Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for UCLA-Michigan State, Wisconsin-Ohio State)

It was a rough night for my college basketball picks in yesterday's edition of Daily Dunk. Syracuse didn't come close to covering against Duke, Houston missed the cover by a single point against Iowa State, and Drexel lost, but covered, meaning if we had just taken the points instead of betting the moneyline, it would've been a winner.

All we can do is move on to Tuesday's slate and try to bounce back with a winning performance. Let's dive into my top three bets for tonight.

College Basketball Bets Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

TCU +1.5 (-105) vs. UCF
Michigan State -8.5 (-120) vs. UCLA
Wisconsin vs. Ohio State OVER 157.5 (-110)

TCU vs. UCF Prediction

TCU's defense is going to be the difference maker in this game. The Horned Frogs are 47th in the country in defensive efficiency, while UCF ranks 229th. What's even more important is UCF's abysmal interior defense. The Knights allow teams to shoot 54.3% from two-point range, which ranks 282nd in the country. That's bad news for them, considering the majority of shots that TCU takes come from two-point range.

The wrong team is favored in this game. I'll take TCU as a short road underdog.

Pick: TCU +1.5 (-105)

UCLA vs. Michigan State Prediction

Both UCLA and Michigan State takes the majority of their shots from two-point range. That means the team with the better interior defense is going to be the team that has the advantage in this Big Ten matchup.

The Spartans rank 26th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 46.8% from two-point range. Meanwhile, UCLA ranks 259th in that metric, allowing teams to shoot 53.5% from two-point range.

It's also worth noting that UCLA's effective field goal percentage drops 6.4% when playing on the road, which will play a big role in tonight's game at the Breslin Center.

Pick: Michigan State -8.5 (-120)

Wisconsin vs. Ohio State Prediction

Both Wisconsin and Ohio State have been far better offensively than defensively so far this season. Wisconsin ranks 68th in effective field goal percentage, but 151st in defensive efficiency. Ohio State ranks 39th in effective field goal percentage, but 149th in defensive efficiency. Both teams also rank in the top 60 in college basketball in Floor%, meaning a high percentage of their possessions result in at least one point being scored.

Wisconsin also plays at one of the fastest tempos in the country, ranking 87th in adjusted tempo. If they can push the Buckeyes to up their pace, this has the chance of being a high-scoring affair.

Pick: OVER 157.5 (-110)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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