Before we get to a loaded Saturday slate, there's still plenty of value to be had in the sport of college basketball.
I'm targeting three spots for you to choose from, with two of them being Big East duels.
Read below for college basketball best bets, including three NCAAB picks and predictions for Friday, January 16.
College Basketball Best Bets
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:30 p.m. | |
  | 6:30 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Creighton vs. Providence
Kim English’s seat is getting mighty hot in Providence, as his Friars stare down the barrel of another missed NCAA Tournament and a 1-5 Big East record.
Star guard Jason Edwards missed last game with a plantar fasciitis flare up, and if he’s even limited in this outing, it’s bad news for the home team.
Edwards ranks fifth in the conference in usage and third in percentage of team shots taken, and the Friars trailed by as many as 15 without him on the floor against Villanova.
Creighton’s potent offense should have no trouble scoring against a porous Friars defense. The 3-point arc has killed Providence all season, and the Jays are one of the best outside shooting teams in the land. They lead the Big East in 3-point attempt rate and rank third in 3-point percentage.
Providence’s soft middle should be exploitable by a Jays team with impressive finesse in the paint and plenty of weapons. Transition opportunities should also abound with Creighton’s ability to secure the defensive glass and Providence’s lack of offensive rebounding.
Without Edwards — or with a hampered Edwards — Providence’s excellent offense takes a massive hit. The Friars have other options — like stud freshman Stefan Vaaks — but nobody on the roster has Edwards’ creation ability or big-time shooting prowess.
The Jays will lock down the arc and force Providence to beat them inside, an area the Friars aren’t built to exploit. Outside of Edwards, their weapons are their wings, and Creighton has enough perimeter versatility to slow them down.
The Jays will pull off the victory in Providence and stay within two games of first place.
Pick: Creighton +1 (Play to -2)
Toledo vs. Kent State
A MAC heavyweight battle tips off Friday night with both Kent State and Toledo looking to stay within a game of undefeated Miami (OH) in the conference standings.
The Flashes lead the all-time series 26-12, they’ve won their last three games against the Rockets and they're 13-4 at home in this matchup.
The edge for the Flashes tonight is on the offensive glass. Kent State is the MAC’s best offensive rebounding team thanks to glass demon Delrecco Gillespie.
The Rockets are an awful defensive rebounding team and not nearly as big or as physical as Kent State. When not pounding the glass, Kent State will be bombing away from deep, where it ranks in the top 50 nationally in 3-point attempt rate and top-55 in 3-point percentage.
Toledo has struggled mightily defending the arc, which has been a theme for Tod Kowalczyk’s squads the past four years.
On the other end, Toledo has shooters, but it gets most of its buckets inside the arc, via post-ups and in transition. Kent State might get beat in transition, but the Flashes are nails defensively inside the arc.
They’re the MAC’s best 2-point percentage defense, and Gillespie and fellow big man Rob Whaley Jr. take up a ton of space.
This will be a high scoring game, with both offenses far outpacing both defenses. Kent State should be able to extend over the course of the game, winning the glass battle and 3-point battle in the process.
Pick: Kent State -4.5 (Play to -5)
Marquette vs. DePaul
Marquette is having by far its worst season of the Shaka Smart era and one of its worst seasons of the past 30 years.
But DePaul is still DePaul, and if there’s ever a time to get off the mat, it’s as an underdog at the Wintrust Arena, a place where the Golden Eagles have won three in a row and four of the past five.
DePaul has secured two victories at home this season in Big East play, but it took 31 free throw attempts against Xavier, and Georgetown going 1-of-23 from the field in the second half (yes, really) to get those games done.
Marquette can absolutely win this ball game.
Ben Gold, one of Marquette’s starting forwards, missed last game with an ankle injury, but his absence means less against a DePaul team that doesn’t overwhelm its opponents with size.
Caedin Hamilton and Royce Parham should be fine against NJ Benson and Co., and Gold’s absence will lead to Smart playing more mobile, small-ball lineups.
Marquette’s defense isn’t quite as deadly as in years past, but Smart is still pressing at one of the highest rates in the nation, and the DePaul guards have had their fair share of turnover issues.
DePaul has seen a lot of pressure this season, but the Blue Demons rank in just the 42nd percentile in points per possession when facing it.
The Golden Eagles have plenty of speed in the backcourt and the best player on the floor in Chase Ross. Smart and Co. should be motivated to pick up a win against one of the “low hanging fruits” in the Big East and start their bounce back from a nightmare first semester.
Pick: Marquette +3.5 (Play to +2)
