College Basketball Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Thursday
The No. 1 ranked Purdue Boilermakers are the only top-25 team in action on a loaded college basketball slate. Read on for our college basketball best bets for Thursday.
Just one of the 83 games involving Division I teams has a ranked opponent in action, so bettors will get an in-depth look at some of the country’s best mid-majors.
Here are our college basketball best bets for Thursday (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, and BetMGM; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our college basketball best bets.
Thursday’s College Basketball Schedule and Odds
- Iowa (-4.5) vs. Nebraska
- Colorado vs. Stanford (-2.5)
- Providence (+1.5) vs. Butler
- Florida A&M vs. Purdue (-36.5)
College Basketball Best Bets for Thursday
- Spread: Iowa -4.5 (-110 via BetMGM)
- Moneyline: Hofstra (+100 via Caesars)
- Total: Georgetown-DePaul Over 153.5 (-110 via DraftKings)
- Upset: Providence (+108 via FanDuel) Editor's note: Hey Ohio! Welcome to legal sports betting. Check out the best sites for Ohio sports betting and the best Ohio sportsbook promos!
College Basketball Top Picks
Spread: Iowa -4.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐
The last time we saw Iowa in action, it was on the wrong end of the biggest upset this century. It lost by nine points as a 31.5-point home favorite against Eastern Illinois.
Though that loss is inexcusable no matter the circumstances, the Hawkeyes were without Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Kris Murray (19.4 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) and Connor McCaffery (7.5 points per game), both of whom will be back in action Thursday.
Iowa beat Nebraska by 33 combined points in their two meetings last year, and we expect Fran McCaffery’s squad to avenge the historic loss in a big way. The favorite is 7-3 against the spread in the previous 10 meetings between these teams, and we expect that side to cover again.
All sportsbooks are in unison with the 4.5-point spread, but a handful are charging -115 in juice to back the favorites, so we are heading to BetMGM instead.
Moneyline: Hofstra (+100) ⭐⭐⭐
Hofstra has won the last four meetings between these teams, with three coming by at least five points. Once again, the Pride should have the edge over the Blue Hens in two key areas: 3-point and free-throw shooting.
Hofstra makes 36.5% of its shots from beyond the arc (68th-best), and Delaware is the 310th-worst team in defending the perimeter (37.1% allowed). In addition, the Pride shoot free throws at the 31st-highest clip, while Delaware ranks 165th.
This line has moved away from Hofstra, who opened as a -125 Moneyline favorite. However, instead of that scaring us off, we are backing its plus-odds, where one can find it at only a few sportsbooks.
Total: Georgetown-DePaul Over 153.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Georgetown has allowed an average of 89.7 points per game during a three-game losing streak. That poor stretch has it now ranked outside the top 235 in effective field-goal percentage defense and adjusted defensive efficiency. Each team plays at a top-five pace among all Big East teams, and neither head coach will likely turn down an opportunity to turn this game into a track meet.
The Over has cashed in five of Georgetown’s last six games and is 5-1-1 in DePaul’s last seven games following a straight-up loss.
There is nothing separating the value between sportsbooks on this number, as all have the same 153.5-point total with standard juice.
Upset: Providence (+108) ⭐⭐
Over the years, Butler has been a difficult team to beat at Hinkle Fieldhouse. But this year’s Bulldogs squad is ranked outside the top 200 in minutes continuity from last season, and in its only game against top-50 competition (per KenPom) at home this season, Butler lost by 22 and scored a season-low 46 points against UConn.
Providence is not nearly as talented as UConn, but it can pound the Bulldogs on the glass as the Huskies did, out-rebounding them 54-30. The Friars rank fourth in the country in offensive-rebounding percentage (38.8%), and their 32nd-ranked adjusted offensive efficiency should have them feeling comfortable in a tough road environment.
Most other sportsbooks have the Friars at +105 odds, so FanDuel offers slightly better value.
College basketball best bets made 12/29/2022 at 8:31 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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