Before a loaded Saturday slate, we have a rare Friday schedule featuring games from Noon ET to the final tip-off of 11 p.m. ET.
For the purposes of this piece, Matt Cox of Three Man Weave is making three best bets for the Friday evening/night part of the schedule, including a Pac-12 affair.
Dive in below and get your top college basketball odds and picks now.
Friday's Three Man Weave College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Matt is targeting from Friday's slate of games. Click the team logos for one the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
  | ||
  | ||
  | ||
| Specific bet 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. | ||
Marist vs. Fairfield
Friday, Dec. 30 7 p.m. ET ESPN3 |
Marist ML (+180)  |
By Matt Cox
A rare moneyline special debuts in our Friday edition of best bets. Where else to go but the northeast corridor for MAAAAAction, baby.
Since the dawn of time, the MAAC’s been a notoriously tough league to bet on. Results seem to be random, with no rhyme or reason for who plays well, when.
From a bettor’s perspective, this dynamic can be a double-edged sword. Yes, results can be unpredictable and thus frustrating when the variance doesn’t swing your way. However, that variance can also be your friend.
In a game that figures to settle in the low 60s, catching five points with the road Red Foxes screams moneyline value. The sharp money has already bet this game down from 6.5 to 5, one indicator that the wise guys see value on the dog.
And for good reason.
The road team is 4-2 in the last six meetings between these two foes. Despite Fairfield’s brand new gymnasium, the travel proximity doesn’t warrant a major home court advantage.
Matchup wise, the Foxes’ dominant interior defense will thwart one of the Stags’ most reliable avenues of offense: Supreme Cook. Cook will likely be slotted against Patrick Gardner in a bruising boxing match in the paint.
If Gardner can keep Cook in check, Marist should be in this game wire-to-wire.
Pick: Marist ML (+180) |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
North Dakota State vs. North Dakota
Friday, Dec. 30 8 p.m. ET ESPN3 |
North Dakota State +1  |
By Matt Cox
This is a rare Summit League game on a Friday, but it should be doozy between these two in-state rivals.
This year’s matchup feels different. Once the perennial power of the Summit, North Dakota State is in a transition phase this year. A large chunk of production graduated this offseason, forcing head coach Dave Richman to usher in a revamped perimeter corps this season
Up front, the Bison’s two known commodities, Andrew Morgan and Grant Nelson, have battled injuries and inconsistencies to date. Each is an All-Conference caliber talent, but neither has played like it this year.
The relentless non-conference schedule did this team no favors. Now the Bison find themselves in an 0-2 hole in league play, too.
What better spot for a get-right game than a quick intra-state trip to Fargo against a young and vulnerable North Dakota opponent. Granted, the Fighting Hawks have shown some fight in the last few weeks, but they’re no stranger to volatility, either.
North Dakota is especially light up front, which is where NDSU must look to attack early and often.
Despite the dismal start to the season for this once proud program, the Bison still strutted their stuff at times in the non-conference (see the shocking win at Portland).
After a reset following the Christmas break, there’s no better time or place for a strong outing from North Dakota State.
Pick: North Dakota State +1 (Play to PK) |
UCLA vs. Washington State
Friday, Dec. 30 11 p.m. ET Pac-12 Network |
UCLA -8.5  |
By Matt Cox
Let's be clear: laying nearly double digits on the road in a power-conference tilt is no bargain.
UCLA will be doing just that this evening when it travels to Pullman to take on Washington State.
The Cougars are certainly in a rut right now, as they have numerous injuries to key cogs. They’ve gotten marginally healthier as of late, but head coach Kyle Smith is grasping for straws to find consistent perimeter production.
Not only that, but Wazzu is returning from the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii. This sets up for a potential sleepy spot tonight, as the Cougars are no longer on island time.
Look at the residual hangovers the teams in Maui experienced in their return to the mainland earlier this year. San Diego State, Arkansas, Arizona and Creighton were notable heavy hitters with 1-2 game lulls following their return from paradise.
On the other side of the coin, we get back to a white-hot comet in UCLA. The Bruins already knocked off Oregon and Stanford by double digits en route to a 2-0 start in league play.
Unless the Cougars can seduce UCLA into a grimy slugfest, the Bruins’ categorically better backcourt should run circles around the brittle Cougar guards.
The only concern is in the paint, where UCLA’s inexperienced frontline must rise to the occasion against Washington State’s intimidating size.
Pick: UCLA -8.5 (Play to -9) |
