, its talent should take over. RJ Davis, Eliot Cadeau, and Ian Jackson are a more reliable and skilled scoring trio for the Tar Heels than any combination for Louisville. The Cardinals are also still struggling to replace the all-around production of Kasean Pryor, who's lost for the season with a torn ACL. His inside scoring ability and defensive rebounding would normally cause problems for UNC - but that's all moot. 

Despite their questionable record, the Heels still rate as an upper-echelon team this year. They are 28th at KenPom overall with the 17th-best offensive efficiency and 5th-fastest tempo. UNC can score enough to win this game as Louisville struggles to keep pace - both literally and on the scoreboard.

Pick: North Carolina Moneyline (-102)

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