While there seems to be no college basketball game bigger than No. 5 Kansas State vs. No. 12 Iowa State on Tuesday, there's betting value up and down the odds board.
With that in mind, our staff has eight (!) best bets for the slate, including a critical Big 12 battle in Fort Worth.
So, dive in now and get the top college basketball odds and picks for Tuesday, January 24.
Tuesday's 8 College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball staff is targeting from Tuesday's slate of games. Click the team logos for one the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
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| Specific bet 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. | ||
Ohio State vs. Illinois
Tuesday, Jan. 24 7 p.m. ET ESPN |
Under 145.5  |
This is a good spot to fade Ohio State's offense.
The Buckeyes' offense mainly runs through two main sets: post-ups and mid-range jumpers. They run both at a top-20 frequency, but they’re not very effective on either set, as they rank outside the top 100 in PPP, per ShotQuality.
Illinois is a top-10 team at defending post-up sets and 31st in PPP allowed off of mid-range jumpers. The Illini also rank third in the country in PPP allowed at the rim.
This is a terrible matchup for an Ohio State team that puts up 68.7% of its field goal attempts from inside the arc.
To make matters worse for Ohio State, starting center and top rebounder Zed Key is questionable to play in this game.
He has a 14.2% offensive rebounding percentage this season, and if he’s unable to play, the Buckeyes won’t be able to dominate the offensive glass like they’ve done to so many opponents this season.
If a team is going to slow down the Illinois offense, it has to be able to defend the 3-point line at an elite level, which Ohio State has done this season. The Buckeyes are allowing just 30.1% from behind the arc and own one of the lowest open 3-point rates in the Big Ten, per ShotQuality.
The Illini are taking 42.8% of their field goal attempts from 3, but are hitting just 33.5% of those attempts, which ranks 195th in the country.
Ohio State plays at a below-average pace (165th in Adjusted Tempo), so I highly doubt it’s going to try and get into a track meet with Illinois on the road in Champaign.
I like the value on under 145.5 points.
Pick: Under 145.5 (Play to 142.5) |
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Miami vs. Florida State
Tuesday, Jan. 24 7 p.m. ET ESPNU |
Miami -2.5 |
Jim Larranaga and the Miami Hurricanes are looking to bounce back from a two-point loss to Duke at Cameron Indoor. The Hurricanes are 3-0 this year following a loss, with an average margin of victory of 14.3 points.
Miami will look to extend this streak against a Florida State team that has won back-to-back games for just the second time this season. Last week, the Seminoles were able to take down both Notre Dame and Pittsburgh on the road.
This recent success from Florida State can be attributed to an increase in offensive production. Against Notre Dame, the Seminoles converted 23-of-29 total free-throw attempts. Against Pittsburgh, Florida State shot 50% from 3-point range, which resulted in the Seminoles converting 10 3-point attempts.
Florida State will need to keep these offensive numbers going to keep up with a Miami offense that has the eighth-highest adjusted efficiency in the country, resulting in 77.7 points per contest.
This will be no easy task, as the Noles face a Miami team effective at defending without fouling and guarding the perimeter.
The Hurricanes allow their opponents to take just 25% of their total field goal attempts from beyond the arc, the 42nd-lowest rate nationally. In addition, Miami has given up just 15.7% of its total points at the free-throw line, 303rd nationally.
Given these defensive advantages, I will gladly back Larranaga’s Hurricanes in a bounce-back spot in which they have thrived in all season.
Pick: Miami -2.5 (Play to -3) |
LSU vs. Arkansas
Tuesday, Jan. 24 7 p.m. ET ESPN2 |
Over 138.5  |
Welcome to the Razorback party, Joseph Pinion and Jordan Walsh.
The Arkansas roster has been fluid through the first few months of play, thanks to injuries to Trevon Brazile and future NBA lottery pick Nick Smith Jr. While Brazile is done for the season, Smith has been practicing with the Razorbacks for the past week with a focus on a return.
