College Basketball Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Wednesday
More than half of the AP top 25 is in action on Wednesday as college basketball action ramps up after the holidays. Read on for our college basketball best bets for Wednesday.
The lone ranked vs. ranked matchup on Wednesday’s slate is in the SEC, as No. 8 Alabama pays a visit to Starkville to take on No. 21 Mississippi State.
Elsewhere, No. 2 UConn is out to prove an official changing of the guard is underway in the Big East when it hosts Villanova.
Here are our college basketball best bets for Wednesday (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, PointsBet, and BetMGM; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our college basketball best bets.
Wednesday’s College Basketball Schedule and Odds
- Tennessee (-9) vs. Ole Miss
- Villanova vs. UConn (-13)
- Kentucky (-2.5) vs. Missouri
- Florida vs. Auburn (-5)
- Alabama (-2) vs. Mississippi State
- Arkansas (-5.5) vs. LSU
- Xavier (-1.5) vs. St. John’s
College Basketball Best Bets for Wednesday
- Spread: UConn (-118 via FanDuel)
- Moneyline: Kentucky (-149 via Caesars)
- Total: Arkansas-LSU Under 144.5 (-110 via PointsBet)
- Upset: St. John’s (+105 via BetMGM)
College Basketball Top Picks
Spread: UConn -11.5 (-118) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
There have not been many more dominant teams thus far than UConn, as the Huskies are one of three remaining unbeaten squads and boast the country’s third-largest scoring margin at 15.6 points per game.
Six players average more than nine points per game for the Huskies, and they are balanced defensively, as well, with the 12th-best scoring defense and seventh-best rebounding margin.
Though Villanova is 5-0 since Cam Whitmore’s debut and has won six of the last seven in this rivalry, this is by far UConn’s most talented team in years.
Paying the extra juice at FanDuel is worth it, considering it is the only place where one can find the Huskies at less than -12 (they are as high as -13 at DraftKings).
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Moneyline: Kentucky (-149) ⭐⭐⭐
The last time we saw each of these teams in action against a top-25 opponent, Missouri dismantled Illinois by 22 points at home, while Kentucky lost by 10 on a neutral court against UCLA.
Though Missouri has five players averaging double-figure points, three (Noah Carter, D’Moi Hodge, and DeAndre Gholston) were playing at mid-major schools last season. Missouri’s frenetic style should be just what John Calipari’s squad needs to get a sluggish offense going.
The Wildcats have advantages over the Tigers in two major categories: 3-point shooting (39.9% vs. 36.1% allowed) and offensive rebounding (37.6% vs. 35.7% allowed).
All sportsbooks are higher on Kentucky than when it opened at -140, but Caesars still provides the best value with others as high as -157.
Total: Arkansas-LSU Under 144.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
At first glance, this total looks low for a game involving an Arkansas team that ranks third in the SEC in scoring with 79.4 points per game. However, LSU has held eight of its 12 opponents to 63 or fewer points and has limited its opponents to just 28.7% from 3-point range (31st).
The Razorbacks have had only one real test since losing Trevon Brazile to a season-ending injury, and stud freshman Nick Smith Jr. is out indefinitely, as well. That puts real pressure on Ricky Council IV and Anthony Black, the only other Razorbacks averaging double-figure points.
PointsBet is one of three major sportsbooks offering a total of 144.5, and all provide better value than the 144 found elsewhere.
Upset: St. John’s (+105) ⭐⭐
Xavier is 6-1 straight-up this season when big man Zach Freemantle scores 15-plus points. However, in two losses to St. John’s last year (by 13 and 15 points), Freemantle was held to nine and 10 points, and the Musketeers shot a combined 9-for-50 (18%) from 3-point range.
Though Xavier seems more well-equipped to handle the Red Storm’s lighting-fast pace (Sean Miller has it playing at a top-25 tempo of its own), St. John’s has not lost at home this year, and we have to back a team that won both of last year’s meetings by a combined 28 points.
FanDuel is as high as -105 on St. John’s, and though it is still considered an underdog, we are much happier to back them at plus-odds at BetMGM.
College basketball best bets made 12/28/2022 at 8:27 a.m. ET.
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
- FanDuel: Get a $1,000 No-Sweat First Bet Offer | Read our FanDuel Review
- Caesars: Earn a First Bet Offer of Up to $1,250 | Read our Caesars Review
- DraftKings: Get a 20% Deposit Match up to $1,000 | Read our DraftKings Review
- PointsBet: Earn Five First Bet Offer of Up to $100 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
- BetMGM: Get a First Bet Offer of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
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