The NFL's wild card games are in the rearview mirror, so college basketball takes center stage on Tuesday.
Here's college basketball best bets and our staff's three top picks for Tuesday, January 16.
College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 5 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 10:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Florida vs. Tennessee
A crushing defense will play host to a rising offense as Florida heads to Knoxville to challenge Tennessee.
The Volunteers bounced back from a road loss at Mississippi State by taking home a six-point win over Georgia this past weekend. Meanwhile, the Gators snapped a two-game losing streak with a home victory over a spiraling Arkansas squad.
Florida prefers a fast-paced tempo under head coach Todd Golden but has been forced to play slowly in previous games. The Gators totaled 70 possessions or less against Virginia, East Carolina and Grambling.
With Tennessee ranking 323rd in defensive possession length, the Volunteers will look to blur Florida’s transition passing lanes.
Florida gets its primary distribution of points from the paint, particularly from putbacks on offensive rebounds. Well, Tennessee is not only top-10 in defending the paint, but the Volunteers are top-100 in defensive rebounding.
Although Florida has the advantage in free-throw rate on offense, the Gators are one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the nation at 66%.
When Tennessee runs its offense, points come from beyond the arc or at the free-throw line.
Like Florida, Tennessee will struggle to gather offensive putbacks off the glass, as the Gators’ defensive rebounding rank sits in the top 100.
In terms of free-throw rate and allowing field goals from distance, the Gators are ranked similarly on defense to Tennessee’s offense.
Expect a defensive battle while Tennessee kills the pace at home.
Pick: Under 159 (Play to 155)
Kent State vs. Northern Illinois
By D.J. James
The Kent State Golden Flashes have an awful defense and take on another conference foe in the Northern Illinois Huskies, who also lack any semblance of defensive fortitude.
Northern Illinois ranks 80th in Adjusted Tempo, per KenPom, but the Huskies also rank 310th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Opponents are shooting well, inside and out, on the Huskies, and NIU never turns them over.
Kent State struggles to score inside, but it shoots well from 3-point land. The Golden Flashes can also crash the glass at times offensively, while NIU struggles with rebounding on both ends of the court. So, expect Kent State to get some second-chance buckets in this one.
Both of these programs have issues not fouling on the defensive end of the floor but have no problem getting to the line offensively. Much of this game could be played at the free-throw line, which should yield points with the clock stopped.
Kent State is not without issues on defense either. NIU shoots really well from 3-point range, while the Flashes give up a lot of 3s and allow opponents to shoot over 35% from deep.
Considering this game is going to be played in DeKalb, Illinois, look for the Huskies to control the pace. This should speed up the pace, and given how lackluster each team’s defense is, there should be plenty of points.
Take the over to 152.
Pick: Over 149.5 (Play 152)
Utah State vs. New Mexico
By John Feltman
Tonight is the night Utah State's winning streak ends. The Aggies will enter a wild environment at The Pit, and the Lobos are up for the challenge.
To me, this is the best spot on the entire card. The Aggies arguably should’ve lost to UNLV on Saturday if it weren’t for the sketchy officiating.
The Lobos are finally fully healthy, as they showed their ridiculous upside by coming back from a double-digit deficit against an excellent San Diego State team. They’ll be able to take advantage of the Aggies’ weak interior defense, which ranks in the bottom half of the country.
I have way more faith in the Lobos' offense to get the job done at home. No disrespect to the Aggies, but this is a terrible spot for them.
The backcourt trio of Jaelen House, Donovan Dent and Jamal Mashburn Jr. is far too much to overcome. This matchup has all the makings of a statement game for the Lobos.
