It's the eve of Christmas Eve, as players and coaches across the country are looking forward to their short holiday breaks.
However, there's still plenty of action in college basketball on Tuesday, which means betting value can be found.
Read on for our college basketball predictions, picks, best bets and odds for Tuesday, December 23.
College Basketball Best Bets
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 4 p.m. | |
  | 7 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. | ||
Green Bay vs. Campbell
While it's hard to be much worse than Green Bay was last season (4-28 overall), the Phoenix have been respectable in Doug Gottlieb's second campaign at the helm. They took Minnesota to overtime at "The Barn" and are coming off a solid win over UC Santa Barbara.
Meanwhile, Campbell is 5-7 and hasn't been competitive in any games against strong competition, losing by an average of 26 points in matchups against Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Penn State, Gonzaga and Minnesota.
It's not just the resumes and eye test that stacks in the Phoenix's favor, though. Our Action PRO Projections have this as an A+ edge, with our PRO line sitting closer to two points rather than the 5.5 that's currently on the market as of writing.
That's a strong 10.6% edge, giving us nice value on this Noon ET bet.
Let's back Gottlieb and company, even on the road.
Pick: Green Bay +5.5 (Play to +3)
UC Riverside vs. UCLA
UCLA trailed by three at halftime vs Cal Poly at home on Friday. The Bruins responded by scoring 65 in the second half, winning by 21.
For context, Cal Poly is 5-8 and plays at the second-fastest tempo in the country.
I expect UCLA to come out focused and ready to go from the jump. I wonder if Xavier Booker’s benching will transfer over to this game and we’ll see more of that offensive-minded lineup.
I think there's a chance Mick Cronin leans into his team's strengths, letting Tyler Bilodeau rock out at the five spot for extended run.
This makes the total I’m seeing look quite low. Riverside is outside the top 300 in defensive efficiency. BYU scored 100 against the Highlanders, and I think UCLA easily gets to 90-plus here.
Pick: Over 149.5 (Play to 151)
Villanova vs. Seton Hall
By Jim Root
This clash of styles creates a difficult handicapping situation. Seton Hall’s defensive strengths – taking away the rim, using dominant ball pressure to generate steals – don't necessarily work against Villanova’s offensive style. The Wildcats are comfortable.
That is the biggest variable on both the spread and the total. Can Villanova get hot early from the perimeter, opening lanes to slash-and-kick – and thus generating even more open jumpers? Or will the Wildcats get swallowed up by the Pirates’ physicality and athleticism, resulting in a low-scoring slog?
The most crucial matchup I'm watching here is the freshman Acaden Lewis against Adam "Budd" Clark, particularly when Villanova is on offense. The rookie has taken excellent care of the ball this year, but this is by far the most chaos-inducing defense the Wildcats have played to this point.
Seton Hall could struggle to score itself, as its rim-centric attack will run into the steadfast Duke Brennan inside. The Pirates could have some success on the offensive glass, though – Villanova is far too reliant on Brennan to clean the boards.
One last note: Najai Hines, the Pirates’ powerhouse freshman big man, missed the last game with an illness of some sort. Shaheen Holloway was vague in his postgame comments, so Hines’ status is somewhat uncertain as I write this.
Ultimately, I'm going with the under here because I think this pre-conference Christmas game will be incredibly slow and feature both teams struggling to score against the opposing defense.
A Villanova 3-point barrage could undermine this pick, but I think enough factors are working in the under's favor for it to be a solid wager down to 128 points.
Pick: Under 132.5 (Play to 128)
