Martin Luther King Day provides college hoops action early and often before the Wildcard weekend wraps up. It’s a perfect day to place some wagers on the hardwood. Let’s check out the college basketball slate for Monday. Here are the College Basketball Picks for January 15th.
Go here for more daily free NCAAB picks!
College Basketball Picks January 15th
Villanova at Marquette (-6) (O/U 144)
Villanova heads into Marquette to face a Golden Eagles team that has dropped consecutive conference games. The Big East can be brutal, so we aren’t writing off the Big East favorites just yet.
UConn went through a similar lull last season before getting hot. The Golden Eagles are not UConn of last year or even UConn of this year, but don’t let a couple of losses in the Big East deter you.
The Villanova Wildcats reintroduced Justin Moore to the lineup against DePaul, and his minutes were not where they wanted or needed them to be. It may take a couple of games for the Wildcats to get cohesive again.
Key contributor Sean Jones is out for the Golden Eagles with no timetable to return. His season may be over. Chase Ross will be aiming to return in early February.
This puts Marquette in a tight spot with their playable depth. Luckily Villanova won’t be racing them up and down the court to test conditioning.
Expect a slow game and a close one at that.
The Pick: Under 144
Iowa at Minnesota (-2) (O/U 159.5)
This is a really fun game if you play the college basketball play prop market. Two studs are in action here with Elijah Hawkins and Payton Sandfort.
Elijah Hawkins has been talked about in these blogs before, and I can’t get enough of his game. He led Howard to an NCAA Tournament and now leads the entire country in assists at Minnesota.
Payton Sandfort and the Iowa Hawkeyes are a bit different to watch this year than in years past. They aren’t shooting as many 3s and have a really good frontcourt to lean on when you pair up Sandfort with Ben Krikke and Owen Freeman.
Iowa is efficient and doesn’t turn the ball over. Protecting the ball at the pace the Hawkeyes prefer to play at is a huge key. They will force Minnesota to rely on their 3 to keep up with the pace and scoring. If Minnesota goes cold, then this over will sour quickly.
Expect a higher-tempo game with a lot of action on the glass for the Hawkeyes. Search your props makes for Hawkins assists and Sandfort PRA as this total aligns with our thought process.
The Pick: Over 159.5