Not only would Smith provide duties at the point guard position, but fellow freshman Anthony Black would also be able to expand his game off-the-dribble.
While Smith grabs all the headlines with his return, it’s the play of Pinion and Walsh that’s notable to handicappers.
Walsh entered the season as another five-star freshman, but inefficiency led to limited playing time.
Fast forward to an Ole Miss victory this past Saturday, and Walsh played a full 40 minutes for the first time this season. The 6-foot-7 power forward has amped up his rebounding and block numbers in SEC play while becoming more of a threat from the perimeter.
As for Pinion, the four-star guard has been a deep-range threat when given playing time, hitting 6-of-12 from long distance in two SEC games with at least 20 minutes of play.
The bread and butter of Arkansas’ offense is scoring in the paint. LSU severely struggles to defend the rim, ranking 270th in 2-point defense nationally. The Hogs are in a great position to continue hot play from the perimeter while freeing up space in the paint for their bigs.
While scoring is coming for the Hogs, LSU has an advantage of its own. Arkansas is one of the worst teams in the nation when it comes to fouling, owning a free-throw rate in the bottom 40 of all Division I teams.
The Tigers get the bulk of their points from the free-throw line, ensuring stoppages in play while points hit the board.
Look for the over in Bud Walton Arena tonight while oddsmakers look to adjust to a Razorbacks team that’s evolving.
Pick: Over 138.5 (Play to 140) |
Notre Dame vs. NC State
Tuesday, Jan. 24 7 p.m. ET ACC Network |
Notre Dame +9 |
Notre Dame has not been good to me this season, but I like this spot for the Irish to hang tough.
Last week, Mike Brey announced that he will retire at the season’s end following 23 campaigns in South Bend. As disappointing as it has been this year for the Irish, this team will continue to fight, and Brey has not lost the locker room.
The veteran core of Dane Goodwin, Nate Laszewski and Cormac Ryan want to finish their careers off in a respectable fashion, and I believe you’ll see a max-effort performance from ND tonight.
Meanwhile, the Wolfpack head home on a short turnaround following a disappointing loss to rival North Carolina.
Star guard Terquavion Smith suffered a scary injury in that game, and although he’s expected to suit up tonight, it’s reasonable to expect he won’t be at full strength.
NC State has real advantages in the paint in this game, but with the way the Irish can shoot the ball from deep, they should be able to hang around for the full 40 minutes.
Give me Notre Dame to cover this nine-point number.
Pick: Notre Dame +9 (Play to +8) |
NC State -7.5
NC State hosts Notre Dame this evening at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Wolfpack look to get back into the win column after losing for the first time in 2023 to North Carolina.
Prior to the loss to UNC, the Pack picked up a number of quality wins, defeating No. 16 Duke, Virginia Tech, No. 16 Miami and Georgia Tech.
Notre Dame has dropped three straight prior to making the trip for tonight’s game. The Fighting Irish have struggled this year, especially on the road, where they’re winless on the season.
Of particular concern for bettors should be Notre Dame’s performance against the spread. The Irish rank dead last in against the spread nationally, going 3-16-1. They haven’t covered the spread since a matchup against Jacksonville in late December and haven’t covered away from South Bend this season.
Notre Dame’s defense has been its Achilles’ heel all season and will present an extremely favorable matchup for NC State.
The Irish defense ranks in the bottom-third nationally in KenPom’s AdjD metric, allowing 108.4 points per 100 possessions. That puts them at 274th.
Meanwhile, NC State features one of the better offenses in the nation, earning an AdjO ranking of 47th by putting up 111.6 points per 100 possessions.
Defensively, the Wolfpack are solid as well, ranking 57th in defensive efficiency. The NC State defensive unit is excellent against the 3 and will be able to shut down a Notre Dame squad that has excelled from downtown.
Notre Dame has struggled in both conference and road play, and I expect its issues against the spread to continue this evening.
I project NC State as a 12.5-point favorite, and I recommend laying the points up to -10.5.
