Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for Penn State-Michigan, Ohio State-Maryland, and More)

We got back on track on Wednesday, going 2-1 in yesterday's edition of Daily Dunk. Both Minnesota and Texas A&M covered as underdogs, and we just barely missed the OVER in Seton Hall vs. Villanova.

We move on to Thursday's slate of games with the goal of posting a second-straight winning night. Let's dive into my top three bets.

Best College Basketball Bets Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Penn State +24.5 (-102) vs. Michigan
Ohio State -7.5 (-102) vs. Maryland
UAB -2.5 (-105) vs. Memphis

Penn State vs. Michigan Prediction

A 24.5-point spread is a massive spread in a college basketball game, and for me to lay that many points, I would need the team that's favored to be far and away better on both sides of the court. While the Penn State defense is horrifically bad, ranking 327th in defensive efficiency, the Nittany Lions' shooting is actually pretty solid. Penn State ranks 85th in effective field goal percentage, which improves by 2.1% when playing on the road compared to at home.

I have no doubt Michigan will win by double-digits, but I'm going to have faith that the Nittany Lions' shooting can do enough to cover the 24.5-point spread.

Pick: Penn State +24.5 (-102)

Ohio State vs. Maryland Prediction

As I wrote above, I hesitate to bet on a team as an underdog when it's bad on both sides of the court. I don't think Penn State falls under that category in the Big Ten, but Maryland certainly does. The Terps rank 321st in effective field goal percentage (47.5%) and 305th in defensive efficiency. By comparison, the Buckeyes rank 31st and 139th in those two categories.

The Buckeyes' defensive strength also lines up with what Maryland does offensively. The Terps are primarily a three-point shooting team, but now they have to face an Ohio State squad that ranks 33rd in opponent three-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 30.2% from beyond the arc.

I'll lay the points with Ohio State in this one.

Pick: Ohio State -7.5 (-102)

Memphis vs. UAB Prediction

A lot of numbers for both teams are extremely similar, but where UAB has a significant advantage is its effective possession ratio, ranking seventh in the country in that metric. They don't turn the ball over, and they rarely allow their opponent to grab offensive rebounds. That level of fundamental basketball will go a long way against a Memphis team that struggles in that area, ranking 184th in effective possession ratio.

On their home court, I'll play the Blazers to win and cover the short spread.

Pick: UAB-2.5 (-105)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!