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

George Washington at Richmond

Richmond -7.5 (-120)

The nation's sixth-longest active winning streak will be put to the test tonight when the Richmond Spiders (13-5, 5-0 conference) host the George Washington Revolutionaries (14-4, 3-2). Even though GW has a better record than Richmond, I'm expecting the Spiders to cruise to their ninth straight win, covering this 7.5-point spread in the process.

Richmond may not have a signature win, but they've avoided landmines thus far. They're currently 72nd in the NET thanks to a 5-2 record in Quad 2. They do have a Quad 3 loss at Wichita State, but they're notably a perfect 9-0 at home. Of those nine wins at the Robins Center, six were by double digits. They're 8-1 against the spread (ATS) at home -- but that's nothing new for the Spiders. They're 14-4 ATS overall.

The Spiders are a stout defensive team -- one that will give the Revolutionaries fits tonight. On the season, Richmond is 44th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency, and they're 28th nationally in scoring defense (64.4 points per game). They aren't a defense that'll press and feast off turnovers; rather, the Spiders love to slow it down and pack the paint. They rank 266th in adjusted tempo, 24th in three-point defense (29.7%), and 51st in two-point defense (46.5%).

That three-point defense should come in handy tonight. Nearly 40% of the Revolutionaries' shots come from beyond the arc, and they boast the 16th-highest three-point field goal percentage against Division I opponents.

Outside of that, GW's offense leaves a lot to be desired. Despite having three players who average over 14 points per game, the Revolutionaries are outside the top 150 in adjusted offensive efficiency. Their two strengths -- strong outside shooting and a blistering pace of play -- should be mitigated by Richmond's defense.

Offensively, I don't envision the Spiders struggling with a George Washington team that's 192nd in adjusted defense. GW has given up 84.6 points per game in conference play, the worst mark in the Atlantic 10. They've allowed 10.2 threes per game over that span -- a weakness the red-hot Jordan King (19.9 points; 3.2 threes per game in conference play) should take full advantage of.

numberFire's model projects Richmond to win by 8.8 points. Bart Torvik is even higher on them, projecting an 11.2-point margin in favor of the Spiders.

That's enough for me to back the home favorites, and I'd be interested in looking into the alternate spreads, too.

Utah at Washington State

Utah +1.5 (-115)

Next, we had out west, as I like the Utah Utes (14-5, 5-3) to cover as 1.5-point underdogs against the Washington State Cougars (13-6, 4-4).

Backing road teams can be a scary proposition in college basketball, especially when the spread is this tight. However, Utah already beat Washington State by 22 points this season. Granted, that was at home, and the Utes are just 1-3 in true road contests. But that one win came against a Saint Mary's team that's 31st in KenPom's rankings. The Cougars are down at No. 60 in KenPom, and they do not match up well with Utah.

Washington State makes their living close to the basket. Over 42% of their shot attempts are defined as "Close Twos" by Bart Torvik, and they're 59th nationally in two-point field goal percentage.

Yet, they shot just 11 for 26 at the rim and 6 of 21 from mid-range when they faced Utah earlier this season. Defending the rim is nothing new for the Utes. Bigs Branden Carlson (1.8 blocks per game) and Keba Keita (1.3) combined for eight blocks in that previous matchup, and they're both top-10 shot blockers in the Pac-12. They spearhead a Utah defense that ranks 45th in adjusted defense and 29th in two-point defense (45.2%).

Utah can be beaten from beyond the arc, but that's an area where Washington State has really struggled. Less than 32% of their shot attempts are three-pointers (305th nationally), and they shoot just 34.2% from deep (148th). They were 4 for 20 from distance in that earlier matchup. Even in their big home win over Arizona, they didn't shoot well, making just 4 of 13 three-pointers.

Despite the 22-point loss, Washington State pounded the Utes for 24 offensive rebounds in that earlier matchup. I'd chalk that up to a one-off, however. Utah is 46th nationally in defensive rebound rate and they boast the Pac-12's second-best total rebound rate in conference play.

The Utes should have an advantage on D and in the rebounding department, so we're really just banking on them to stay hot on offense.

Luckily, that's their biggest strength. Utah ranks 21st nationally both in adjusted offense and three-point field goal percentage. We can't expect them to shoot 41% from three like they did in the previous matchup, but the Cougars have struggled to defend the outside shot. They're just 138th in three-point defense, compared to 14th in two-point defense. Utah ranks second in the Pac-12 with 10.1 threes per game in conference play.

While I expect a much closer game in tonight's rematch, I think Utah is the better team overall, and they match up well with Washington State. I'm more than comfortable taking Utah +1.5 here, but there's value in Utah ML (-102), too.

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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.