College basketball tips off today with a pair of top-100 matchups: Cincinnati-Kansas and Wake Forest-North Carolina. However, today’s slate also offers a slew of interesting mid-major matchups, including McNeese State-Texas A&M Corpus Christi. With plenty of college basketball action in store, let’s dive into today’s best college basketball betting picks and predictions for Wake Forest-North Carolina and more. Make sure to check out our other college basketball articles and our college basketball betting tools!
Best College Basketball Predictions and Bets Today
Wake Forest-North Carolina Odds
Odds via Bet365
Wake Forest: +280 | North Carolina -360
Wake Forest +8.0: -110 | North Carolina -8.0: -110
Over 156.0: | Under 156.0: -110
When: Monday, January 22 at 7 p.m. ET
Best Wake Forest-North Carolina Bet
Starting the year 13-5 behind the 96th-most difficult schedule, Wake Forest opened conference play with a 5-2 start. Its five losses all occurred away from home against 85 opponents by single digits. Meanwhile, North Carolina is 15-3 with the 13th-most difficult schedule. Now 7-0 in conference play, North Carolina has won eight in a row, with five of those coming outside their home building. Tonight it hosts Wake Forest as an 8-point favorite in a game with a 156 total.
Wake Forest may not be receiving enough credit to this point. The roster has the talent to play with North Carolina. The Demon Deacons rank 11th in effective height and just returned premier 3-point shooter Damari Monsanto to the roster. While Wake Forest does trail North Carolina in both offensive and defensive efficiency, it ranks 25th in effective shooting percentage, where North Carolina is 128th. The Demon Deacons are ninth in 3-point attempts per game, with all of their top seven players shooting at least 38% from deep. The lone exception is 7-foot-0 center Efton Reid III, who will match up with Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram inside.
North Carolina still has a few concerns despite its recent win streak. Both Bacot and Reid have fouling issues, and one of them likely will spend time on the bench today. The Tar Heels only have two quality shooters in R.J. Davis and Ingram. They also choose to play through their big men, which could be an issue against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons rank 59th in interior defense. Overall, this is a lot of points to give a top-35 team in the country. Money has already come in on Wake Forest, and that should continue throughout the day.
Best College Basketball Prediction Today: Wake Forest +8.0 (-110 at bet365)
McNeese State-Texas A&M Corpus Christi Odds
Odds via DraftKings
McNeese State: -175 | Texas A&M Corpus Christi: +145
McNeese State -3.5: -110 | Texas A&M Corpus Christi +3.5: -115
Over 142.0: | Under 142.0: -110
When: Monday, January 22 at 7 p.m. ET
McNeese State-Texas A&M Corpus Christi Best Bet
Will Wade’s McNeese State opened the year with a 16-2 record behind the 256th-ranked schedule. They sit at 5-0 in conference with their only two losses coming against top 120 opponents Western Carolina and Louisiana Tech. On the other side, Texas A&M Corpus Christi has an 11-7 record with the 315th most difficult schedule. They’re 4-1 in conference play with losses coming to teams of all magnitudes. Corpus Christi has yet to beat a team ranked higher than 205th this season.
McNeese State will look to earn its seventh true road win. Wade brought in some elite transfers like Shahada Wells, Antavion Collum and Jahvon Garcia, and this cast of newcomers ranks 75th on offense, 125th on defense, 66th in effective shooting percentage and third in 3-point percentage. It also benefits from the elite coaching on the margins in categories like turnover margin and fouls committed versus fouls forced. Four contributors shoot over 42% from 3, which could pose problems for a decent Texas A&M Corpus Christi defense that ranks 160th overall.
Corpus Christi looks decent on paper, but it has a pair of losses to teams outside the top 300. It also has a horrific offense, ranked 294th in offensive efficiency and 346th in effective field goal percentage. This could look even worse if third-leading scorer Lance-Amir Paul is forced to miss his third game this season after sitting out of last game. Corpus Christi will have some size on McNeese but rarely uses it. Somehow, it ranks 313th in 2-point percentage and lives off second-chance opportunities. McNeese State also forces a multitude of fouls and turnovers, which will be a problem for Corpus Christi. This line movement makes little sense, and McNeese should get it done.
Best College Basketball Prediction Today: McNeese State -3.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Bethune Cookman-Arkansas Pine Bluff Odds
Odds via DraftKings
Bethune Cookman: +105 | Arkansas Pine Bluff: -125
Bethune Cookman +1.5: -108 | Arkansas Pine Bluff -1.5: -112
Over 165.5: | Under 165.5: -110
When: Monday, January 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Bethune-Cookman-Arkansas Pine Bluff Best Bet
In a wild game in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Bethune Cookman takes on Arkansas Pine Bluff as a 1.5-point underdog in a game with a monster 165.5 total. Bethune Cookman is 8-9 record with the No. 348 strength of schedule, and Arkansas Pine Bluff is 7-10.
Instead of a side, the over might have some value here after money poured in overnight. Bethune Cookman ranks 30th in tempo and Arkansas Pine Bluff is 11th. Pine Bluff also plays the perfect style of basketball for shootouts. As a low-level team, its 240th=ranked offense and 361st-ranked defense create the perfect scoring environment in these uptempo games. These teams have decent shooting metrics for smaller programs as well. Pine Bluff is 170th in effective field goal percentage, and both are in the top 120 in free-throw percentage. While uncomfortable, the over is the sharp side of this total.
Best College Basketball Prediction Today: Over 165.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
