Top College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday, January 18th (2022)

Jan 18, 2023 - 11:18 AM

Exactly two months from today, the second round of the NCAA tournament will get underway. While it may feel like there is a long way to go between now and the end of the college basketball regular season with the NFL playoffs in full swing, now is when teams will start to separate themselves from fringe tournament contenders to those relegated to the NIT.

Here are our best bets for Wednesday’s college basketball action.

And here are our other top picks for Wednesday:

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(Odds courtesy of DraftKings)

Best College Basketball Bets for Tuesday

UConn vs. Seton Hall Spread

UConn remains ranked generously at No. 15 in the AP poll despite losing four of its last five games, three of which by 10+ points. And per Erik Haslam on Twitter, UConn’s efficiency numbers are bleak amid that tailspin.

Sliding UConn recorded their worst game efficiency rating of the season Sunday during an 11-point home loss to St. John's. For a team that received 11 positive ratings in their first dozen games, the Huskies have now received negative marks in six of their last seven. #BigEast pic.twitter.com/jHTBAMF2V6

— Erik Haslam (@haslametrics) January 15, 2023

Huskies head coach Danny Hurley should have a little more fire than usual returning to his alma mater, but we expect Shaheen Holloway’s Seton Hall squad to muck the game up defensively and stay close throughout. The Pirates have won four of five and rank in the top 21 in adjusted defensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage allowed.

UConn has covered just one of its last seven games, and four of its previous 14 road games. Thus, we will continue to fade this reeling Big East contender.

Bet: Seton Hall +5 (-110 at DraftKings) 

Auburn vs. LSU O/U

Just one game ago, LSU was torched by Alabama to the tune of 106 points, as the Tigers could not do anything to slow down the Crimson Tide’s D-1 fourth-fastest pace. Fortunately for LSU, Bruce Pearl’s Auburn squad ranks 156th in tempo and tends to play much slower in road contests than at home in “The Jungle.” In addition, both teams rank in the top 15 in the country in 3-point defense (each allows 28.8% or fewer), making this an excellent bounce-back spot for LSU’s defense in particular. On the other side, Auburn has allowed an average of 60.1 points in its 14 wins and has excellent rim protection with a top-14 block rate.

The Over is 5-0 in Auburn’s last five road games, but LSU tends to play low-scoring games at home, with the Under going 4-1-1 in its last six.

Bet: Auburn-LSU Under 137.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Arkansas vs. Missouri Spread

The way Missouri is built defensively, Arkansas’s offense is a perfect foil. While Missouri plays at a top-40 pace (and the second-fastest in the SEC), it does not run teams off the 3-point line, as opponents get 44.6% of their scoring from beyond the arc against them. That could ignite a Razorbacks offense that has made fewer than 30% of its 3-point attempts (339th in the country) on the season. And while Arkansas struggled with the last opponent that played at a fast tempo, losing by 15 at home to Alabama, the Razorbacks should be able to use the pace to its advantage and attack the rim relentlessly. Arkansas already ranks ninth in the country with the percentage of its points coming from 2-point range and should add to that tonight.

Missouri has just one loss at home this season (a 28-point loss to Kansas) and has yet to beat a top-30 KenPom team like Arkansas all season. Thus, we like the Razorbacks to cover (and possibly win outright) their second road game in the last six.

Bet: Arkansas +2 (-110 at DraftKings)

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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.

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