The college hoops slate for December 18th is a little short. Only a few high-major teams are in action, and they’re all in buy games. However, we will get a little mid-major madness and low-major lunacy. A schedule like this calls for deep-sea diving when looking for college basketball picks. Let’s strap on the scuba gear and jump into the deep waters to find the three best bets for today’s action.
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College Basketball Preview, Picks, and Best Bets for December 18
Matt Dewoskin ATS College Basketball Picks Record (Est 11/3/2025)
All Selections: 80-53-2
Perfect 3-0 Cards: 9-36
Radford at William & Mary
Start Time: 7:00 PM EST
Radford comes into this matchup with a 3-7 overall record and a 3-0 mark on the road. The Highlanders are 2-6 against the spread, but 2-1 ATS on the road.
William & Mary enters this game with an 8-3 overall record and a 3-0 mark at home. The Tribe is 8-1 ATS and 1-0 ATS at home.
Radford is coming into this game hot. The Highlanders are riding a two-game winning streak with home wins over Coppin State and St. Francis (PA). They’ve managed to stack wins against two of the worst programs in the country.
William & Mary just had a six-game winning streak snapped with a 13-point loss at George Washington. The Tribe now gets to beat up a Highlanders team that doesn’t really score or defend. William & Mary is by far the better side, and playing at home after a loss. This is a smash spot for the Tribe. Lock up William & Mary to win and cover the 7.5 points at home.
Best Bet: William & Mary -7.5
Grambling at Norfolk State
Start Time: 7:30 PM EST
This game is a part of the Toyota Chris Paul HBCU Classic and will be played at a neutral site in College Park, GA.
Grambling comes into this game with a 3-6 overall record and a 5-3 record against the spread.
Norfolk State enters this matchup with a 4-7 overall record and a 4-3-1 record ATS.
These two teams faced each other in the same tournament last year. Norfolk State won by six.
Norfolk State has talented athletes, but the Spartans have been a terrible shooting team this year. Norfolk State is last in the nation in free-throw shooting, and they’ve struggled from the field this year. Not just from range, they miss shots all over the place. Against DI opponents, the Spartans are only averaging 62.5 points per game. Offense is a challenge for Norfolk State.
The Spartans have been chippy against a few mid-majors, but their best win to date is against Hampton.
Grambling isn’t amazing on offense, but they can make free throws and are generally not terrible from the field. The Tigers may also be the better defensive team on the floor when they face Norfolk State. Grambling has lost five in a row, but they’ve been on a world tour against mid- and high-majors since November 18th. They have wins at home against Howard and Southern Miss.
Grambling lost in this spot last year, but this is an opportunity for revenge on national TV. This version of Norfolk State isn’t quite as strong as last year’s, and they may be prone to droughts on offense. Let’s lock up Grambling and the 1.5 points to get the cover here.
Best Bet: Grambling +1.5
Pepperdine at Long Beach State
Start Time: 10:00 PM EST
Pepperdine enters this game with a 4-7 overall record and a 1-2 record on the road. The Waves are 3-6 ATS and 2-1 ATS on the road.
Long Beach State comes into this matchup with a 2-9 overall record and a 2-3 mark at home. The Beach is 6-4 ATS and 3-1 ATS record in Long Beach.
Pepperdine last played on December 13th when they won outright at Cal State-Fullerton. It’s hard to see the Waves winning two straight road games. The Waves are really poor offensively, and they have to play on another strange floor. They should struggle to score here.
Long Beach State has lost four of its last five, but that stretch includes a six-point loss at home to a capable UC-San Diego team and a pair of overtime losses. The Beach isn’t nearly as bad as their record, but they have struggled to close games at times. They should find this matchup a bit easier since they’re at home against a rough offense.
The line is telling here. Long Beach State has an ugly record, but they’re legitimately the better team playing at home in a situation that favors them. Let’s lock up the Beach to win and cover the 3.5 points.
Best Bet: Long Beach State -3.5
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis on every college basketball game for the 2025-26 season, make sure you tune into The College Basketball Experience. Colby Dant, Moneyline Mac, and Noah Bieniek talk about each game on the entire slate. Listen for input on ATS and moneyline college basketball picks every night!
