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

Mike Spector

Last Updated: December 31, 2022 4:34 AM EST • 3 min 6 sec read.

College basketball best bets.
College basketball best bets.

The College Football Playoff is not the only way to ring in the New Year, as a loaded college basketball slate is on tap. Read on for our college basketball best bets for Saturday based on the top odds.

More than half of the top 25 teams (14) are in action on Saturday. The day gets off to an electric start at noon with the only ranked vs. ranked matchup, with No. 2 UConn visiting No. 22 Xavier.

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

Check out our college basketball best bets.

Saturday’s College Basketball Schedule and Odds

(Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)

  • UConn (-2.5) vs. Xavier
  • Virginia (-9.5) vs. Georgia Tech
  • Texas Tech vs. TCU (-4.5)
  • Louisville vs. Kentucky (-23.5)
  • Florida State vs. Duke (-17)
  • Arizona (-5.5) vs. Arizona State

College Basketball Best Bets for Saturday

  • Spread: Xavier +2.5 (-110 via BetMGM) vs. UConn
  • Moneyline: Baylor (-130 via Caesars) vs. Iowa State
  • Total: Oklahoma State-Kansas Under 139 (-110 via DraftKings)
  • Upset: Towson (+120 via PointsBet) vs. Charleston

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College Basketball Top Picks

Spread: Xavier +2.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐

Want an idea of how dominant UConn has been to start 2022-23? The Huskies’ eight-point victory against Villanova was the only non-double-digit win during their 14-0 start. Their 13 double-digit wins to start the campaign were college basketball’s third-most since 1980.

However, Villanova didn't play particularly well, as its 18 turnovers were double the team's season average, and it went just 5-of-22 from distance and still was within two with fewer than four minutes to play. Xavier is the country’s third-best 3-point shooting team (40.8%) and boasts the necessary size to match UConn’s mammoth frontcourt.

All sportsbooks are in unison with the +2.5 point spread, but BetMGM is one of the few not charging more in juice to back the underdogs.

Moneyline: Baylor (-130) ⭐⭐⭐

“Hilton magic” is 100% real, as Iowa State has raised its game to superhuman levels at home. But that magic is getting overblown in this matchup, especially when it involves a Cyclones team that lists wins over Villanova and North Carolina as its most significant neutral-court triumphs.

Baylor boasts a significant advantage on the offensive glass while rebounding 36.8% of its misses (14th), and Iowa State allows a 31.0% offensive rebounding percentage (258th). The Cyclones forced 32 combined turnovers during their big wins over the Wildcats and Tar Heels, strengthening their Division I-best turnover rate (31%). But Baylor isn't far behind, forcing turnovers on 24.1% of opponents’ possessions (23rd).

The line is moving away from Baylor after opening at -130, so be sure to back the Bears at this reasonable price before their odds get more inflated.

Total: Oklahoma State-Kansas Under 139 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Cowboys have one of the oldest and most experienced rosters in Division I (top 60), which is a big reason their defense is ahead of the team's offense right now. Oklahoma State ranks 17th in adjusted defensive efficiency and held high-powered UConn and Virginia Tech to a combined 14 points under those teams' season averages.

The Cowboys face a Kansas team that ranks outside the top 50 in points per game. Kansas was also held under 70 points in contests against Duke, Wisconsin, and Tennessee, two of which have produced worse defensive metrics than the Cowboys.

DraftKings and Caesars are two of the only sportsbooks offering a total of 139, providing better value for Under backers than the other books at 138.5.

Check out our top sports-betting sites for Kansas!

Upset: Towson (+120) ⭐⭐

The holiday break seemingly came at the perfect time for Towson, which had lost four consecutive games, and the last two by a combined 27 points.

However, the Tigers are still an experienced bunch with five seniors starting when healthy, four of which averaged 9.8 points or better on last year’s 25-win team. Three of those four (Cameron Holden, Nicolas Timberlake, and Charles Thompson) have combined to average nearly 44 points per game in 2022-23. And while the team has missed Jason Gibson’s services (he's been out since Nov. 13), it's wise to back the Tigers at plus odds after they swept the Cougars in two games last season.

The public will likely get behind Charleston due to its gaudy 13-1 record. You'll likely be able to get Towson at better than the +120 opening odds the team was given.

College basketball best bets made 12/31/2022 at 7:52 a.m. ET.

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

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Written By:
Mike Spector
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's 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." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”