Top 3 College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (1/15)
The 2024-25 college basketball season rolls on and we have another loaded Wednesday night of games to wager on. Our top men's college basketball bets today feature Utah State at UNLV in an intriguing Mountain West matchup. Plus, we lock in picks for South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt in the SEC and Stanford vs. Wake Forest in the ACC.
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 15th.
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Wednesday's Best College Basketball Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Utah State (-4.5) at UNLV - 148.5 O/U (-110/-110)
Utah State is off to one of the hottest starts in college basketball. The Aggies are now 16-1 overall and 6-0 in Mountain West play with multiple wins over potential NCAA Tournament teams. They've also done it despite an off-season head coaching change and notable roster turnover.
As impressive as this start has been, it's a prime spot to sell high on Utah State tonight. On Saturday, the Aggies pulled off a come-from-behind win against Boise State at home. There's letdown potential after a hard-fought victory over a fellow conference power. Plus, Utah State has a home matchup vs. Nevada (another Mountain West contender) coming up next.
In between is this sneaky road game. It's a tough sandwich spot for the Aggies, who may look past UNLV a bit - especially considering the two other opponents and games. Utah State's results against Boise and Nevada could go a long way in determining the conference champ. Nevada, especially, will have revenge on its mind after suffering a tight 5-point home loss to Utah State last month.
Meanwhile, we can buy low on UNLV after it's lost back-to-back road games by double digits. The Runnin' Rebels return home now and can keep this one closer than the spread suggests. They went 7-2 ATS at home vs. conference opponents last year. One of those was a narrow 1-point loss to Utah State that UNLV somehow lost despite leading by four points with 14 seconds left.
The Rebels are a veteran-laden team with five of their top six contributors being seniors or juniors. The lone outlier is stud sophomore point guard Dedan Thomas. Specifically, UNLV can have the three-point shooting edge in this matchup.
UNLV is shooting 49.2% from three in conference play and 38.2% overall this season (27th among Division I). Utah State, on the other hand, has allowed Mountain West opponents to shoot 39.5% from three so far. The Aggies have also given up 83, 78, and 79 points in their past three conference games. The defense has barely held on lately and UNLV can exploit those struggles.
Pick: UNLV +4.5 (-110)
Stanford at Wake Forest (-7.5) - 140.5 O/U (-115/-105)
Conference realignment has forced teams from either coast to take longer, tough road trips than usual. Stanford is the prime example of that when it has to travel cross-country to face ACC opponents. Let's fade the Cardinal today as they take on Wake Forest.
Stanford is off to an 11-5 start in Kyle Smith's first season as head coach. The record looks good on the surface, but the Cardinal benefited from an easier non-conference schedule. Conversely, they have routinely underperformed against better competition. Stanford is 1-4 straight up and ATS against current top-100 KenPom teams so far.
The Cardinal have also struggled in their two most recent road ACC games. They lost by double-digits at both Clemson and Pittsburgh earlier this month. Granted, both programs are among the top 30 in the sport (per KenPom) - but the long road trips likely factored in as well. Stanford is also just 2-4 ATS in road/neutral games this season.
Admittedly, Wake Forest (12-4) has also benefited from a fairly easy schedule thus far. Still, the Demon Deacons' four losses have come on the road to Texas A&M, Clemson, and Xavier as well as on a neutral court to Florida. All are understandable results. Lately, though, Wake has reeled off three straight wins of 10+ points in conference play.
Wake's defense should control this game en route to a comfortable win. The Demon Deacons are 35th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (per KenPom) and their defensive turnover rate is second in the ACC only to Duke. Their defense is allowing just 65.8 PPG (43rd among Division I), including only 61.8 PPG over the past five home games.
Stanford's offense relies heavily on 7-foot-1 center Maxime Raynaud. Yet, Wake Forest boasts a 7-footer of its own in Efton Reid to slow Raynaud down a bit. Meanwhile, the Deacons are holding opponents to 30.9% three-point shooting this season and Stanford is below-average scoring from the perimeter.
On the other side, Wake Forest is shooting 36.9% from three in conference play while Stanford is allowing a woeful 39.4% from three to ACC opponents thus far. Wake's backcourt duo of Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth can give it the edge in the backcourt. Outside of Raynaud, the Cardinal lack reliable scorers and playmakers to make up the difference.
Grab Wake Forest cover as the home favorite here. The Demon Deacons should win the turnover battle and shoot better from deep to stretch out and maintain a lead. They're also 4-1 ATS over the past five games and trending up. Stanford is due for a letdown after beating subpar Virginia and Virginia Tech teams at home in its past two.
Pick: Wake Forest -7.5 (-110)
South Carolina at Vanderbilt (-7.5) - 143.5 O/U (-115/-105)
Our last college basketball pick today brings us to an SEC matchup between Vanderbilt and South Carolina. Like the rest of the SEC, both of these programs had strong records in non-conference play. Reality is starting to set in for the Gamecocks, though, while the Commodores are a fringe NCAA Tournament team.
South Carolina is 0-3 to begin SEC play. It lost by 35 on the road at Mississippi State and then by 20 at home to Alabama in the first two matchups. Then this past weekend, the Gamecocks blew their chance at a home upset over Auburn despite Johni Broome's injury. There's some real letdown potential for South Carolina coming off that high-effort loss and now going on the road to face a respectable Vandy team.
Vanderbilt went 12-1 in non-con play and earned a road victory at LSU in its SEC opener. After losing their past two games vs. Mississippi State and Missouri, the Commodores will be looking to bounce back at home here. They have some notable advantages over the Gamecocks in a few key areas too.
First off, South Carolina is still dealing with the absences of senior starting point guard Jamarii Thomas and senior starting wing Myles Stute. Their injuries have challenged the Gamecocks' depth and it could catch up to them in a road environment. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt rolls with a deep nine-man rotation filled with experienced upperclassmen.
Vandy should have a significant edge in the turnover department tonight. The Commodores are 16th and 17th nationally in offensive and defensive turnover rates, respectively. They also boast the sport's 7th-highest steal rate on defense. South Carolina, on the other hand, is 294th in offensive steal rate and 311th in defensive turnover rate. The Gamecocks struggle to take care of the ball and don't force turnovers while Vandy essentially does the exact opposite.
Vanderbilt is an excellent 11-5 ATS this year, including 10-3 ATS as favorites. South Carolina is just 2-4 ATS as underdogs this year and 0-2 ATS as road dogs. That includes a 35-point loss at Mississippi State earlier this month. Furthermore, the Gamecocks are averaging only 60.3 PPG in conference play so far and 64.8 PPG in their six losses this year. Grab the 'Dores to win comfortably at home.
Pick: South Carolina -7.5 (-110)