Best College Basketball Betting Picks Saturday January 24th

Hydrate, people.

Considering most of the contiguous U.S. will be under some type of winter weather warning or advisory, perfect conditions are set up for a hoops fest.

College basketball games are scheduled from Noon ET through the next 12 consecutive hours, then Cal State Northridge and Hawaii take the court at 11:59 p.m. ET.

No matter your appetite, this buffet of buckets has plenty of everything.

To help sort through them, here is our list of “Best College Basketball Bets” for the day.

We’ll lean towards ranked teams and nationally televised games, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook smaller, lesser-known programs. Odds for these games are not available yet.

No. 11 Illinois vs. No. 4 Purdue

Both are strong offensive teams that like to shoot three-pointers but also play solid defense. Purdue is coming off a road loss to UCLA courtesy of a late three-pointer, which ended a nine-game winning streak. With a win over Maryland their last time out, Illinois has won eight in a row.

However, while Illinois has momentum on its side, Purdue’s efficiency on offense and home court advantage will pay off in what should be a very close, hard-fought game.

Our Pick: Purdue ML

The spread will likely be relatively small, and if the game is as close as expected, the Boilermakers may not cover. So, the better bet for this game is to take Purdue to win outright and bet the moneyline.

No. 6 Houston vs. No. 12 Texas Tech

Texas Tech is a talented team with some dynamic scoring threats like JT Toppin. But Houston held him to 18 points a couple of weeks ago; the Red Raiders scored 65 in that game (they average 83.8 ppg) but lost 69–65.

Houston wins thanks to its suffocating defense, discipline, and experience. They don’t beat themselves and have been in plenty of big games in recent years; they don’t fold under pressure. They may not score a ton of points, but with their defense, they don’t need to.

Our Pick: UNDER

With this game in Lubbock, we can expect a better effort out of the Red Raiders, but Houston’s defense is tough to crack. Either team could win this game, but no matter who does, the final score will be low.

No. 15 Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State

There are a few common threads in each of Vanderbilt’s recent losses: Florida, Texas, and Arkansas crushed Vandy on the boards and in points in the paint.

The Bulldogs are one of the better rebounding teams in the SEC, play solid perimeter defense, which will limit the Commodores’ three-point shooting, and do not foul much (so few if any free points from the foul line).

Vanderbilt was a slight underdog to a ranked Arkansas team, but since the Bulldogs are hovering around .500, they could be favored in this game. If they are going to get back on track, this would be the game to do it. But I think they’ll have the same issues.

Our Pick: Mississippi State ML