We're back for another full college basketball slate on Wednesday, and that means we're looking for betting value on the board.
Ky McKeon of Three Man Weave has three best bets to help you formulate your card, so dive in below and get the top college basketball odds and picks for Wednesday night.
Wednesday's Three Man Weave College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Ky is targeting from Wednesday'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. | ||
Auburn vs. Georgia
Wednesday, Jan. 4 6:30 p.m. ET SEC Network |
Georgia +7.5  |
By Ky McKeon
Here’s a stat sure to blow your mind: Georgia’s latest win on December 28 marked just the fourth time in the program’s 118-year history that it notched 10 victories prior to January 1.
New head coach Mike White has done an admirable job in his first year, and he looks to start SEC play off on the right foot when rival Auburn comes to town.
Auburn will be by far Georgia’s toughest test of the season, but there’s reason to believe the Dawgs can hang within two-to-three possessions.
First and foremost is good ole home-court magic. College basketball is so great because any team with a raucous crowd behind it can beat any foe that comes its way.
Even last year’s lowly Bulldogs — who finished 6-26 and ranked 219th in KenPom — had their moments at home. UGA beat Alabama and lost to Auburn by just two in Stegeman Coliseum.
Georgia is also a much improved team this season. The talent level has been lifted by transfers Terry Roberts and Mardrez McBride, and the rotation is deep. Only two teams nationally play more bench minutes than the Dawgs.
To beat Auburn’s vaunted defense, Georgia will need to exploit two key areas on the floor: 1) the offensive glass, and 2) the free-throw line.
While Auburn is an elite shot-blocking team, it often leaves the glass exposed when chasing down shots to swat. UGA and its 24th-best offensive rebounding rate should find success crashing the boards.
The Bulldogs also score the majority of their points from the free-throw line, and Auburn — with its aggressive style under Bruce Pearl — has always been a foul-prone squad. Opportunities for free points should be aplenty
On the other end, UGA needs to continue its solid work on the defensive end. The Dawgs can hang athletically with Auburn, and there’s plenty of length up and down the roster to compete on the boards and bother shooters.
That, plus a little home cooking, should allow the Dawgs to keep this one within seven.
Pick: Georgia +7.5 (Play to +7) |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
George Mason vs. St. Bonaventure
Wednesday, Jan. 4 7 p.m. ET ESPN+ |
St. Bonaventure +1 |
By Ky McKeon
Though his Bonnies sit at just 7-7, head coach Mark Schmidt should be commended for the job he’s done this season. No team in the country brought back less production from last year than St. Bonaventure, which returned a whopping 0.3% of its minutes from 2021-22.
Schmidt turned to the portal and some talented freshmen to lead his squad, and has done an excellent job meshing the pieces together.
The Bonnies have one of the better home-court advantages in the country. Traveling to remote Olean, NY — especially in the dead of winter — is no picnic.
This season, that home-court edge has showed itself in St. Bonaventure’s results. The Bonnies are 6-1 at home this year, both straight up and against the spread. Away from the Reilly Center, they’re just 1-6 SU and 2-5 ATS.
So, when you want to back the Bonnies, make sure they’re at home.
George Mason is no pushover. In fact, it might have the most talented starting five in the A-10. But GMU has had its share of struggles this season, especially away from home. The Patriots are 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS away from home this season.
Beating GMU tonight means containing big man Josh Oduro, a load of a post presence and a walking double-double. The Bonnies’ interior defense has been lacking this year, but they do have size and a quality shot-blocker in 6-foot-10 center Chad Venning.
The Bonnies will need to dig on post-ups and close out on kick-outs. Oduro is a gifted passer and looks for his sharpshooting teammates on the perimeter.
The Bonnies’ perimeter group is a tenacious bunch defensively. They’ll force GMU to make poor decisions in the backcourt, cause turnovers and contest outside shots.
Schmidt wants this game to be a war, and if the Bonnies can control tempo and make it difficult for GMU to find clean looks, they should walk away with a victory.
Pick: St. Bonaventure +1 (Play to -1) |
Lindenwood vs. Little Rock
Wednesday, Jan. 4 8:30 p.m. ET ESPN+ |
Over 148  |
By Ky McKeon
In the matchup everyone’s been waiting for, new D-I starlet Lindenwood travels 360 miles down US-67 S to face Little Rock. This is an epic battle between two Ohio Valley contenders (note: every single team in the OVC is a contender).
There’s going to be points galore in this game. For starters, both teams push the tempo and look to score in transition. In the majority of games for both squads this season, the possession count has ended in the mid-to-high 70s.
And neither one will be looking to slow down tonight in a contest both believe it can win.
Both Lindenwood and Little Rock grade out poorly at stopping opponents in transition. Per Synergy, Little Rock is allowing 1.045 points per possession (PPP) in the open floor (29th percentile nationally), while Lindenwood is allowing 1.068 PPP (21st percentile).
Both teams are also in the top-30 nationally in transition opportunities allowed, meaning not only do opponents score at will against both teams on the run, but they also score often.
Both defenses in general are putrid. Little Rock ranks 352nd nationally in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency (per KenPom), while Lindenwood checks in at 291st.
Both teams have been sieves this season on the interior, allowing opponents to convert well over 53% of their chances inside the arc.
In the half-court, Little Rock sets a ton of off-ball screens and looks to free shooters off fades, pops or curls. Lindenwood likes to attack out of pick-and-roll sets.
Neither defense should be able to stop either action consistently.
Take the over in a game that should be up-tempo and highly efficient.
Pick: Over 148 (Play to 150) |
