College Basketball Betting Picks for Saturday 1/27/24

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

Kansas State at No. 4 Houston

Houston -14.5 (-120)

Tipping off in Saturday's early window (noon ET), the No. 4 Houston Cougars will host the Kansas State Wildcats in a conference showdown.

The Cougars have dominated to a 17-2 overall record. However, both losses have come against fellow Big 12 competition. Across the court, K-State is rebuilding after a spirited run to the Final Four last year. The Wildcats are 14-5, and like the Cougs, they have also lost twice in conference play.

UH has yet to lose on their home floor this season. Additionally, head coach Kevin Sampson has this group of Cougars clamping down to allow just 51.9 PPG, the stingiest clip in Division I. Since Kansas State lost significant star power from 2022-23, I believe Wildcats HC Jerome Tang and his bunch will be overmatched away from Manhattan, KS -- home floor is paramount in CBB.

According to numberFire, Houston (21.16 nERD) is the top-rated men's basketball program in the country. When laying a double-digit line, the Cougars have played to an 8-5 record against the spread (ATS). Come Saturday afternoon, I'll be looking for H-Town to improve to 9-5 in that split.

ESPN's Matchup Predictor is giving UH a 96.8% chance of victory here, and I am confident they'll cover 14.5 points.

No. 7 Kansas at No. 23 Iowa State

Kansas +3.5 (-120)

In a potential game-of-the-week bid, the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks will head to Ames for an adversarial clash with the No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones. Don't make any plans for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET; KU-ISU will be a game not to miss.

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self is in his 21st season running the men's basketball program in Lawrence. Kansas has played to a 16-3 record (4-2 in conference) and is still less than two years removed from winning a national championship.

The Cyclones have been amongst the scrappiest teams in all of college hoops. For 2023-24, Iowa State is surrendering just 61.1 PPG, which is the sixth-best clip of 362 eligible schools. At 15-4, ISU has given up 75 or more points just once over the past 11 contests.

Being that blue-blood Kansas is listed as an underdog for the first time all season, I'll take the Jayhawks with the points (+3.5). KU's 6-foot-6 guard Kevin McCullar (team-high 20.0 PPG) has been everywhere lately, and as an all-Big 12 defender, McCullar is a threat at both ends of the floor.

Reflecting on the old adage of "don't bet on an underdog ATS because you think they can keep it close, bet on them because you think they can actually win," I love the Jayhawks in this spot. Kansas' moneyline price of +130 odds is also enticing, but in the name of cashing tickets, let's take the points for protection in a tight contest -- which it probably will be.

UCLA at USC

USC -3.5 (-120)

Presenting this season's first "Crosstown Cup" men's basketball game, the UCLA Bruins will bus 15 miles due east from Westwood to Exposition Park where the USC Trojans await.

In this campaign, the public school in town has fallen far below their standards. With this being head coach Mick Cronin's fifth year in charge, the Bruins have played to a dismal 8-11 record (3-5 in conference).

The Trojans obviously have substantial hype around their program in 2024. Naturally, when the son of LeBron James -- Bronny James -- is on the roster, that is to be expected. Outside of that, Southern Cal has also logged an 8-11 record this season. So this Saturday at the Galen Center, facing their archrival, something has to give, right?

Switching stereotypes this season, Southern California appears stronger on the hardwood while UCLA defeated the Trojans on the gridiron last November. In 2024, SC's men's basketball team is averaging 75.7 PPG, which is more than 10 points greater than the Bruins' current scoring clip (65.2 PPG).

Back at numberFire, the CBB game projections present an estimated 70.38-63.44 score in favor of the home-floor Trojans. Tipping off in the evening window (8 p.m. ET), I'd expect plenty of LA star power to show up for this clash -- especially with the Los Angeles Lakers playing up in the Bay Area on Saturday.

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.