College Basketball Best Bets Today: ATS Picks & Player Props for Tuesday (Dec. 16)

My college basketball best bets today look to build off a profitable weekend that saw us go 3-1 with Saturday’s top four wagers.

My expert picks expect an unbeaten team to suffer its first loss and backs the Over in a late West Coast tip. Elsewhere, my college basketball player props focus on two Big East players looking to open up league play on a high note.

🏀 College basketball best bets today: Dec. 16

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

💰 College basketball expert picks today

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Miami (OH) vs. Wright State prediction: Wright State -1 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Miami (OH) is 10-0 to start the season and is amid the third-longest winning streak in the country. However, Wright State is a bad matchup for the RedHawks, and I expect the Raiders to knock them from the ranks of the unbeatens.

Entering its last game against Marshall, Wright State ranked in the 79th percentile in rim rate and 95th percentile in post rate. The Raiders attacked Marshall with much of that same reckless abandon but only shot 38.6% from inside the arc. They still averaged 1.17 points per possession, and I walked away encouraged from that loss, even if it was Wright State’s third in the last four games. 

I expect Wright State’s attacking mentality to be an issue for Miami’s undersized frontcourt, and I am backing it to cover for the eighth time in 10 games.

UC San Diego vs. Loyola Marymount prediction: Over 149.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loyola Marymount has not played in two full weeks, and that long hiatus possibly came at a great time as the Lions have lost three of four. But while rust may be a factor after a long layoff, I also expect them to push the ball in transition more than usual, coming off a season where they ranked in the 86th percentile in transition rate overall.

On the other side, UC San Diego’s offense just torched Tulane’s zone for 93 points and 1.19 points per possession. While Loyola Marymount will not deploy as much zone defense, the Tritons spread the floor well with a plethora of shooters who are making better than 40% from 3-point range this year (13th-best in D-I). 

That shooting should continue to remain red-hot, as Synergy doesn't show any regression looming in UC San Diego’s shot quality metrics. 

The Over is 6-3 in UC San Diego’s nine games against D-I competition and has cashed in 60% of Loyola Marymount’s home games. That has me backing it as the right side of the total with another confident four-star play.  

⛹️ College basketball player props today

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Zuby Ejiofor Over 14.5 points (+100 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor has seen his point total dip for three straight games, culminating in a disappointing six-point effort (his second-lowest scoring total of the season) in his last game against Iona. But Ejiofor has also gone Over this projected total in all three games against top-30 KenPom teams (Alabama, Iowa State, and Auburn), and I expect him to be at his best in this conference opener.

Ejiofor averaged 12.5 points per game in two wins against DePaul last year. But his percentage of possession and shots taken are both up from last season, and the Blue Demons run teams off the 3-point line at a top 10 rate. That suggests St. John’s will be making its living in the paint where few dominate like Ejiofor. 

The +100 price at bet365 implies a 50% probability and would return the same amount in profit as one’s initial wager if Ejiofor scores 15-plus for the third time in four games.

Silas Demary Jr. Over 3.5 rebounds (-135 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

UConn head coach Dan Hurley preaches rebounding from all five positions, as point guard Silas Demary Jr. is one of four Huskies averaging at least 4.4 rebounds per game.

Demary Jr. has finished with at least three rebounds in eight of the last nine games. He has totaled exactly three rebounds in back-to-back games, but his three-rebound performance in the last game against Texas was impressive considering he was limited to 19 minutes with foul trouble.

Despite being without point guard Jalen Jackson for the last four games, Butler still ranks in the top 28 for fastest average possession length. That up-tempo pace should play right into UConn’s hands and provide more opportunities for Demary to grab boards.  

If Demary finishes with at least four rebounds, a $10 winning wager through bet365’s -135 odds would net $7.41 in profit.