Although it’s a small slate in college basketball, there are a few games to get excited about and many games with value. Here are a few bets from our computers for tonight’s college basketball slate.
Picks Summary
- Duke -3 (-110)
- Boston University -4 (-110)
- Texas +5.5 (-110)
*All odds from Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Duke Blue Devils vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Monday, January 29, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Cassell Coliseum
Our AI Model believes Duke will earn a four-point victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies. With the Blue Devils at -3 on Bet365, there’s some value for Duke on the road in tonight’s ESPN matchup.
The Duke Blue Devils have won four of their last five games after earning a 72-71 win over Clemson at home on Saturday. Duke has one of the best offenses in the nation, averaging 38.1% from deep and 53.6% from inside the arc. Duke isn’t going to dominate the offensive glass; however, they’ve been one of the best teams at limiting turnovers and have added nearly 74% from the foul line, which is very good.
On the other hand, they’ll take on Virginia Tech on the road. Virginia Tech is money from the foul line, but they’re not money on the offensive glass. The Hokies have earned only 26.7% of offensive rebounds, which is even worse than Duke’s offensive rebounding rate of 28.7%.
The Hokies figure to turn the ball over more and don’t shoot it as well from downtown as Duke. The issue here is that Virginia Tech takes more three-point attempts and shoots at a worse percentage.
Therefore, Duke has the advantage from the field and should escape with a road win against the Hokies as long as the Blue Devils stay out of foul trouble. The one thing Duke can’t do is make this a high-fouling game. I’ll take Duke at -3.
NCAAB Pick: Duke -3 (-110) at Bet365
Boston University Terriers vs. Holy Cross Crusaders
Monday, January 29, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Hart Center
The AI model has Boston University earning a 71-65 win over Holy Cross on the road tonight. Bet365 currently has Boston sitting at -4, which is enough value to take Boston against the spread.
Boston University and Holy Cross are two below-average teams. Boston has only won eight games, while Holy Cross has added five wins to its resume this season. However, Boston University stands out a little bit in this game. The Terriers have held teams to the lowest offensive rebounding rate in the nation. Opponents have only grabbed 20.9% of offensive rebounds per game this season.
If Holy Cross struggles from the field at home, Boston won’t allow second chances. Beyond that, Holy Cross is one of the worst teams at getting to the foul line. They’ve also shot below 50% from inside the arc and could struggle from deep, with the Boston defense holding teams to 33.3% from behind the arc.
On the other hand, the Terriers have struggled offensively, shooting 30.4% from three and 45.7% from inside the arc. They’ll be better at limiting turnovers and typically get to the foul line more often.
However, what stands out the most is Holy Cross allowing teams to shoot nearly 38% from deep this season. Boston University isn’t consistent from downtown, but the Terriers shoot it a lot. The Terriers have plenty of guys that they’re confident from downtown. Let’s roll with Boston University at -4.
NCAAB Pick: Boston University -4 (-110) at Bet365
Houston Cougars vs. Texas Longhorns
Monday, January 29, 2024 – 09:00 PM ET at Moody Center
The AI Model predicts Houston will earn a five-point win outright against the Texas Longhorns on the road. However, Texas is a 5.5-point underdog. At home, as a solid underdog, Texas looks to be the play here.
The Houston Cougars are the best defense in college basketball. They’ve limited teams to a 41.2% effective field goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot 28.3% from deep and 40.3% from inside the arc. However, the Cougars foul at a very high rate and aren’t spectacular on the defensive glass.
The Longhorns will shoot a 54.8% effective field goal percentage and have shot 37.7% from three and 53.9% from inside the arc. On top of that, the Longhorns have nailed 73.5% of foul shots. Texas, at home, will make some tough buckets with the crowd on their side. It’s up to Houston to make their looks.
The Cougars have only shot 35.3% from three and 48.5% from inside the arc. Houston will limit turnovers and dominate the offensive glass, but they’re not efficient around the rim and don’t shoot the three-ball consistently anyway.
Texas has held teams to a 48.3% effective field goal percentage and is still a top 75-defense in college basketball this season. The Longhorns won their last home game against Baylor and even won a road game against Oklahoma before losing to BYU, 84-72. Texas is a tough team to figure out, but this seems like a good spot for the Longhorns to put together their best game of the season going up against top-seeded Houston.
Back Texas at +5.5.
NCAAB Pick: Texas +5.5 (-110) at Bet365
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
