College Basketball Best Bets Today: Odds, predictions and picks for Monday January 22

After a very busy weekend of college basketball, the vast majority of the country’s teams take a breath on Monday before getting back to work throughout the week. There are only 15 games on January 22 to get things going and no true marquee games, though we do have some pretty interesting games on the card and one college basketball best bet today.

We’ll see the Big 12, ACC, CAA, Big Sky, Southland, Patriot, and SWAC represented with this evening’s card and all of the games are late.

Check the latest college basketball odds for legal U.S. sportsbooks across the country and our Vegas odds if you share a state with us here at VSiN. Also, give the college basketball betting splits a look for these or any other college basketball games todayTracking Sheet for this season’s results.

Here is one game that I like for Monday’s limited card.

8 p.m. ET

A deep dive into the Southland Conference today with a look at New Orleans and Houston Christian. We do have a big strength of schedule discrepancy between these two teams, as the Huskies really challenged themselves in the non-conference. Bart Torvik has them down for the 35th-toughest non-con schedule, as they played BYU, TCU, Texas, SMU, and Texas A&M. New Orleans is 193rd per Torvik in the non-con SOS department.

So, I do think some of Houston Christian’s numbers are negatively impacted by that tough slate, but I also know that this isn’t a very good basketball team. However, I don’t think New Orleans is very good either and there are some things I dislike for the Privateers in this one.

Houston Christian, even with that tough schedule, has gotten to the rim a lot. The Huskies have a 50.7% shot share on Close Twos, which is the second-highest mark in the nation. New Orleans is 356th in FG% against on Close Twos and 358th in shot share against. I expect HCU to get tons of good looks at the rim. That should also help the Huskies get to the line and put New Orleans in foul trouble.

The Huskies have a 30.8% 3P% against, which ranks in the top 50. New Orleans can’t shoot them and doesn’t shoot many of them, but it does eliminate a potential equalizer on offense.

The only games that New Orleans has won in conference play, they have had 38 and 36 free throw attempts. For all of HCU’s defensive issues, they are 70th in FT Rate against, so they do play defense largely without fouling. They’re also the better defense at the rim with a lower shot share against.

I like the Huskies at home in this one.