We have a full day of hoops on Monday, including Purdue vs. Michigan State in the afternoon.
But the focus of this piece comes in the mid-major lay of the land, as Jim Root of Three Man Weave has three best bets for Monday evening's college basketball slate.
So, dive in now to get the best college basketball odds and picks for Monday.
Monday's Three Man Weave College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Jim is targeting from Monday's slate of games. Click the team logos for one the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
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| 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. | ||
Delaware vs. Northeastern
Monday, Jan. 16 6 p.m. ET FloHoops |
Delaware +3  |
By Jim Root
All things equal, Delaware catching three points at Northeastern would be a crazy line. The Blue Hens are a conference contender, while Northeastern is on a crash course toward the bottom of the league.
The Huskies’ only Colonial Athletic wins thus far are over Hampton and North Carolina A&T, two newcomers from the Big South who are struggling through that transition.
However, we must note the elephant in the room: Delaware leading scorer Jameer Nelson Jr. (yes, son of that Jameer Nelson) has missed three straight games with a knee injury.
So, what makes the Blue Hens worth backing if their star guard may not dress?
Well, part of this is a fade of Northeastern.
The Huskies have been maddeningly inconsistent this year, leaning on young guards and massively inconsistent lineups. They lead the nation in bench minutes, per KenPom, as coach Bill Coen has tried every combination imaginable. 10 players have started four or more games.
Delaware has been far more stable, even without Nelson. And it’s actually been competitive without him, beating preseason favorite Towson and playing with nationally-ranked Charleston for 35 minutes before running out of gas.
This is still a well-coached team with plenty of offensive options.
Finally, Nelson. is day-to-day with his sore knee, so we could get a surprise appearance from the prolific point guard.
But even without him, the Blue Hens have the best player on the floor in sophomore forward Jyare Davis. Even if this comes down to a close game late, he can get a bucket more easily than any of Northeastern’s menagerie of depth options.
Pick: Delaware +3 (Play to +2) |
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Florida Atlantic vs. Western Kentucky
Monday, Jan. 16 7 p.m. ET ESPNU |
Over 141 |
By Jim Root
Don’t look now, but Florida Atlantic has placed itself securely on the at-large map. The Owls sit at 16-1 overall with a key victory at Florida (a win that’s starting to age well) and have earned several key league victories.
The tests continue in what is probably the strongest Conference USA has been since before realignment.
Sure, Western Kentucky’s 3-3 league record may not jump off the page, but these Hilltoppers have plenty of talent and tend to play well as an underdog.
The talent might not all be present and accounted for, however. Jumbo wing Emmanuel Akot missed Saturday’s contest with a head injury. His status is up in the air, and if he sits again, it would be a boon for the over.
He’s a physical, switchable defender, and his absence forces WKU to play a smaller, faster lineup. The Hilltoppers’ defense is 10 points worse per 100 possessions when Akot is on the bench, according to Hoop-Explorer.
Notably, though, I still like this bet even if Akot suits up.
FAU has been something of a “pace taker” this season. By that, I mean the Owls are willing to play at the pace of their opponent. Against Bryant, they played an 84-possession game. Against rival FIU, 75 possessions. And against a crawling North Texas team, they just played an anemic 55-possession game.
WKU skews more up-tempo — especially offensively — and the Owls are comfortable with that notion.
Last year’s matchups between these two foes saw 69 and 70 possessions, respectively. While that’s hardly a track meet, landing a few possessions over KenPom’s projection of 67 would be valuable.
Given the offensive prowess that both squads possess, that should be plenty to get past this total.
Pick: Over 141 (Play to 145) |
Montana vs. Eastern Washington
Monday, Jan. 16 9 p.m. ET ESPN+ |
Montana +4.5  |
By Jim Root
My final best bet takes us west to Cheney, Washington, where Montana hopes to knock off Big Sky-leading Eastern Washington.
The Griz have gotten off to a disappointing 3-3 start in league play, while the Eagles are an undefeated 5-0. However, as the line indicates, they’re nearly equals on a neutral court.
Both teams are built similarly. They skew toward the offensive end, where a high skill level and varying offensive weapons make them difficult to guard. Both squads have lethal perimeter shooters, but they prefer to get easy baskets inside via precise offensive execution.
Eastern Washington actually won the first meeting back on Dec. 29, outscoring the Griz 87-80 in Missoula. Coach Travis DeCuire and his Grizzlies must wall off the paint better after conceding 61.8% shooting inside the arc and allowing EWU to grab 13 offensive rebounds.
The idea of “revenge” may not matter to some handicappers, but I do buy it from the lens of “needing to make more pointed adjustments.”
Expect DeCuire — the Big Sky’s longest-tenured coach — to have some clever tweaks in his defensive game plan.
A major piece of that puzzle will likely be more Mack Anderson, a physical fifth-year senior forward for the Grizzlies. He fouled out in just eight minutes in the first meeting, a major hindrance to competing inside.
Anderson is Montana’s best rim protector and defensive rebounder. If he can stay on the floor for 15-20 minutes rather than eight, it would be a boon to Montana’s chances to win.
These teams are similar in both overall ability and structure, compelling me to take the points with the motivated road dog in a rematch.
Pick: Montana +4.5 (Play to +3) |
