Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for UConn-St. John's, Dayton-VCU, and More)

We had a less-than-stellar night on Thursday, going 1-2 with my three Daily Dunk picks. Unfortunately, not every night is going to be a winning one, but at least Ohio State came through for us to help soften the blow.

Let's see if we can enter the weekend on a strong note with a winning night tonight with today's edition of Daily Dunk. Let's dive into my top three plays.

Best College Basketball Bets Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

VCU -7.5 (-105) vs. Dayton
UConn -2.5 (-105) vs. St. John's
Belmont -3.5 (-102) vs. UIC

Betting $100 Every Day for a Year: Day 33

$30: VCU -7.5 (-105)
$30: UConn -2.5 (-105)
$20: Belmont -3.5 (-102)
$20: Gotterup +300 vs. Scheffler/Spieth

Yesterday: 2-2 (+$7.57)
YTD: 52-66-1 (-$267.18) pic.twitter.com/NKRibkQ5rK
— Iain MacMillan (@IainMacBets) February 6, 2026

Dayton vs. VCU Prediction

I'm going to lay the points with the VCU Rams in this one. Overall, VCU is the better shooting team, ranking 54th in effective field goal percentage, while Dayton ranks 154th. The Flyers' effective field goal percentage drops 5.2% when playing on the road compared to at home.

Dayton's lack of perimeter defense could also prove to be an issue tonight. VCU ranks inside the top 75 in three-point shot rate, which will make for a tough test for the Flyers, who rank 292nd in opponent three-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 36% from beyond the arc.

Finally, if you look at some more advanced metrics, VCU ranks 64th in effective possession ratio, while Dayton ranks 277th due to a high turnover rate and poor rebounding.

All signs point to VCU taking care of business on its home court.

Pick: VCU -7.5 (-105)

UConn vs. St. John's Prediction

I don't think St. John's has the shooting to keep up with UConn. The Huskies rank 35th in the country in effective field goal percentage, while the Red Storm comes in at 129th in that metric.

Normally, St. John's wins because of its elite defense, but in this matchup, UConn has the advantage. The Huskies rank ninth in defensive efficiency, while the Red Storm rank 25th.

So if St. John's doesn't shoot better or play better defense, they must have the stylistic advantage, right? Wrong. St. John's ranks inside the top 80 in two-point shot rate, and now they have to face a Huskies team that ranks sixth in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting juts 44.6% from the interior.

All signs point to UConn winning at Madison Square Garden.

Pick: UConn -2.5 (-105)

Belmont vs. UIC Prediction

You may not believe this, but Belmont is the best shooting team in the country, ranking first in effective field goal percentage. Now, they face a UIC team that ranks 305th in that metric. The Bruins are also better defensively, outranking UIC 70th to 95th in defensive efficiency.

The only reason why Belmont is a bigger favorite is that Nic McClain, their point guard, is questionable for the game. Even if he's out, I have a lot of faith in the Bruins' top scorers still getting enough points to cruise past a bad UIC team.

Pick: Belmont -3.5 (-102)

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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!