College Basketball Betting Guide: Lines, Trends & Picks For Thursday, Jan. 5

Today's College Basketball Betting Lines, Odds & Picks

Big upsets dominated the college basketball world yesterday. N.C. State crushed Duke, Providence handed UConn its second straight loss and TCU came back to beat Baylor in the final few seconds. Will we see a similar story tonight? Let's find out!

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Maryland at Rutgers Prediction

Both Maryland and Rutgers come into this game with the same overall record at 10-4, but the Scarlet Knights have been playing a significantly better brand of basketball lately. They are coming off a massive win, knocking off No. 1 Purdue on the road, so there is the concern that this could be a letdown spot. If this game were at Maryland, I would probably fade Rutgers, but it’s at the RAC where it’s tough for opposing teams to get a win. The Scarlet Knights' defense is also far superior and should be able to contain a Terps offense that has been struggling lately.

My pick: Rutgers -5

USC at UCLA Prediction

UCLA is one of the best teams in the country on both ends of the court. Their only losses this season have come against then-No. 19 Illinois and then-No. 5 Baylor. While I don't think they'll lose tonight, I do think USC can keep this one close. The Trojans have shown that they play better against better competition, covering the spread in five of their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. They're third in the Pac-12 in offensive efficiency, one spot behind UCLA, and are first in offensive rebounding percentage. They are also first in 2PT% defense and block percentage. There's no doubt the Bruins' offense is going to be tough to stop, but the Trojans have what it takes to slow them down.

My pick: USC +11.5

Indiana at Iowa Prediction

Going back to the Big Ten, I'm going to take Iowa on the moneyline at -120. I see this ending as a one-possession game, so I'd prefer to pay the extra .10 cents and not have to lay any points. This game is a must-win for the Hawkeyes if they want to avoid starting conference play 0-4. That record could very well move to 0-5 on Saturday when they play Rutgers on the road because as I mentioned above, the RAC is a very tough place to play. Iowa will also be without Patrick McCaffery for the foreseeable future as he takes some time away from the team to address some mental health issues. While they'll miss his offense, I think the Hawks come into this game with a bit of added motivation, wanting to play for McCaffery.

My pick: Iowa ML -120

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Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best college basketball bets, plus what the model is projecting for every NFL, NBA, NHL and college football game this week! Start your free trial today!