Tuesday College Basketball Betting Picks: Our Staff’s 5 Favorite Bets

What Tuesday's college basketball slate lacks in quantity with just 23 games, it more than makes up for in quality.

There are plenty of good matchups in the ACC and Big East, and even a few MAC games worth keeping an eye on.

Here's what we're betting on Tuesday night.

Tuesday College Basketball Picks

College basketball odds as of Tuesday morning and via FanDuel, where Action Network users get a risk-free bet up to $500.

Eli Hershkovich

• Odds: Villanova -3 at St. John’s
• Over/Under: 143
• Time: 6:30 pm ET
• TV: FS1

This seems layup to bet on the No. 8 Wildcats as a short favorite, right? Not so fast.

Villanova’s sixth straight outright victory on Saturday was more of a product of Providence’s poor late-game execution than the Wildcats taking control down the stretch. The Friars averaged a mere 0.90 points per possession overall, and their quick-trigger from behind the arc crushed their hopes of a cover.

While the Red Storm have the 37th-lowest Effective Field Goal percentage across Division I, their matchup edge comes inside the arc, as the Wildcats are yielding the fifth-highest 2-point scoring rate.

Look for St. John’s, which boasts the 48th-highest 2-point scoring percentage, to attack the rim at will.

At the other end, look for St. John’s ball-pressuring backcourt (Nick Rutherford, Rasheem Dunn) to create enough havoc against Villanova point guard Collin Gillaspie while he tries to set up the Wildcats’ 3-point reliant offense.

Pick: St. John’s +3

Collin Wilson

• Odds: Florida State at Virginia -1
• Over/Under: 115
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

Florida State hasn't lose a game in conference play, but it hasn't always been pretty. The Seminoles have covered just three of their past nine games, not winning by more than four points since Wake Forest on Jan. 8. This game will be a rematch from two weeks ago, in 54-50 home victory over Virginia.

The defending national champions have struggled this season, but led Florida State with just a few minutes remaining two weeks ago. The Cavaliers could not have been worse from the floor, shooting 3 of 15 from deep while giving Florida State an uncharacteristic 10 steals.

Despite having just one player hit a shot from beyond the arc, Virginia almost secured a road victory with terrible execution.

Virginia will be in desperation mode tonight with a 5-4 ACC record that has them targeted for the NIT.

The Wahoos run the slowest pace in the ACC while supporting the best defensive efficiency numbers in the conference. Look for a better shooting performance compared to the first meeting to give UVA a home win.

Pick: Virginia -1

Stuckey

• Odds: Syracuse at Clemson -1.5
• Over/Under: 134
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: YES Network

Syracuse has been playing good ball of late with five straight wins, but the Orange been doing so against the bottom of the barrel in the ACC.

It's time to sell high, as Cuse is now overvalued in the market compared to my numbers. It's a good buy low spot on Clemson as well after sputtering for a few games after its big wins over Duke and UNC.

The Tigers should control the glass and come out with a home win.

Pick: Clemson -1.5

Michael Calabrese

• Odds: Ball State at Bowling Green -1.5
• Over/Under: 139
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN+

Bowling Green's Justin Turner returned from a six-week absence on New Year's Eve. Since then, the 6-foot-4 wing has guided the Falcons to a 7-1 SU record, which has positioned BGSU atop the MAC standings with Akron.

The ceiling for both Turner and the Falcons is even higher when you consider that he has yet to return to true pre-injury form. Prior to his hamstring injury, Turner was averaging close to 21 ppg in contests that he finished. Since he returned to the court, that number has dipped 16.6 ppg. His offensive regression hasn’t hurt BGSU all that much, considering its six-game winning streak.

Despite the Falcons' success on the court, they've hit a skid against the spread. Michael Huger's squad is 2-6 ATS in their last eight, and a staggering 1-11 ATS as a favorite this season. That's the worst chalk record of any team in the country.

This horrific record as a favorite explains why the market essentially deemed this game as a coin flip. Ball State (11-8, 4-2) is just 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season, and are overly reliant upon on their big Tahjai Teague.

In every Cardinal loss this season, Teague has been held under 21 points. Yet despite their offense running through Teague, they have proven adept at taking and connecting on a lot of 3-pointers. The Cardinals bury 9.1 three's per game, which is the 33rd-highest total in all of college hoops. Ball State's long range prowess is bad news for a BGSU team that ranks 272nd in opposing three-point percentage.

The likelihood of this game coming down to the wire, the guarantee of a lot of 3-pointers being attempted between the two teams, and two offensive stars (Teague, Turner) at full strength, makes for a strong over play in this spot.

Pick: Over 139

Steve Petrella

• Odds: Buffalo at Akron -7.5
• Over/Under: 158
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN+

We'll stay in the MAC for our final play of the night.

If you're not up to speed on Akron hoops, you may need to familiarize yourself before the NCAA Tournament.

The Zips are the No. 60 team in KenPom's ratings, by far the highest in the MAC. They do a number of things well, but above all else, Akron can shoot and shoot from 3-point range.

The Zips rank No. 4 nationally in 3-point percentage and almost 40% of their points come from distance, No. 14 nationally. This is a modern and effective offense.

Tuesday, they face a Buffalo team that plays at the fastest pace in the nation on offense.

The Bulls should have some success against a leaky Akron interior, but with the number of possessions due to tempo and Akron's ability to put a game away with its stellar shooting, I'll take the Zips at home here.

Pick: Akron -7.5