3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Thursday 2/6/25

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Today's Best College Basketball Betting Picks

Western Kentucky at Kennesaw State

Western Kentucky Under 78.5 Points (-114)

Two middle-tier Conference USA teams meet between Western Kentucky and Kennesaw State. This is a mid-major conference that features three teams in the top 112 of Bart Torvik, including Liberty, UTEP, and Middle Tennessee. Don't sleep on this league.

Both teams play at blistering paces, ranking in the 92nd percentile for Bart Torvik's adjusted tempo. This is paired with each team in the 73rd percentile for the most field goal attempts per game too.

This total is quite high at 157.5, but each offense ranks outside the top 200 in the adjusted offensive efficiency. These are not humming offenses by any means with both squads in the 31st percentile or worse in effective field goal percentage (eFG%).

For the Hilltoppers, they lean on the three-ball by attempting 24.5 shots per game (70th percentile) while sitting in the 53rd percentile for the highest shot distribution from three. Kennesaw State's defense is in the 65th percentile for three-point shots allowed and three-point shot distribution allowed.

The Owls even hold opponents to an impressive 47.7 eFG% (83rd percentile). Bart Torvik's game projections have Western Kentucky reaching 76 points, suggesting under 78.5 for the Hilltoppers.

No. 18 Maryland at Ohio State

Julian Reese Over 13.5 Points (-104)
Maryland Moneyline (+115)

Ohio State's defense could be in trouble against one of college basketball's best frontcourts. The Terrapins have quickly become one of the nation's most intriguing teams by winning six of their last seven, led by big men Derik Queen and Julian Reese.

The Buckeyes have struggled against bigs, giving up an 18.8% usage rate and 21.2 points (per 40 minutes) to power forwards and centers -- both the second-highest marks in the Big Ten. Queen and Reese are traditional as it gets when it comes to big men, both taking over 58% of their shots at the rim.

Sean Stewart -- one of OSU's top frontcourt defenders -- has a questionable status after missing his last game due to illness. Despite carrying a solid 2.51 Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR), via EvanMiya, center Aaron Bradshaw sparingly plays with 17.7 minutes per game. This could leave forward Devin Royal (1.47 DBPR) as the primary defender of Reese.

With concerns about OSU's ability to slow down big men in conference play, give me Reese to go over 13.5 points tonight. He's done so in three consecutive games and is averaging 17.2 PPG over his last five outings.

We have one more pick for the top matchup of Thursday. Although backing a ranked team against an unranked conference foe on the road has essentially become a cardinal sin, I'm taking exceptions with Maryland tonight.

Bart Torvik's game projections have the Terrapins winning 74-73. We also mentioned the heartbeat of this Maryland team is its frontcourt, and if that's rolling, a win looks imminent.

Additionally, the Buckeyes are led by their scoring backcourt of Bruce Thornton (17.1 PPG) and John Mobley Jr. (13.0 PPG). Opposing guards are logging 15.0 points per 40 minutes (sixth-fewest among Big 10 teams) and 10.9 field goal attempts per 40 minutes (second-fewest among Big 10 teams) when facing Maryland's defense.

If Ohio State's guards are limited, this further points to a win for the Terrapins.

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Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.