The spotlight shifts from the power programs and mid-majors to the low-majors on Thursday night. These might be schools that only true degens are aware of, but there are over 50 games on tonight’s slate. Ignoring a college hoops slate this large feels wrong. We’ve done some deep-sea diving and found a trio of college basketball picks that you’ll want to lock up. Let’s dig into it.
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College Basketball Preview, Picks, and Best Bets for January 15
Matt Dewoskin ATS College Basketball Picks Record (Est 11/3/2025)
All Selections: 109-96-2
Perfect 3-0 Cards: 11-58
Green Bay at Cleveland State
Start Time: 7:00 PM EST
Green Bay enters this game with a 10-8 overall record and a 2-6 mark on the road. The Phoenix are 10-6 overall against the spread and 3-5 ATS on the road.
Cleveland State comes into this matchup with a 5-13 overall record and a 4-3 mark at home. The Vikings are 6-9 overall ATS and 1-3 ATS at home.
Cleveland State swept last year’s series and went 1-0-1 ATS against Green Bay. The Vikings have lost three straight games coming into this one. All three losses were away from Cleveland and against in-conference opponents. Green Bay is 5-2 in conference this year with two road wins already. The Phoenix have won at IUPUI and IPFW.
Cleveland State comes into this game ranked 361st in the nation in points allowed. The Vikings have allowed DI opponents to average over 90 points per game against. The Vikings really struggle to defend the interior, and Green Bay is 93rd in the country in shooting percentage on two-point shots. Green Bay isn’t an amazing defensive squad, but they’ve only allowed Wright State and Robert Morris to score 80 points this year. They’ve been able to show up defensively against weaker teams in the Horizon League. Cleveland State might be the worst team in the conference this year.
Green Bay should take advantage of an extremely porous Cleveland State defense. The Phoenix have shown they can win on the road in conference, and they’re playing their best ball of the season. Lock up Green Bay to win and cover the short spread.
Best Bet: Green Bay -3.5
CSUF at UC Davis
Start Time: 9:00 PM EST
CSUF enters this matchup with an 8-10 overall record and a 2-6 mark on the road. The Titans are 10-6 overall against the spread and 5-3 ATS on the road.
UC-Davis comes into this matchup with a 9-7 overall record and a 6-2 mark at home. The Aggies are 8-6 overall ATS and 4-2 ATS at home.
UC-Davis has won five straight in this series and has covered in three straight games. The Aggies have won four of their last six games. Cal State-Fullerton has won two straight games. The Titans upset UC-San Diego in San Diego and beat CSUN in Fullerton.
CSUF can put up points, but they’re terrible on defense. The Titans are 354th in the nation in points allowed to opponents. UC-Davis has a very efficient offense and is an excellent shooting team. The Aggies are 65th in the nation in offensive efficiency and 77th in shooting percentage. UC-Davis also struggles on the defensive end, but they should have no problem with a CSUF defense that can be scored on inside and outside. If it comes down to crunch time, the Aggies are much better at making free throws than CSUF.
UC-Davis is off a loss as a short favorite to an in-conference team, while CSUF has managed to pick up a few wins in spots they probably should have dropped. This is an obvious stumble spot for the Titans and a clear get-up spot for the Aggies. Lock up UC-Davis to win and cover the four points.
Best Bet: UC-Davis -4
Northern Colorado at Portland State
Start Time: 10:00 PM EST
Northern Colorado enters this game with an 11-6 overall record and a 5-3 mark on the road. The Bears are 8-6 overall ATS and 6-2 ATS on the road.
Portland State comes into this matchup with a 9-5 overall record and a 5-1 home mark. The Vikings are 10-1 ATS overall and 2-1 ATS at home.
These two teams split last year’s series, but Portland State covered both games. Northern Colorado is off a tough home loss to Weber State. Portland State is on a three-game winning streak that includes a 27-point blowout win over Sacramento State.
Both teams are capable of putting the ball in the basket, and both teams struggle on defense. Both teams are also capable of defending the perimeter, but struggle when it comes to interior defense. When it comes to shooting and offensive efficiency, Northern Colorado has the clear advantage. The Bears are shooting 48.0% from the field this year. That’s 47th in the nation. Northern Colorado is also 66th in the nation in free-throw percentage. Both teams play at pace, but Northern Colorado can play at pace and stay efficient. CSUF is really good at getting up and down the court, but doesn’t always have the best shot selection.
Northern Colorado arguably has the better roster, and the Bears need a get-right spot. They’re catching three points in what should be a one-possession game. The free-throw game could be the difference here, and UNCO has proven to be more consistent from the line. Let’s take the Bears to keep the game within 3.5 points and potentially win outright.
Best Bet: Northern Colorado +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!
