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College Basketball Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Monday

Mike Spector

Last Updated: January 23, 2023 9:43 AM EST • 3 min 13 sec read.

College basketball best bets.
College basketball best bets.

College basketball takes center stage with the NFL playoffs on hold until next weekend. Read on for our college basketball best bets for Monday based on the top NCAAB odds. 

History was made over the weekend with Kansas’ loss to TCU and Houston’s loss to Temple. The two losses marked the first time in AP Poll history both of the top two teams lost at home in a two-day span, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Here are our college basketball best bets for Monday (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, PointsBet, and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our Kansas vs. Baylor picks!

Monday’s College Basketball Schedule and Odds

(odds via DraftKings)

  • Kansas vs. Baylor (-2.5)
  • Duke vs. Virginia Tech (-2.5)
  • New Mexico vs. Nevada (-2.5)

Check out our best March Madness odds and Wooden Award odds.

College Basketball Best Bets for Monday

  • Spread: Boston University +5.5 (-115 via FanDuel) vs. Colgate ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Moneyline: Virginia Tech (-140 via DraftKings) vs. Duke ⭐⭐⭐
  • Total: Kansas-Baylor Over 149 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Upset: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (+145 via PointsBet) vs. Grambling ⭐⭐⭐

College Basketball Top Picks

Spread: Boston University +5.5 vs. Colgate (-115) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Colgate has won 23 consecutive games against conference opponents and has been leading at the half in eight of the last nine such road games. However, Boston University held a seven-point lead with 11:39 to go in a road game 12 days ago against Colgate, and we are backing the Terriers plus the points as a four-star play.

The Terriers were competitive in the first game despite getting just six points from leading scorer Walter Whyte (14.2 points per game). It was just the second time in the previous 14 games he has been held to single digits. If the Terriers can compete on the glass as they did in the first meeting (outrebounded Colgate 42-35), they should be in position for a home upset. 

Colgate has not covered any of its last five games, and we like Boston University to extend that streak to six. Making this wager at FanDuel is worth the slight extra juice as all competing sportsbooks are offering +5.

Moneyline: Virginia Tech ML vs. Duke (-140) ⭐⭐⭐

Virginia Tech enters on a seven-game losing streak but is knocking on the door for a big win, as five of those losses were by four or fewer points. Hokies head coach Mike Young and his complex offensive sets are difficult to prepare for and even more so with just one day in between games. The Hokies should get plenty of clean looks as they turn the ball over on just 15% of their possessions (12th-best), while Duke ranks 221st in turnovers forced. 

The home team is 9-3 against the spread in the last 12 meetings between these teams, and we expect the Hokies to run Duke’s road cover-less streak to six games. Surprisingly, this number has gone in Virginia Tech’s favor, increasing from -130 overnight.

Total: Kansas-Baylor Over 149 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐

After the Jayhawks’ embarrassing 23-point home loss to TCU, the second-worst in the Bill Self era, the head coach lamented in post-game interviews how impressed he was by TCU’s speed. That does not bode well for confidence in his team’s ability to defend the Bears in this matchup.

Self’s worst home loss was in 2021 when Texas won 84-59 at the Phog. In the game after that, Kansas allowed 64 points but exploded for 93 on offense. The difference was that team finished the season ranked 12th in adjusted defensive efficiency, and this team is ranked 19th and trending downward. 

We are making this a three-star play, as the Over has cashed in 17 of Kansas’ last 25 road games and is 4-1 in Baylor’s last five games against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better. Other sportsbooks have moved to 149.5, and that is the highest we would play this line.

Upset: Arkansas-Pine Bluff ML vs. Grambling (+145) ⭐⭐⭐

Arkansas-Pine Bluff has won five consecutive games, its only winning streak of the season thus far. However, we like that streak to continue, as the Golden Lions’ defense should cause havoc for a struggling Grambling offense.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff ranks second in adjusted defensive efficiency in conference play and has forced turnovers on 21.6% of possessions (47th), while the Tigers cough the ball up on 22.5% of their possessions (346th). This is a three-star play, backing the trend that the home team is 6-1 ATS in the previous seven meetings between these teams.

PointsBet is offering the best value, as Caesars and DraftKings are as low as +130.

College basketball best bets made 1/23/2023 at 6:16 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Mike Spector
I have been in the sports writing industry for over three years, working for sites like BettingPros/FantasyPros, Oddschecker, and Sportsbook Review. In my first year writing for BettingPros, I finished with the #2 overall record in their annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an over/under and moneyline perspective. I am an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, and all college sports. In my opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and I am especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. I am a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." Follow me on Twitter for my best bets and commentary to go along with the wagers.