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College Basketball Player Props & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Wednesday

Mike Spector

Last Updated: February 14, 2024 4:10 PM EST • 5 min 14 sec read.

College basketball best bets.
College basketball best bets.

There are lots of intriguing conference clashes on Wednesday's college basketball schedule, and we offer our top college basketball player props and best bets based on the best college basketball odds.

Since December, there's been a consistent trend of at least one AP top-10 team losing a road game to an unranked opponent each week. That includes two such occurrences happening this week: No. 6 Kansas losing to Texas Tech 79-50 and UNC losing 86-79 to Syracuse.

It is unlikely that No. 1 UConn will continue that trend playing at DePaul on Wednesday, as the Blue Demons are one of seven teams in the country without a win in conference play. The other game that fits this trend is No. 8 Tennessee playing at Arkansas, as the Volunteers look to rebound from a 16-point road loss at Texas A&M last weekend.

Here are our college basketball player props and best bets for Wednesday (college basketball picks based on odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Wednesday’s college basketball schedule and odds

(Odds via Caesars)

  • Michigan State vs. Penn State | Spread: Michigan State -3.5 | Total: 144
  • Miami vs. Clemson | Spread: Clemson -7.5 | Total: 151.5
  • Xavier vs. Seton Hall | Spread: Seton Hall -2.5 | Total: 145
  • South Carolina vs. Auburn | Spread: Auburn -11.5 | Total: 137.5
  • UConn vs. DePaul | Spread: UConn -24.5 | Total: 140.5
  • Tennessee vs. Arkansas | Spread: Tennessee -9 | Total: 152

Wednesday’s college basketball best bets

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Wednesday’s college basketball player props

Tyson Walker (Michigan State) Under 16.5 points vs. Penn State (-115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Michigan State guard Tyson Walker is the fourth-leading scorer in the Big Ten, averaging 19.0 points per game and connecting on 46.5% of his shots (38.6% from 3-point range). Walker followed up a stretch of three games with 15 or fewer points by scoring 19 or more in each of his last three outings, and the team went 2-1 in that span. However, head coach Tom Izzo revealed that his star player has been dealing with a nagging groin injury, and was quoted as saying, “He’ll just never be 100% this year – but if he’s 90, I’m cool with that. And that’s what we gotta do.”

Penn State is a prime opponent that could limit Walker’s scoring potential, as Ace Baldwin is one of the most pesky on-ball defenders in the country. Baldwin leads the Big Ten (and ranks 16th nationally) in steal percentage, and will likely be assigned to Walker the entire game, as he has played the full 40 minutes in three of the team’s previous five games. While Walker scored 22 points in the first meeting between these teams, that came in a 92-point eruption from the Spartans, and the Nittany Lions have held two of their last four opponents to 63 or fewer points.

DraftKings charges -125 in juice to back the Under, so we are getting the best value on this wager at bet365.

Donta Scott (Maryland) Over 6.5 rebounds vs. Iowa (-145 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

Since the new year, Maryland forward Donta Scott has secured seven or more rebounds in three of the team’s 11 games. However, two have come in the last 11 days, and if the Terrapins keep up their top-11 national ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency and effective field goal percentage defense, they will continue to force plenty of misses.

Iowa ranks eighth in Big Ten play in offensive rebound percentage, so we expect Maryland to clean the glass on most of its defensive possessions. With the Hawkeyes attempting the 12th-lowest 3-point rate in league play, we do not expect many long misses that tend to get scooped up more by guards.

Scott has done a good job of staying out of foul trouble, ending with three or fewer fouls in five of the last six games. And he has played at least 30 minutes in every game in that span, so he should be on the court plenty to match the physicality of the Hawkeyes frontcourt.

As of Tuesday night, DraftKings was offering +120 odds to back the Over of 6.5 rebounds, and while that number and price is no longer available, we are undeterred by the -145 juice at the O/U of 5.5 (DraftKings is slightly more expensive at -150).

Wednesday’s college basketball game picks

Xavier-Seton Hall Under 145.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

Seton Hall has not beaten a non-Big East bottom-feeder in nearly a month, as its only two wins since Jan. 16 are against Georgetown and DePaul, who have one conference win between them. The Pirates’ issues in the four losses in that span stem from the offensive end, as they scored 67 points in regulation of a three-overtime loss to Creighton, and averaged 58 points per game in the other three defeats.

The Pirates have turnover issues, giving the ball away on 20.5% of their possessions in league play, the worst in the Big East. That will not cut it against a Xavier defense that ranks in the top 30 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, and the Musketeers have held the last nine Big East opponents not ranked in the top three in the league standings to 68.1 points per game. That includes limiting Seton Hall to 54 points in a 20-point home win in late December, as the Pirates committed 14 turnovers and shot 32.4% from the field. 

The Under has cashed in six of Seton Hall’s eight games following a loss this season, and we expect another defensive struggle to break out in this rematch.

All of our other best sports betting sites have an O/U of 145, so Under backers will find the best value at FanDuel, whose line is a half-point higher.

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Notre Dame -2.5 vs. Georgia Tech (-120 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Notre Dame snapped a seven-game losing skid with a 74-66 win over Virginia Tech and should be confident entering this matchup, as its last win before the losing streak was an overtime road victory against Georgia Tech.

The Fighting Irish overcame 16 turnovers in that first meeting by outrebounding the Yellow Jackets 48-33. The defensive glass has been a major weakness for Georgia Tech, as it allows opponents to secure an ACC-worst 32.1% of its misses in conference play, and its vulnerability in the paint is why the Yellow Jackets own the league’s worst adjusted defensive efficiency and turnover percentage forced.

Notre Dame should also have a significant advantage in paint points as it allows opponents to make a league-low 44.5% of its shots from inside the arc. We expect the Fighting Irish to use its bottom-30 tempo to limit possessions, and the Yellow Jackets are 0-5 in their last five games when they have not topped 67 points.

Despite being 3-10 straight up in league play, Notre Dame covered the spread in eight of those games, while Georgia Tech is just 6-14 ATS against unranked opponents this season. The -120 juice is worth it at FanDuel, as all of our best sports betting apps have a spread of Notre Dame -3.5.

College basketball best bets made Wednesday at 6:39 a.m. ET

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

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Written By:
Mike Spector
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”