College Basketball Betting Picks for Friday 1/19/24

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

Indiana at No. 11 Wisconsin

Wisconsin -10.5 (-120)

We've got a Big Ten clash with the Indiana Hoosiers taking on the No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers at Kohl Center. I think there are plenty of reasons to trust Wisconsin to cover tonight.

The Badgers sit atop the Big Ten standings, touting a 5-1 record within their conference, whereas the Hoosiers come into this one with a 4-3 record against Big Ten opponents.

According to Bart Torvik's power ratings, which measure a team's chance of beating an average D1 team, Wisconsin ranks 17th, and Indiana checks in 89th.

Led by AJ Storr, Steven Crowl, and Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin has one of the most booming offenses in college basketball. Only five teams fare better in adjusted offensive efficiency, and their defense isn't too shabby, either -- they come in with the 39th-best adjusted defensive efficiency marker (per KenPom).

The Hoosiers, led by standouts Malik Reneau and Kel'el Ware, rank 125th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 72nd in adjusted defensive efficiency. Their 12-6 record is commendable, but the lack of impressive wins is concerning. They almost held on against the then-No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks, losing by just four points. But even still, they are 0-3 against nationally-ranked opponents, with their average margin of loss sitting at 15.0 points.

This will be the sixth straight Big Ten matchup for each of these teams, and it's all conference play from here on out. Wisconsin went 4-1 in this span, with their average winning margin standing at 11 points. Indiana went 2-3 in this span, and all three losses were by at least 11 points, with their average margin of defeat coming in at 16 points.

The Hoosiers have not been able to compete against top programs, and their play within the Big Ten isn't too inspiring, either. Indiana and Wisconsin have faced two alike opponents this year -- Ohio State and Nebraska. Both teams slid past the lowly Buckeyes, but Indiana fell at Nebraska by 16 points, whereas Wisconsin won at home versus the Huskers by 16 points.

The Badgers should come out strong in their home arena and keep the pace for long enough to secure a cover.

Quinnipiac at Siena

Quinnipiac -6.5 (-105)

The Quinnipiac Bobcats (12-4) will visit the Siena Saints (3-12), and I don't think the market is giving the Bobcats enough credit.

Quinnipiac comes in at the 191st spot on Bart Torvik's power ratings, while Siena ranks 349th, which is good for the 14th-worst rank in all of college basketball. Siena's three victories have come against teams in the bottom 70 of Bart Torvik's ratings. The Saints are losing games by an average margin of 21.7 points, and a heavy 12-game sample of defeats gives credence to just how often they are getting blown out.

Siena fares even worse against teams that have any pull in Bart Torvik's power ratings. They've played nine teams that rank in the top 250. They went 0-9 in this span and lost each game by an average of 24.6 points, so it should be of no surprise if this game gets out of hand.

The Bobcats are 4-1 within the MAAC (second-best conference record) while Siena is 2-3 (eighth-best conference record out of 11 teams).

Quinnipiac has the third-best defensive rank among all MAAC teams, so I don't foresee them having much trouble silencing Siena's lackluster offense. The Saints come in with the 14th-worst adjusted offensive efficiency and are putting up just 62.4 points per game (seventh-fewest in D1 CBB).

I'm high enough on Quinnipiac and low enough on Siena, that I'd consider targeting the alternative spread market. You can get Quinnipiac -9.5 at +150 and -12.5 at +240. Siena is shooting the three-ball at an abysmal 26.3% clip (15th-worst), yet they are allowing opponents to shoot 36.6% from behind the arc. It's no wonder why their games get out of hand so fast.

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.