NCAA Basketball Betting Odds, Picks, Predictions for Best Games

Another college basketball weekend is upon us, and the slates are loaded with some quality games. However, just because a game is entertaining doesn’t mean it qualifies as a best bet. So here are a couple of games that are worthy of your weekend wagers. Let’s get right to it so you don’t miss your chance to bet on the NCAA Basketball Odds.

Men’s NCAA Basketball Betting Picks & Predictions for Jan. 7th & 8th Games

Saturday, 12:00 Noon: Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma State Cowboys (-1)

If the Texas Longhorns are able to overcome the adversity surrounding their program, then they will receive a tip of the cap. It will be a tall order as they are being asked to hit the road, against a rival just a couple of days after finding out the coach they opted to play for will no longer be with the program.

Chris Beard was fired on Thursday after a domestic violence incident which will result in one of the highest-profile jobs in the country going back on the market. In the meantime, the Longhorns will be in the capable hands of Rodney Terry, who has led this team to five wins in the six games he has coached. Despite a half dozen games under Terry while the mess was being sorted, the program is now surrounded by distraction, controversy, and media that could easily lead to an underwhelming performance on Saturday. No doubt the Oklahoma State crowd will be using the firing as heckling fodder from the stands to try and get into Longhorns players heads.

The Cowboys are also sneakily the best team against the spread at home this season at 5-2 and outperforming the number by nearly two points per contest. They are fresh off of a nice home victory over West Virginia and likely smell blood in the water heading into Saturday’s matchup.

Sunday, 6:00 PM EST: Purdue Boilermakers (-5) at Penn State Nittany Lions

The other game to take advantage of this weekend is Purdue heading to Philadelphia to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Boilermakers are fresh off of a hard-fought road victory in Columbus on Thursday evening and are on the road again.

The Nittany Lions are sneakily one of the best teams in the Big Ten against the number at 8-6-1 and outperforming the number by a point per ballgame. Purdue, on the other hand, is one of the worst teams in the Big Ten against the anticipated margin at 5-9-1 on the season. The Boilermakers’ record ATS is a little skewed as their margin of victory number is third best in the conference at 15.4 points per game.

While Purdue certainly has the advantage, specifically in the front court, this could be a letdown game following a victory on the road against a rival. On the flip side, Penn State will likely be amped for this game and see it as one step closer to returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011. Jalen Pickett is an absolute superstar for this team, averaging 17-7-7 per game, and could easily lead this team to a huge victory at the Palestra.