3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Friday 1/10/24

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

Minnesota at Wisconsin

Wisconsin -12.5 (-120)

Minnesota will take on Wisconsin in one of just two high-major games scheduled for Friday night.

This is not an ideal matchup for the visiting Gophers, and they're going to face an uphill battle covering this 12.5-point spread.

Wisconsin is up to 21st overall in Bart Torvik's power ratings following their four-game winning streak. The Badgers sit at 12-3 overall, with their lone three losses all coming to teams inside Torvik's top 15. They haven't completely struggled against top competition, either. The Badgers have notable wins over Arizona (12th on Torvik) and Iowa (42nd) -- both of which came at home by 15+ points.

Lopsided wins aren't anything new for this Wisco team. The Badgers have defeated nine teams by double-digits, including each of their last three opponents. We saw their ninth-ranked offense drop 116 points against Iowa just last week, and that offense is their biggest advantage tonight.

Minnesota is just 123rd overall by Bart Torvik's numbers, and they're a measly 125th in adjusted defensive efficiency. As you'd expect, they've been rolled by top competition. Against the three top-50 (venue-adjusted) opponents they've faced, Minnesota has surrendered 90, 82, and 81 points. They lost all three games by at least 15 points.

I'm not expecting that to change tonight -- not when the Gophers are 0-3 away from their home court.

Bart Torvik's model projects Wisconsin to win this one by 16.8 points. I'm inclined to back the model and take Wisconsin to cover as 12.5-point favorites.

UCLA at Maryland

UCLA +4.5 (-105)

On a light Friday slate for college hoops, UCLA at Maryland is the clear top game to watch. numberFire gives both sides greater than a 75% chance to make the NCAA Tournament, so we'll be treated to a March-worthy game in early January.

Both sides rate out well; UCLA is 24th in Bart Torvik's power ratings while Maryland is 20th. But neither side has been playing their best ball of late. UCLA has dropped three of their last four games, and Maryland has lost two in a row. In a jampacked Big Ten, this is a crucial game for both teams.

With UCLA fresh off a legendary tirade from Bruins coach Mike Cronin following a 19-point loss to Michigan, I like UCLA to bring their A game and keep things close with the Terrapins.

In spite of their recent results, UCLA looked like the superior team prior to the turn of the calendar. They were 11-2 prior to January 1st, having won games against Oregon (25th on Torvik), Arizona (12th), and Gonzaga (10th). Bart Torvik had them at 14th overall at that point, and they ranked fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Now, Maryland was seventh by Torvik's numbers over that same stretch, but they lacked the same high-profile wins UCLA has recorded. The Terrapins have lost to all three of the top-40 teams they've faced, with their best wins coming at home against Ohio State (48th) and on a neutral floor against Villanova (46th).

For this matchup in particular, UCLA could wreak havoc on Maryland's ball handlers. The Bruins are second nationally in forced turnover rate (25.7%), and that standing has held even against top 100 opponents. Maryland has done well to limit turnovers overall, but their turnover rate jumps from 13.9% overall (16th) to 16.4% (70th) against top 100 opponents. That proved to be the difference-maker in their lone home loss (to Marquette); Maryland turned the ball over 13 times, leading to 15 points for the Golden Eagles.

UCLA's offense has some question marks, but we just saw them net 75 points and post a 104.1 offensive rating against Michigan's 13th-ranked defense. That's something I expect to continue tonight, giving them some leeway covering 4.5 points given their fourth-ranked defense.

Kobe Johnson (UCLA) Over 13.5 Pts + Reb (-120)

In spite of this game's 137.5-point over/under, UCLA-Maryland is still an intriguing spot to target player props. For this matchup, I've got my eyes on the over for Kobe Johnson's 13.5 points plus rebounds prop.

The UCLA senior wing is averaging 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds on the season, although his scoring tends to fluctuate pretty dramatically. After averaging 10.9 points at USC last season, Johnson has seen his shot attempts essentially cut in half upon transferring to UCLA. But he's still flashed double-digit potential, cracking 10 points in six separate games.

He's made up for that scoring dip by hitting the glass, and that's helped him reach at least 14 combined points and rebounds in eight of 15 games on the year, including in six of the last seven games. That's coincided with an uptick in minutes, too. He's averaged 30.4 minutes over the last seven games, compared to 25.0 over his first eight outings.

Maryland isn't a great matchup overall, but this line is just too low given his recent workload and production.

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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.