Top 3 College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (1/10)

Only one top-25 team is in action tonight, and they're road underdogs. Can the 22nd-ranked UCLA Bruins pull off the upset over the Maryland Terrapins? In another Big Ten matchup, the Wisconsin Badgers host the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Will the Badgers struggle against the Golden Gophers' defense? What should we expect when the Wagner Seahawks battle the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils?

Here are the best college basketball picks for Friday, January 10.

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Friday’s Best College Basketball Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

UCLA vs. Maryland

Both of these teams enter Friday's matchup losers of two consecutive games. The UCLA Bruins fell by eight at Nebraska, then followed up that performance with a 19-point home loss to the Michigan Wolverines. Meanwhile, the Maryland Terrapins had to travel to the West Coast to battle the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies. They lost both games by single digits.

With both teams struggling, I don't trust either one tonight. With the game being played in Maryland, taking the Terrapins at -5.5 is probably a good play against the spread (ATS), but they haven't proven anything. The Bruins did beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs earlier this season.

Therefore, I'm taking the over. These two teams are both allowing fewer than 65 points per game, but their defenses have let them down a bit now that the competition has ramped up. The Terrapins have allowed at least 75 points in back-to-back games and the Bruins just gave up 94 points to the Michigan Wolverines. With both teams averaging over 75 points per game, I expect at least one team to clear that number tonight. And since this game should be played within 10 points the whole way, the losing team will do enough to hit this number.

Pick: Over 139.5 Points (-105)

Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Badgers have scored at least 74 points in six consecutive games. During that stretch, they dropped 116 points against the Iowa Hawkeyes in a 21-point victory. This season, they're averaging 83.3 points per game. While they've certainly had their fair share of lackluster offensive performances, tonight's matchup is a favorable one.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have allowed all four Big Ten opponents they've faced this season to score at least 81 points. Every one of those teams is averaging fewer points per game this season than the Badgers. 

As 13-point favorites, the Badgers will dictate the pace of this game. Since they like to score points and aren't afraid to let opponents get their fair share, this should be a higher-scoring contest than what the Golden Gophers are used to. But because the Badgers' offense has struggled so much this season, I'll take the Badgers' team total rather than the game total.

Pick: Wisconsin Team Total Over 77.5 Points (-115)

Wagner vs. Central Connecticut State

The total for this game is set at an astounding 118.5 points. While that may be low enough for some bettors to just blindly bet the over, both of these teams have played very low-scoring affairs this season. In their last game, the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils defeated the Mercyhurst Lakers 62-50. The Wagner Seahawks were part of a 64-52 loss last Friday.

But for as low-scoring as some of these games have been, this is one matchup where the total is simply too low. The Blue Devils are favored by 9.5 points and they're averaging 72.6 points per game. While the Seahawks are allowing just 58 points per game, they've given up more than that in their last three games against Division I competition.

While the last Blue Devils' game saw just 112 points, their previous 13 games all went over this total. The Seahawks' defense can frustrate opponents, but the Blue Devils are clearly the better team in this matchup, and they haven't been frustrated much this season. 

Pick: Over 118.5 Points (-105)

Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.