College Basketball Betting Picks for Thursday 1/11/24

The college basketball season always provides a flurry of twists and turns that few saw coming -- especially when March Madness comes around. This can make college basketball one of the most challenging sports to bet on.

Fortunately, we have plenty of tools available that can aid our chances of taking the most favorable college basketball bets. 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.

College Basketball Best Bets

No. 19 Florida Atlantic at Tulane

Tulane +7.5 (-102)

Despite the Owls' No. 19 ranking in the AP Poll, I am looking to fade Florida Atlantic (11-4, 1-1 conference) on the road against the Tulane Green Wave (10-4, 1-1). Florida Atlantic enters as a 7.5-point favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook -- a bit too high for a team that's yet to win a true road game this season.

The Owls have played a difficult schedule thus far, and they haven't struggled against top competition. FAU (21st on KenPom) sports a 6-1 record against top-100 KenPom teams. That includes wins over Arizona (2nd), Texas A&M (35th), and Butler (52nd).

Inexplicably, FAU is just 5-3 against teams outside KenPom's top 100. They lost both of their two true road games -- against Florida Gulf Coast (270th) and Charlotte (119th).

Tulane hasn't played nearly as difficult of a schedule, and they're 0-4 against top-100 KenPom teams. However, they were 3-1 at home against top-100 KenPom teams last season, taking down Memphis (20th), UCF (56th), and Cincinnati (50th). Senior guard Jaylen Forbes (14.2 points per game) notched a triage of 20-point games in those victories, and he's served as one of their leading scorers again this season.

numberFire's model has Florida Atlantic winning by just 3.2 points -- that's well within the 7.5-point line, making Tulane an undervalued home 'dog.

UCLA at Utah

Utah -8.5 (-110)

We move from an undervalued home 'dog to an undervalued home favorite, as the Utah Utes (11-4, 2-2) are just 8.5-point favorites against the UCLA Bruins (6-9, 1-3). Ignore the name on the front of the jerseys -- Utah is the much better team.

The Utes are coming off a pair of road losses (perhaps an explanation for the short line), but they still have a strong resume. They've played KenPom's 29th-ranked schedule and own a 6-3 record against top-100 teams. With a ranking of 26th in adjusted offense and 56th in adjusted D, Utah has all the makings of an NCAA Tournament team.

UCLA, does not, and they're not even particularly close to being one. The Bruins have yet to beat a top-150 team, and they've dropped seven of their last eight overall. Of those seven losses, three came by at least nine points, and none came against a team of Utah's caliber.

numberFire has Utah winning by 10.8 points tonight. That's more than enough to show value on the Utes, so I'm comfortable taking them to win by 8.5 points.

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

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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.