College Basketball Best Bets Today: ATS & Over/Under Picks for Thursday (Dec. 18)
My college basketball best bets today take advantage of a lighter slate for Thursday’s action.
The most competitive matchup of the night is Illinois St. vs. Southern Illinois on ESPN+. Oklahoma City and TCU are also in action, with the former hosting Kansas City and the latter welcoming Oral Roberts to town.
🏀 College basketball best bets today: Dec. 18
See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds.
| Bet | Best odds | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois State +2.5 | -110 via BetMGM | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Kansas City +30.5 | -110 via DraftKings | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Oral Roberts-TCU Under 148.5 | -110 via FanDuel | ⭐⭐ |
| Davidson -5.5 | -108 via DraftKings | ⭐⭐ |
💰 College basketball expert picks today
Want more college basketball betting advice? Check out all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.
Illinois State vs. Southern Illinois prediction: Illinois State +2.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐
The short spread suggests this battle between in-state foes is the best matchup of the night. I prefer the value on the road underdog, given that Illinois State (8-3) is the better team compared to Southern Illinois (6-5).
Bart Torvik’s metrics actually made the Redbirds short favorites tonight. They have been efficient offensively all year, ranking 65th in effective field goal percentage, 61st in offensive turnover rate, and 70th in 2-point shooting.
If Illinois State can take care of the rock and get favorable shots, I like getting the points in an upset spot.
Kansas City vs. Oklahoma State prediction: Kansas City +30.5 (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
This is a letdown spot for the Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-1), who are coming off a nine-point loss to their in-state rival. I expect more coasting for Oklahoma State during the soft spot in the schedule before Big 12 play.
The Cowboys rank ninth in adjusted tempo, so they want to play fast. However, they rank 262nd in 3-point rate and even worse (345th) at defending the 3-point line. That math makes it difficult to lay this many points with the Cowboys.
Evan Miya’s metrics believe there is value on the Kansas City Roos (2-10), projecting a line of 25 points for this game.
Oral Roberts vs. TCU prediction: Under 148.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐
I’m not sure how much offensive success Oral Roberts (5-8) will have against TCU (7-3) on Thursday.
The Horned Frogs rank 26th in adjusted defensive efficiency. They block shots at the 17th-highest clip in the country, while posting a steal rate that ranks 58th. Their average defensive possession length of 18.2 seconds is 337th overall.
Basically, the Golden Eagles might not even reach their team total (62.5) in this one. I like the Under in this game; the Horned Frogs don’t need to do too much.
Temple vs. Davidson prediction: Davidson -5.5 (-108 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐
Most college basketball projections have this spread slightly higher. Evan Miya has Davidson laying -7.7, while Bart Torvik projects an 8.1-point difference.
This is a numbers play for me, though the Wildcats (8-2) could find some success against the Owls (6-5) at home. Temple ranks 314th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency as well as defending 3-pointers.
Well, Davidson ranks 14th with a 3-point percentage of 39.7%. I like this spot for the Wildcats.
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