Pick: NC State -7.5 (Play to -10.5) |
DePaul vs. Georgetown
Tuesday, Jan. 24 7 p.m. ET FS1 |
DePaul -2.5 |
There’s plenty of reason to like this spot for Georgetown.
In some respects, this is the Hoyas' Super Bowl. If Georgetown is going to avoid the embarrassment of back-to-back winless seasons in Big East play, tonight is its best shot at a win.
DePaul is the second-worst team in the conference and visits the Hoyas in D.C.
According to KenPom, this is the only remaining game on Georgetown’s schedule where the Hoyas have a win probability over 20%. In fact, this game doubles the next best chance, with KenPom’s metrics giving the Hoyas a 42% chance to win.
In my mind, that puts the pressure on Georgetown. DePaul is 3-6 in Big East play, eager to build something after years as the conference laughing stock. The Blue Demons are just as aware of how important this win would be for them.
Georgetown is 3-6 against the spread in Big East play, with all three covers coming on the road. The Hoyas are 0-12 straight up this season when offered as an underdog, with their only five wins coming over low-major teams as a favorite, the most recent of which was over a month ago.
I’m don’t see Georgetown winning this game on either side of the floor. I don’t care that 99% (!) of the money bet on this game is backing the Hoyas. The sharps aren’t scaring me. Fading Georgetown has been a good living this season, and I’ll gladly stick with it.
As sad as this may be for the Hoyas, DePaul is a class above Georgetown and should win this game.
Pick: DePaul -2.5 |
Oklahoma vs. TCU
Tuesday, Jan. 24 8 p.m. ET ESPN+ |
Oklahoma +6.5 |
By Stuckey
This is a good spot to back the desperate Sooners against a TCU squad that might come out a bit flat after a huge win at Kansas that marked the program’s first road win over a top-10 opponent in school history.
Plus, this looks like a fairly decent matchup on paper for the Sooners. TCU crushes teams in two primary areas.
- The Horned Frogs are absolutely elite in transition and run as much any team in the country.
- They're a dominant offensive rebounding team.
Well, Oklahoma plays at a snail’s pace, ranking in the fifth percentile nationally in transition opportunities allowed, per Synergy.
The Sooners are also a very good defensive rebounding team, and TCU could also be without big man Eddie Lampkin Jr., who suffered a non-contact injury last game.
Oklahoma has been super close in almost every loss — six of which have come by four points or less, including a two-point loss to Baylor over the weekend.
I think this one ends up with another close finish for Porter Moser’s bunch.
Pick: Oklahoma +6.5 |
Oklahoma +6.5
This is a solid spot for Moser’s Sooners, who are looking for a bounce-back win following back-to-back losses against Oklahoma State and Baylor.
Meanwhile, we can bank on a letdown game from TCU, which just took down Kansas by 23 and recently overwhelmed Kansas State by 14.
The Frogs are fat and happy.
If you’re going to stop TCU, you have to keep it out of transition. The Frogs look like Steve Nash’s Suns in transition, and the numbers back it up (22.9 transition PPG at 1.141 PPP).
But Oklahoma allows the fewest transition opportunities in the Big 12. In fact, OU is allowing just eight transition possessions per game, good for the 12th-lowest nationally.
Oklahoma runs a slow-tempo motion offense that’s reliant on Grant Sherfield ball screens with Tanner Groves as the roll man. It doesn’t look like the best matchup until you realize that TCU’s pick-and-roll defense has gone down the drain in league play (1.00 PPP allowed, last in conference).
The matchup looks good enough, the situation is outright good and the projections love Oklahoma.
Our Action Network PRO model makes the Sooners 4.5-point underdogs Tuesday night, while ShotQualityBets’ model makes Oklahoma a short-road favorite.
So, I’m happy to shoot my shot with the Sooners and the points here as long as we’re catching more than our PRO model projects.
Pick: Oklahoma +6.5 (Play to +5) |
