College Basketball Best Bets Today: Can Keaton Wagler Be Stopped?

While just two ranked teams play on Thursday, Iowa State and Illinois, my college basketball best bets today focus on both teams' top scorers.

My college basketball picks also include backing Northwestern with an advantageous matchup and an underrated Hawaii team on the road.

🏀 College basketball best bets today: Back the hottest scorers in the country

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds.

💰 College basketball picks today

Check out all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.

Penn State vs. Northwestern prediction: Northwestern -7.5 (-110 via Caesars) 

Though both Northwestern and Penn State are among the six Big Ten teams with losing records, the Wildcats' resume is a lot more impressive. Chris Collins' team is ranked No. 62 by KenPom, thanks to one of the most consistent bucket-getters in the country.

Nick Martinelli is fourth in the country in PPG (23.4) and poised to take Penn State to task. The Nittany Lions have the worst defense in the conference, No. 227 in adjusted efficiency, and have been outscored 86.4 to 72 in Big Ten play.

Penn State is 1-3 ATS in its last four. 

Hawaii vs. UC Irvine prediction: Hawaii ML (+114 via DraftKings)

With a lighter slate today, Hawaii vs. UC Irvine is worth staying up for (11 p.m. ET, ESPNU). Although the Rainbow Warriors are an underdog, they've been one of the best turnarounds in college basketball, and have already won as many games this year as last year (15).

Eran Ganot's team has one of the best defenses in the country, ranking top-25 in both points allowed per game (64.9) and adjusted efficiency. And in what should be a defensive battle, Hawaii's offense can be the difference.

The Anteaters are just No. 271 in adjusted offensive efficiency.

⛹️ College basketball player props today

Colorado vs. Iowa State prediction: Milan Momcilovic 25+ points (+270 via bet365)

It may be Joshua Jefferson in the Wooden Award odds race, but Milan Momcilovic is Iowa State's best scorer. The former Wisconsin Mr. Basketball is arguably the best shooter in the country; he leads the nation in 3-point percentage (54.1%) and is No. 2 in made 3-pointers per game (4.0).

Momcilovic is deadly from deep and is putting up 20 PPG in Big 12 play, including going for 25-plus in two of his last three outings.

Colorado has one of the worst defenses in the conference and is ranked 344th out of 365 teams in 3-point percentage allowed (37.1%).

Washington vs. Illinois prediction: Keaton Wagler 4+ made 3-pointers (+230 via bet365)

This freshman class is insane, and Keaton Wagler helped put an exclamation mark on that statement this past Saturday by dropping 46 on Purdue. Wagler now has Illinois among the March Madness odds favorites after his third game of four-plus threes this month.

The 18-year-old is top 20 in the country in 3-point percentage (43.5%) and has taken that up to 46.9% in Big Ten play on 3.3 makes per game.

Washington's perimeter defense has been shaky at times this season, with conference opponents hitting 34% from deep against it (11th in the Big Ten).

🚀 Best college basketball parlay picks today