There are 12 ranked teams in action on Tuesday in college basketball, including a top-15 SEC tilt between No. 14 Mississippi State and No. 6 Tennessee.
Our staff is targeting three specific games for Tuesday's slate.
So, here's college basketball best bets and odds and three top picks and predictions for Tuesday, January 21.
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
Dayton vs. Duquesne
Tuesday is an excellent spot for a Flyers letdown heading on the road after pulling out a buzzer-beating overtime home win over Loyola Chicago on Saturday.
Dayton is already reeling after playing horrific basketball over the past month. The Flyers are also 0-3 in true road games this year, with outright losses to Cincinnati, George Washington and UMass.
Meanwhile, Duquesne is playing much better after starting the season 0-6. The Dukes are 9-3 since, including 4-1 in A-10 play. They're third in the conference in offensive efficiency behind a balanced all-around effort in ball-handling, rebounding and shooting.
In this matchup, the Dukes should be able to obliterate Dayton on the boards, as the Flyers are struggling to clean the glass.
Plus, in a matchup between two ball-screen-centric offenses, Duquesne has surprisingly been the much better ball-screen-coverage defense (.69 PPP allowed to .81 PPP allowed).
Our Action PRO Model projects Duquesne as short home favorites over Dayton, so catching over three at home with the Dukes is a gift.
Pick: Duquesne +3.5 (Play to +3)
North Carolina vs. Wake Forest
Wake Forest just missed out on the NCAA Tournament the last few seasons and is desperate to get a bid in 2025.
The Deacs weren't playing their best ball to start the year, but it appears they've turned a corner over the last couple of weeks.
Wake has won five in a row and currently sits at 6-1 in the ACC standings.
The issue is there are limited chances in a down ACC to stockpile Quad 1 wins. Tonight represents one of those chances, and Steve Forbes’ team knows it needs to capitalize.
This is also a massive game for the Tar Heels, who struggled in non-conference play and took a bad loss on Saturday to Stanford in the Dean Dome.
With plenty on the line, I’m more confident in Wake to deliver, given the issues with the Carolina defense, as well as the Heels' struggles on the road.
The Heels had to escape against both Notre Dame and NC State in their last two ACC road tilts, and the Demon Deacons have much more offensive firepower than either of those two squads.
Hunter Sallis can get to the rim and also make shots from deep, and Efton Reid III continues to do a little bit of everything on the interior.
RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau will make their share of plays, but Seth Trimble has been banged up and Ian Jackson is still a freshman, despite showing flashes of scoring ability.
I foresee this game being a back-and-forth affair, but give me the home team to make the plays down the stretch to get it done.
Wake has shot it better in its own building, and this is a team with a ton of momentum on its side right now.
Pick: Wake Forest -1.5 (Play to -2.5)
Missouri vs. Texas
In the rough and tumble SEC, every game feels like it carries a critical amount of weight. This one certainly qualifies.
Mizzou is riding high off of wins over Florida and Arkansas. Meanwhile, Texas is floundering, having started just 1-4 in conference play.
That qualifies this game as both a buy-low and sell-high opportunity.
Missouri comes in red hot, as winners of four straight. The most notable of those wins came at Florida, where the Tigers sank seven first-half 3-pointers and built a 19-point lead. Slowly as the game progressed, the Gators battled back and lost by just one point after Missouri cooled off.
The Tigers re-ignited, hitting 11-of-23 triples in a blowout win over a collapsing Arkansas squad.
In its last four outings, Missouri has made 43.6% from beyond the arc after making just 36.1% in its first 14 games. Regression is coming.
Texas would love to see that regression, as a 1-4 start in the SEC wasn't in the plans in Austin. The same Florida team that Missouri beat just housed Texas by 24 points.
The Longhorns are due to bounce back, though. Texas has made 29.1% from deep in its last five games after making 48.1% in the prior five outings.
Pick: Texas -1.5 (Play to -3)
