Daily Dunk: Best College Basketball Bets Today (Predictions for Wisconsin-Illinois, Iowa State-Arizona, and More)

We had a small losing day on Thursday, going 1-2 with yesterday's edition of the Daily Dunk. Iowa State covered against Texas Tech, but both Davidson and Texas A&M failed to cover.

We move on to today's action as conference tournaments across the country are starting to get into the final rounds. Let's dive into my top three bets for today as we try to start the weekend off on the right foot.

Best College Basketball Bets Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Wisconsin +8.5 (-105) vs. Illinois
Iowa State +3.5 (-104) vs. Arizona
UC Irvine -4.5 (-110) vs. CS Northridge

Wisconsin vs. Illinois Prediction

Even with Nolan Winter sidelined, I'm surprised to see Wisconsin as the big underdog. Wisconsin ranks 49th in effective field goal percentage, only slightly behind Illinois at 40th.

The Fighting Illini's biggest strength is rebounding and winning the turnover battle, which is evidenced by their No. 1 ranking in effective possession ratio. They can overtake a game against an undisciplined team, but unfortunately for them, Wisconsin is not that. The Badgers also rebound well and don't turn the ball over, ranking 37th in effective possession ratio.

The metrics indicate this game is going to be closer than the spread indicates. I'll take the points.

Pick: Wisconsin +8.5 (-105)

Iowa State vs. Arizona Prediction

You might be surprised to find out that Iowa State actually outranks Arizona in both effective field goal percentage and defensive efficiency, ranking 21st and third in those two metrics, compared to the Wildcats, who rank 42nd and fourth in those two areas.

The Cyclones continue to find ways to create extra scoring chances through forcing turnovers and grabbing offensive rebounds, so if they can do that again in this game, Iowa State is going to bring this game down to the wire.

Iowa State, in my opinion, continues to be underrated, so I'll back the Cyclones tonight.

Pick: Iowa State +3.5 (-104)

CS Northridge vs. UC Irvine Prediction

UC Irvine is a defensive powerhouse. The Anteaters rank eighth in defensive efficiency and first in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 42.1% from two-point range. That's going to be important in this Big West matchup as both teams rank high in two-point shot rate.

CS Northridge ranks just 122nd and 164th in those two aforementioned metrics. I'll lay the points on the Anteaters.

Pick: UC Irvine -4.5 (-110)

Create a new FanDuel Sportsbook account, and you can get $300 in bonus bets back on losing bets every day for 10 days. Download the FanDuel app and deposit a minimum of $5 to claim your FanDuel promo code offer today.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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