3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Wednesday 1/8/25

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Today's Best College Basketball Betting Picks

No. 9 UConn Huskies at Villanova Wildcats

Over 145.5 Points (-112)

Since a rough stretch in the Maui Invitational, the UConn Huskies have gone on a roll by winning eight straight while going 5-3 against the spread (ATS). This included several quality wins like Baylor, Gonzaga, and Xavier. But don't sleep on Villanova, which carries an 8-2 record straight up and ATS over the past 10.

Scoring has been the strength of each team as the Huskies are second in Bart Torvik's adjusted offensive efficiency while the Wildcats are fourth in the metric. Additionally, each team is in the top 12 of effective field goal percentage (eFG%), and neither defense is within the top 140 in adjusted defensive efficiency. While these squads sit in the top 18% for the slowest adjusted paces in college basketball, each offense has still managed to log over 80 points per game (PPG).

Reaching the over will likely hinge on three-point shooting. Both teams are in the top 20% for the highest three-point shot distributions, and each attack is efficient by shooting at least 37.0% from deep. Nova is especially dominate from three, draining 41.5% of its threes (second-highest).

The Wildcats are in the bottom 20% of three-point shot distribution allowed, giving way to UConn's attack. The Huskies allow the fifth-lowest shot distribution from beyond the arc, though. Will Villanova get enough looks from three? If it does, opponents are shooting 37.8% from three against Connecticut (bottom 9%).

Ultimately, both teams is still playing susceptible defenses. Each unit is among the most efficient attacks in basketball. In line with Bart Torvik's game projections giving this a 157-point total, I'm backing the over.

No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide at South Carolina Gamecocks

Grant Nelson Over 12.5 Points (-105)

We saw No. 1 Tennessee get demolished on the road in SEC play on Tuesday (73-43 loss vs. No. 8 Florida). Plus, No. 6 Kentucky went down against unranked Georgia (82-69). Is No. 5 Alabama the next top tier SEC squad to go down on the road?

Similar to virtually every squad in the loaded SEC, South Carolina poses a threat with a 10-4 record. However, the Gamecocks are perceived to be the weakest SEC team, ranked 93rd by Bart Torvik -- hence the 10.5-point spread in favor of the Crimson Tide.

Alabama's size in the frontcourt could prove to be a problem. The Tide opt for a lengthy duo, featuring Clifford Omoruyi (6'11") and Grant Nelson (6'11"). Meanwhile, USC starts Collin Murray-Boyles (6'7") and Nick Pringle -- the former Crimson Tide 6-foot-10 forward.

While defense has been the Gamecocks' strength, EvanMiya has Murray-Boyles (2.61) with the only Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR) surpassing 2.00. Pringle (1.45 DBPR) should be vulnerable in this game, and even Murray-Boyles is not safe.

The sophomore forward is giving up four inches against Nelson, who is second on Alabama with 13.1 PPG. Nelson is fifth on the team with 46.6% of his shots taking place at the rim. Against an undersized forward in Murray-Boyles, look for Nelson to attack the basket as he shoots a team-best 76.4% around the rim.

Nelson is logging 15.3 PPG over his previous four outings.

Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois Over 87.5 Points (-112)

After winning four consecutive games -- including a jaw-dropping 32-point win over then-No. 9 Oregon on January 2 -- Illinois has vaulted to 10th in Bart Torvik. While the Illini's defensive efficiency (9th) leads the way, don't sleep on this offense (20th).

Illinois plays at one of the most blistering paces, sporting the 19th-quickest adjusted tempo in the nation. Don't expect tonight's opponent -- Penn State -- to slow this down as it has the 23rd-quickest tempo. In line with the Fighting Illini's 64.0 field goal attempts per game (top 4%), plenty of shots should be available tonight.

During the four-game winning streak, Illinois is putting up 96.8 PPG. The Nittany Lions are outside the top 100 in eFG% allowed while ranking 70th in adjusted defense.

Making matters worse, Penn State surrenders 22.8 three-points shots per game (top 49%) and a 39.8% three-point shot distribution (bottom 42%). The Illini love to shoot the three-ball by taking 31.5 per game (5th-highest) paired with a 49.2% share (15th-highest).

Across the board, we have numbers claiming Illinois' hot streak on offense should keep chugging along. Bart Torvik has the Fighting Illini projected for 89 points.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.