College Basketball Player Props & Best Bets Today: Tuesday (Dec. 9)

My college basketball best bets and player props today are taken from Tuesday’s loaded slate of games, which feature six AP-ranked teams.

The premier event of the day is the Jimmy V Classic doubleheader at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where I expect one of the best freshmen in the country to put on a show. Elsewhere, I am making a likely contrarian play on the total in a game involving No. 2 Michigan despite its incredible offensive efficiency thus far.

🏀 College basketball best bets & player props: Dec. 9

💰 College basketball expert picks today

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

⬇️ Villanova vs. Michigan prediction: Under 151.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Michigan opened its impressive run to the Players Era Festival title with a 94-point output, and then proceeded to score 100-plus points in each of its last three games. That marks the first time the Wolverines have scored 100 in three straight games since 1989 when they won the national championship.

My biggest reason for backing the Under is that Michigan leads the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, and is 3.4 points better in that metric than the next-best team in the country. That is bigger than the gap between the second and 11th-best team.

In addition, Villanova has played just one game against top-10 competition this year as it opened with BYU. It was clear that Kevin Willard’s game plan was to bring the game to a snail’s pace, and the Wildcats limited the Cougars to 71 points and nothing in transition, despite BYU playing clean overall with just four turnovers.  

This total has skyrocketed from yesterday’s opening line of 148.5, providing further value on the Under. BetMGM is the only of our best sports betting sites charging standard -110 juice at 52.38% implied odds to back the Under at the highest total on the market at 151.5. A $10 winning wager would net $9.09 in profits.

🦬 Bucknell vs. Rider prediction: Bucknell -1 (-105) ⭐⭐⭐

Something has to give in this Bucknell vs. Rider matchup, which is a meeting of two teams amid nine and five-game losing streaks, respectively. I have more confidence in the Bison schematically to win for the first time since Nov. 7 after starting 2-0.

Bucknell played almost exclusively zone defense against Akron and was torched for 1.3 points per possession in zone offense. But Akron is one of the most efficient drive-and-kick offenses in the country, so that is not the best barometer.

Meanwhile, Rider boasted the country’s least efficient zone offense before scoring just 66 points and shooting 4-of-13 from 3-point range against Merrimack’s almost exclusive zone defense two games ago.

Bucknell is a 1.5-point betting favorite at all other best sports betting apps, so I am taking advantage of the extra half-point in value, while still getting 53.49% implied odds through the -105 price. If the Bison cover, my $10 winning wager would return $9.52 in profits.

⛹️ College basketball player props today

Search the best college basketball player prop odds for any team or player across every market from legal sportsbooks in your area.

⬆️ AJ Dybantsa, PF, BYU: Over 20.5 points (-115) ⭐⭐⭐

Clemson is facing its second straight opponent whose offense is heavily predicated on driving the basketball. While BYU does not space the floor with as many dangerous perimeter shooters as Alabama, the fact that the Crimson Tide scored 90 points and averaged 1.25 points per possession spells trouble for the Tigers defensively tonight.

AJ Dybantsa has topped this projected total in just three games this year, but has been right there with 18 points scored in three others. Facing a Clemson defense that has the 23rd-best 3-point percentage allowed, I expect Dybantsa to be relentless in attacking the rim tonight.

If Dybantsa scores 21 or more points, my $10 winning wager would net $8.70 in profits.

⬇️ Kylan Boswell, PG, Illinois: Under 3.5 assists (-115) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Illinois point guard Kylan Boswell has finished with exactly three assists in each of the last four games. Those contests included two games against solid defensive teams (UConn and Tennessee) and two games where the team won comfortably (LIU, UT Rio Grande Valley), so his minutes were limited.

His ceiling for assists is lowered tonight facing an Ohio State defense that allows assists on just 47.1% of made field goals (68th-best in the country). KenPom also has Illinois scored 79 points in this road conference tilt, which is under its scoring average for the season.

bet365’s -115 odds carry a 53.49% implied probability, and would return $8.70 in profit on a winning $10 wager.