Tuesday College Basketball Betting Odds & Picks: St. Joe’s vs. Temple, Indiana vs. UConn

Eli Hershkovich is an Action Network contributor and produces/hosts the You Better You Bet Podcast on RADIO.COM Sports.

Even though six ranked teams are in action on Tuesday night’s college basketball card, there’s value elsewhere, including in a pair of American Athletic Conference matchups.

Let’s dive into Temple-St. Joe’s and Indiana-UConn, the latter of which will be held at Madison Square Garden.

Tuesday College Basketball Betting Picks

Odds as of Tuesday morning and via DraftKings, where Action Network users get a risk-free bet up to $500.

St. Joe’s at Temple

Spread: Temple -12.5
Over/Under: 145.5
Time: 7 p.m. EST
TV: ESPNU

Temple is coming off their second straight-up loss of the season, tallying 0.77 points per possession against Missouri on Saturday. Meanwhile, St. Joe's fell to Villanova on the same day but did cover the spread (+15).

I’m eyeing the total in this Big 5 matchup, though. After St. Joe’s hit in the over in its first four contests, Billy Lange’s squad has flipped the other way in five of its past six games — primarily because of the above-average defenses it’s faced. The Owls pose a similar challenge.

Temple ranks No. 25 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency on KenPom because of its elite ball pressure via Quinton Rose and Nate Pierre-Louis. Expect St. Joe’s 3-point attack to continue to struggle against one of college basketball’s top perimeter defenses (28.1 opponents’ 3-point%).

Not only do the Owls struggle to shoot all over the court (54th-lowest effective field goal%), but they’ve also hit the under in seven of eight games. St. Joe’s defense could give Aaron McKie’s team issues with a unit that can switch on most ball screens, too.

Even if Temple finds a rhythm offensively, its only game that’s gone over the total was in a loss against Maryland, where it had to play uptempo versus a superior offense. That won’t happen here, so take advantage of the inflated total.

The Pick: Under 145.5 [In New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana or West Virginia? Bet now at DraftKings]

Indiana vs. Connecticut

Spread: Indiana -3
Over/Under: 142.5
Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
TV: ESPN

Despite this one representing a potential Hoosiers bounce-back spot following their 20-point loss at Wisconsin on Saturday, Indiana (6-3 ATS) still appears overvalued after playing its first eight games at home en route to an 8-0 start.

Archie Miller’s inexperienced squad has been inconsistent in the turnover department, and that’ll rear its head against the Huskies’ top-60 turnover-forcing unit. UConn guard Christain Vital should lead the way in making Indiana freshmen Trayce Jackson-Davis and Armaan Franklin uncomfortable in their second road test.

If UConn’s able to push the pace as a result, Dan Hurley’s bunch will find its way to the line — where Indiana is most susceptible defensively (35.4% opponents’ free-throw rate).

The market hasn’t caught up to the Huskies’ improved offense, aided by freshman guard James Bouknight, who gives his team another talented scorer off the dribble after returning from his three-game suspension to start the season. Their inside attack should set up their perimeter game (34.3%), another area that Indiana can be had defensively.

After covering in seven of its first eight games, expect UConn to add another one to its total.

The Pick: UConn +3 [In New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana or West Virginia? Bet now at DraftKings]