College Basketball Betting Guide: Lines, Trends & Picks For Saturday, Dec. 31
The top betting trends you need to know for today's college hoops slate
Kate Constable - Dec 30, 2022, 2:14pm EST
Today's College Basketball Betting Lines, Odds & Picks
We wrap up 2022 with a massive college basketball slate filled with top-25 matchups. With conference play also starting for a number of teams, you're not going to want to miss out on our favorite bets for Saturday. Check out which plays I like and let's roll into 2023 on a high note!
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West Virginia at Kansas State Prediction
West Virginia opens Big 12 play on Saturday at Kansas State. Defensively, both teams are pretty solid, so I don't see a significant advantage for either team on that side of the ball. Offensively, Kansas State relies heavily on Keyontae Johnson, Markquis Nowell and Nae'Qwan Tomlin who are each averaging double figures. While that's a dangerous trio, if West Virginia's defense can shut down one of those players, they should have a lot of success. Bob Huggins also said earlier this week that they're going to try and focus a lot of their attention on Nowell, who leads the team with 8.3 assists per game as the Wildcats' primary playmaker. If the Mountaineers can limit him, I like their chances to win and cover on the road.
My pick: West Virginia ATS
Pepperdine at Gonzaga Prediction
The recipe for Gonzaga to win and cover in this game is simple: Force the ball out of the hands of Houston Mallette, Maxwell Lewis and Mike Mitchell. Those three make up 53% of Pepperdine's scoring output. Lewis is the team's leading scorer and is second in the conference behind Drew Timme. Mitchell is the team's best 3-point shooter, knocking down 47% of his shots from deep. If Gonzaga can fluster those players, the Waves' offense won't be able to keep up with the Zags, who have the third-best field-goal percentage in the nation. The Zags enter this game with six straight wins and their only three losses on the year have come against ranked teams. Pepperdine's 0-5 road record is about to move to 0-6. Give me Gonzaga to cover.
My pick: Gonzaga ATS
Oregon State at Oregon Prediction
In-state rivals Oregon and Oregon State meet in Eugene with identical records at 7-6 overall and 1-1 in Pac-12 play. That being said, four of Oregon's six losses have come against ranked teams, while Oregon State's competition hasn't been quite as tough. The Beavers rank 260 in KenPom's adjusted strength of schedule compared to the Ducks, who rank 48th. Oregon will also have a pretty big size advantage with 6-11 center N'Faly Dante and 7-foot forward Kel'el Ware going up against Oregon State's smaller frontcourt. Lastly, the Ducks are the much more experienced team, starting four seniors and one sophomore, while the Beavers only start two upperclassmen and three underclassmen. This one is going to be too much for Oregon State to handle on the road.
My pick: Oregon ATS
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!