College Basketball Best Bets Today: ATS Picks & Player Props for Monday (Dec. 22)

My college basketball best bets today look to build off the 4-0 sweep from our last four-pack of plays from our previous column as I dive into Monday’s loaded slate of games.

Today's college basketball player props tackle plays from two of the Big Ten's brightest stars. And from an ATS perspective, I am backing two favorites facing teams that have underwhelmed offensively thus far.

🏀 College basketball best bets today: Dec. 22

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

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Tucker DeVries Over 15.5 points (-115) ⭐⭐⭐

Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson has taken over the team scoring lead after netting 80 points in the last three games. But that should only help Tucker DeVries going forward, after he was the focal point on offense for much of the beginning of the season.

DeVries has jacked up double-digit 3-point attempts in six of the last nine games. He should have plenty more such attempts against a Siena defense that allows opponents to shoot from beyond the arc on one-third of their field goal attempts (26th-highest in the country).

John Blackwell Under 1.5 assists (+120) ⭐⭐⭐

Wisconsin guard John Blackwell has finished with one or fewer assists in four of the previous five games. And while KenPom projects the Badgers to score 89 points tonight in a rout of Central Michigan, that could also mean less playing time for Blackwell with the game not in doubt late.

The -150 juice at 60% implied odds at bet365 makes little sense given how infrequently Blackwell has distributed the ball of late, so the +120 odds are worth a flier as a three-star play. If it cashes, my $10 wager would net $12 in profit.

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Canisius vs. Duquesne prediction: Duquesne -20.5 (-108) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This wager is all about fading a horrific Canisius offense that has averaged 51.8 points in its last four losses. The Golden Griffins rank in the bottom 10 of all D-I schools in adjusted offensive efficiency and turnover rate. 

But their defense should continue to regress, just as it did when they were holding opposing offenses 0.25 points per possessions under expectation against an 80th percentile unguarded catch-and-shoot rate, and were then immediately torched for 74 points in a loss to Siena.

DraftKings is the only of our best sports betting sites charging less than the standard -110 juice at 52.38% implied odds to back the favorites at -20.5. If the Dukes cover, my $10 winning wager would net $9.09 in profit.

Sacramento State vs. CSU Northridge prediction: CSU Northridge -10.5 (+100) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

CSU Northridge is amid a season-high three-game winning streak, despite some bizarre scheduling with a trip to Delaware in the middle.

The Matadors play at a frenetic pace (15th-fastest adjusted tempo), and are a rim reliant team, generating 53.6% of their points from inside the arc (top 65 rate). That is a bad matchup for a Sacramento State defense that has been a sieve from 2-point range, ranking 306th allowing 56.6% from inside the arc.

Compared to other best March Madness betting sites that charge up to the standard -110 juice to lay the points, FanDuel’s +100 odds are a steal. At that price, bettors would return the same in profit as their initial investment on a winning wager.