Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for Syracuse-Duke, Houston-Iowa State, and More)

It's a fresh week with a new slate of college basketball games to bet on, so let's not waste any time and place a few wagers for Monday's slate. It's not a loaded schedule tonight, but we do have a couple of games involving ranked teams, including a marquee matchup in the Big 12.

It's time to dive into my top three plays for tonight.

Best College Basketball Bets Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Syracuse +19.5 (-110) vs. Duke
Drexel +160 vs. Stony Brook
Houston +2.5 (-112) vs. Iowa State

Syracuse vs. Duke Prediction

Syracuse is too good a team to be this big of an underdog. Yes, Duke should be a big favorite, but a 19.5-point spread should be reserved for when they play teams that have no business being on the court with them. That's not the case for a Syracuse team that ranks 93rd in effective field goal percentage and 67th in defensive efficiency.

Defensive rebounding could be an issue for the Orange, considering they're outside the top 200 in that metric while Duke is one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country, but that alone isn't enough for me to consider laying this many points on the Blue Devils.

I have faith in Syracuse remaining somewhat competitive in this game.

Pick: Syracuse +19.5 (-110)

Drexel vs. Stony Brook Prediction

Drexel outranks Stony Brook in almost every metric, including effective field goal percentage, defensive efficiency, and effective possession ratio. Not only that, but the Dragons have a stylistic advantage as well.

Stony Brook ranks 52nd in 3-point shot rate, but now they have to face a Drexel team that ranks 47th in opponent 3-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 31% from beyond the arc.

Pick: Drexel +160

Houston vs. Iowa State Prediction

The thing Iowa State does better than anyone else, which is a big reason for its record, is its ability to force turnovers. Creating extra scoring chances through turnovers is the best tool the Cyclones have in their toolbox, but I'm not convinced they'll be able to rely on that tonight. The Houston Cougars have the lowest turnover rate in college basketball, turning the ball over on just 12.2% of plays.

Not only does Houston not turn the ball over, but the Cougars are third in defensive efficiency. As long as they can score tonight, they're going to be able to nullify Iowa State's biggest strength and keep this game close.

Pick: Houston +2.5 (-112)

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