College Basketball Betting Picks for Tuesday 1/23/24

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

No. 16 Dayton Flyers at La Salle Explorers

Under 139.5 (-110)

Dayton has been college basketball's best mid-major darling thus far as the AP Top 25 Poll's top-ranked team outside of the Power Six conferences. The Flyers are led by an excellent offense that has KenPom's 12th-best adjusted efficiency in the nation (out of 362 teams).

Few teams can match Dayton's efficiency, which includes ranking in the 88th percentile of field goal percentage (FG%) and three-point percentage. Tuesday's opponent is La Salle, who ranks 224th in KenPom and is in the bottom 22% of adjusted defensive efficiency.

While the Flyers' offense may have plenty of success, we can't overlook that the Explorers are in the bottom 28% of FG%, and Dayton is in the 84th percentile of opponent FG%. The trends also point to the under with it going 4-1 in the Flyers' last five games and 5-1 over La Salle's previous six.

Additionally, the Explorers rank in the 89th percentile with opponents taking only 32.7% of their field goals from three. Of course, this goes directly against one of the Flyers' strengths, as they take 46.5% of their shots from deep (94th percentile).

Dayton could have no problem leaning on their paint attack, though. They shoot 68.0% on close twos (98th percentile), and La Salle pretty much ranks in the middle of the pack in opponent two-point percentage (54th percentile) and allowed close twos (64th percentile). This could mean a big game for the Flyers' Daron Holmes II, who leads the team with 19.5 points per game (PPG) and 7.6 rebounds per game (RPG). Plus, Holmes leads the Atlantic 10 in EvanMiya's Bayesian Performance Rating (BPR).

Ultimately, if the Explorers can force Dayton to live around the rim instead of scorching the net from deep, this could lead to a low-scoring contest. The math is simple: two is fewer than three. Considering this paired with the trends, I like the under.

No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats at South Carolina Gamecocks

Under 154.5 (-115)

Kentucky is another high-scoring team in action tonight (fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency). Despite the Wildcats leading the nation with 91.6 PPG, taking the under could be the wise pick. With the total at only 154.5 that may seem crazy at first. Heck, Kentucky covers about 60.0% of that total with their season average.

South Carolina plays at one of the slowest paces in America, though. In fact, the Gamecocks play at a slower pace than about 96.1% of college basketball while ranking in the bottom 33% of field goal attempts per game and in the 82nd percentile of attempted field goals allowed.

Additionally, the Cats love to launch threes with an average of 25.6 shots each contest (86th percentile). South Carolina has the direct answer for that, as they rank in the 89th percentile with opponents taking only 32.6% of their shots from beyond the three-point line.

The Gamecocks' stats on offense only further point to the under because they are in the bottom 36% of PPG and the bottom 33% of FG%. Defense has been a struggle for UK, as they rank 75th in adjusted efficiency. They at least frustrate teams from three with opponents converting only 31.3% of their shots (78th percentile). South Carolina leans on threes with 42.6% of their shots coming from deep, and they total 24.8 three-point attempts per contest (80th percentile).

I'm going against the grain with this pick, as the over is 9-1 in the Wildcats' last 10 games. But when considering USC's slow pace and Kentucky's ability to limit three-point percentage, this could be headed for the under.

No. 4 Houston Cougars at No. 21 BYU Cougars

BYU Moneyline (+116)

I'm targeting one more college basketball line to take advantage of FanDuel's Boost Builder for college basketball games tonight. Look no further than the sole top-25 matchup of the day between Houston and BYU.

The new additions to the Big 12 have excelled, as Houston leads the nation in KenPom's rankings while BYU sits at 10th. This promises to be an intriguing matchup between Houston's elite defense (1st in adjusted defensive efficiency) against BYU's offense that is full of sharpshooters (13th in adjusted offensive efficiency).

Slowing down Brigham Young's three-point shooting could be the key for UH. BYU ranks second in the nation with 51.3% of their shots coming from deep, and without much surprise, they also rank in the 99th percentile of three-point attempts per game.

The efficiency is there, as well, with the team in the 85th percentile of three-point percentage paired with four key players who shoot at least 37.0% from deep (Noah Waterman, Jaxson Robinson, Trevin Knell, and Dallin Hall).

BYU's ability to catch fire from three-point land could spell trouble for Houston. UH gives up the fewest shots per game in the American at 47.8. Of course, this leads to fewer three-point shots at 20.1 per contest (75th percentile). However, BYU feels bound to get up more shot attempts, as they rank among the top 34% quickest paces in college basketball. Opponents take 42.0% of their shots from three against Houston (bottom 14%). If BYU is getting up this many shots from three, they could light up the scoreboard.

Brigham Young is also in the 93rd percentile of offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. Houston ranks outside the top 100 in defensive rebounding percentage, which could give BYU extra possessions. Most importantly, BYU leads the nation in defensive rebounding percentage while Houston has the second-best offensive rebounding percentage. Corralling offensive rebounds has been a staple for Houston under coach Kelvin Sampson, and BYU has the ability to take that away.

With Houston 0-2 on the road in Big 12 play, an upset could be brewing in Provo, Utah.

If you’re betting on any college basketball action on January 23rd, you can take advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook’s Boost Builder. See the promotions page for more information.

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.