College Basketball Betting Picks for Thursday 1/18/24

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

Washington at California

Washington +1.5 (-105)

Betting road underdogs is something I tend to shy away from in college basketball, but I can't ignore the value that Washington is showing against Cal.

Sure, the Huskies and Bears share a 2-4 conference record, but that's where their similarities end.

Washington enters Thursday inside the top 65 in several predictive metrics. They're 56th in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency and 83rd in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Huskies love to push the pace (53rd in adjusted tempo), and I'm not sure Cal will be able to keep up.

The Bears, to their credit, have already doubled their win total from last season. Still, 6-11 isn't great, especially considering they're 90th in adjusted offense and just 194th in adjusted defense. They should have a slight advantage on the glass tonight, but their defensive woes are too prevalent to ignore. Cal has allowed opponents to shoot 36.6% from deep this season -- 321st in the country.

The Huskies, meanwhile, are a capable outside shooting team despite a rough showing the last time out. Their 34.9% three-point percentage ranks 132nd in the country, with star forward Keion Brooks Jr. (20.1 points) leading the way at a blistering 41.3%. Brooks scored 50 points across two matchups with Cal last season, so the Huskies will almost certainly have the best player on the floor again this time around.

Alongside Kentucky transfer Sahvir Wheeler (16.5 points; 6.3 assists), Washington is well-equipped to take care of business on the road.

numberFire's model has Washinton winning by 4.1 tonight, while Bart Torvik has them by 1.2. It may be worth looking at Washington ML (+106), but I'll trust the models and just trust the Huskies to cover as 1.5-point underdogs.

Washington State at Stanford

Washington State +3.5 (-110)

We'll stay in the Pac-12 (while we still can) for this next one, as numberFire's model is again showing value in a road underdog.

Washington State -- fresh off a W over No. 12 Arizona -- is a 3.5-point underdog against Stanford. Although the Cardinal are coming off a big win over their own, they're a bit overvalued here.

Stanford has picked up home wins over Utah and Arizona, but they also dropped home games to Santa Clara and Arizona State -- two teams outside of KenPom's top-100 teams. The Cardinal were torched by opposing guards in those losses -- a recipe Washington State should be able to replicate.

Freshman Myles Rice is one of the better guards in the conference, averaging 14.6 points and 3.4 assists per game. He's peaking at the right time, too, having scored 18 in their win over Arizona. However, it's senior forward Issac Jones who will be the best player on the floor tonight. He averages 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds on the season and netted 50 points and 24 rebounds across their last two wins.

Stanford doesn't lack talent, but they're a more balanced offense. Five Cardinal average double-digit points, with 7'1" big man Maxime Raynaud (13.9 points; 9.8 rebounds) leading the way. Their strength is on the offensive end where they rank 66th in adjusted efficiency. However, they're down at No. 108 in adjusted defense and are outside the top 225 in rebound rate. Outside of Raynaud, Stanford lacks size and rebounding.

That bodes well for Washington State, as they live on the glass, ranking 47th in total rebound rate. Coupled with their 71st-ranked adjusted offense and 53rd-ranked adjusted defense, it's easy to see the Cougars are the more well-rounded team. That was the case last season, too. Washington State won both matchups between these teams, although those Ws came by a combined five points.

numberFire's model has this game being decided by less than a point, while Bart Torvik has Stanford by 1.6. Either way, there's value in Washington State covering 3.5 points.

These teams are responsible for both of Arizona's conference losses, so it's clear they can turn it up on any given night. I'm not expecting Washington State to blow Stanford out, and it wouldn't surprise me if Stanford squeaked out a win. But getting the Cougars to cover a bucket is far too appealing to pass up.

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.