We have one more football game until it's all college basketball, all the time. However, this week, the NFL is off, giving us the full spotlight here at the Action Network college basketball vertical.
I'm targeting three spots for Friday, in advance of another loaded Saturday slate.
Read below for college basketball best bets, including three NCAAB picks and predictions for Friday, January 30.
College Basketball Best Bets
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8 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. | ||
Princeton vs. Cornell
Now fully healthy, Princeton is two bad breaks away from being 5-0 in Ivy League play and sitting atop the conference standings. The Tigers blew a nine-point lead at Dartmouth to eventually lose by two and a 17-point lead at Harvard before losing in overtime.
The return of point guard Dalen Davis has coincided with Princeton looking more like its program reputation after a rough non-conference start.
Cornell is always a scary team to play because of its incendiary offense, which ranks No. 2 in the Ivy and top-60 in the country. The Big Red play fast and shoot the heck out of the ball, ranking sixth nationally in 3-point attempt rate and 12th in 3-point percentage.
But Cornell is also the worst defensive team in the Ivy and one of the worst in the country – literally anybody can score on this porous defense, meaning no lead is ever safe.
Princeton takes away the long-ball better than anyone in the Ivy League, ranking No. 1 in 3-point attempt rate allowed and No. 2 in 3-point percentage allowed in conference play.
The Tigers are also the best ball handling team in the conference, meaning Cornell’s chaotic pressure won’t speed them up and force them into poor decisions.
Princeton should be able to methodically grind down an undisciplined defense and find clean looks inside or backdoors to the cup, as the famed offense is known to create.
Princeton should hang tough on Friday and vie for another Ivy victory, keeping it within the top four of the standings.
Pick: Princeton +5.5 (Play to +4)
Michigan vs. Michigan State
Michigan has been playing with fire lately. After looking like one of the best teams we’ve ever seen and the runaway favorite to capture the national title, the Wolverines are 0-7 against the spread in their past seven games, losing to Wisconsin and nearly falling to Nebraska (which was without two of its top three scorers) in the process.
Michigan State is coming off its own scare at Rutgers, but the Spartans were 5-1 ATS prior to that performance and look poised to pick off its bitter rival.
The most important thing a team needs to stand up to Michigan’s intimidating frontline is size. And the Spartans have in spades. Michigan State boasts as air-tight an interior defense as any team in the country, leading the Big Ten in both 2-point field goal percentage allowed and defensive rebounding rate (DR%).
The Wolverines are the most efficient paint and rim scoring team in the country, but they’ll be tested against a well-fed Sparty frontcourt.
On the other end, Michigan State will need to win the glass battle, as scoring inside the arc against Michigan is a trying chore, and the 3-ball isn’t the Spartans’ primary source of offense.
Other Big Ten foes have surprisingly found success against the Wolverines on the offensive glass, as Michigan ranks just eighth in conference play in defensive rebounding rate.
Being strong with the ball will also be key, as Michigan State turns it over more than any team in the league. Thankfully Michigan’s perimeter isn't overly effective at forcing turnovers.
Home court should play a factor here with the Izzone in full force. Expect an A+ effort from the Spartans as they vanquish their mighty foe.
Pick: Michigan State +1.5 (Play to -2)
Dayton vs. Saint Louis
Saint Louis is an electric factory of a basketball team. Reminiscent of head coach Josh Schertz’s Indiana State Sycamores, Saint Louis is among the most connected and unselfish squads in the nation.
The Billikens are firing on all cylinders right now and rank top-four nationally in both offensive and defensive effective field goal percentage — that's a crazy stat, especially for a “non-power” team.
Dayton comes into the Arch-Baron Cup as an eye-poppingly large 'dog. It seems almost ridiculous that we’re seeing a double-digit spread between these two programs, but the Flyers haven’t been themselves lately, and the vibes aren’t great.
Dayton has dropped three straight games in A-10 play, and they haven't come against the stalwarts of the league. The Flyers have fallen to La Salle, Saint Joe’s and Rhode Island, each of which, individually, would normally be an embarrassment for arguably the best program in the conference in recent history.
To see it happen consecutively — and all in the same season — is downright alarming. And over its past 12 games, Dayton is just 4-8 against the number.
Scoring will be a major challenge for Dayton, which has struggled all season putting the ball in the bucket. The Flyers can't shoot, rebound or take care of the rock.
Their only outlet to consistent points this season has been the free-throw line. And while Saint Louis can get a little foul happy, the Billikens are the best defensive squad in the A-10 and boast the size, speed and athleticism to shut down the Flyers' attack.
On the other end, Dayton will compete, as any Anthony Grant-coached team usually does. But the overwhelming number of weapons Saint Louis has on the offensive end should prove to be too much for the Flyers' defense, one that can especially struggle defending the 3-point arc.
The Billikens are so selfless on this end and will get a clean look every possession — as long as they can keep their turnovers in check against a feisty and lengthy Dayton corps.
Saint Louis will continue its magical season and win by double digits in an emotional game in front of a hyped fanbase in what's quickly becoming one of the most fun rivalries in college basketball.
Pick: Saint Louis -11.5 (Play to -12)
