While this week’s Friday slate only had seven games, Super Saturday has over 140 college basketball games scheduled. That’s a lot of numbers to go through. The good news is that we’ve gone through the schedule and found three college basketball picks that you’ll want to lock up. The bad news is that it’s almost impossible to get eyes on all these games. Let’s get into the plays for January 17th.
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College Basketball Preview, Picks, and Best Bets for January 17
Matt Dewoskin ATS College Basketball Picks Record (Est 11/3/2025)
All Selections: 113-98-2
Perfect 3-0 Cards: 12-59
Jacksonville at North Alabama
Start Time: 3:00 PM EST
Jacksonville enters this game with a 6-12 overall record and a 1-10 mark on the road. The Dolphins are 7-9 overall against the spread and 5-6 ATS on the road.
North Alabama comes into this matchup with a 6-10 overall record and a 3-4 home record. The Lions are 5-9 overall ATS and 0-5 ATS at home.
North Alabama won and covered both games in this series as a favorite last year. The Lions have one win in their last 10 games and have dropped three straight home games. Jacksonville has dropped eight of its last 10 games. The Dolphins have lost eight consecutive road games.
North Alabama has struggled under Tony Pujol this year. They’ve been breaking in a new roster, and there have been more than a few growing pains. The Lions just suffered a 14-point loss to North Florida in Florence, AL. This is a buy-low spot for a team and a coach that have been among the stronger programs in the ASUN conference for the past few years. The Lions are due for a wake-up call.
Jacksonville is equally rough on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. On offense, the Dolphins only average 65.3 points per game. That’s 339th in the nation. On defense, the Dolphins allow opponents to post a 55.7% effective shooting percentage against. That’s 320th in the nation. North Alabama has a more efficient offense and is a bit more capable on the defensive end than Jacksonville. The Dolphins also really struggle to defend the perimeter. They’re 334th in shooting percentage against shots from beyond the arc this year. North Alabama isn’t a great shooting team, but they should be able to take advantage of a really poor Jacksonville squad playing on the road.
Jacksonville struggles to score and defend, and North Alabama is desperate to get its season back on track. The Lions are off an embarrassing loss on their home floor. The matchup and situation scream ‘North Alabama Drill Spot’. Let’s lock up North Alabama to win and cover the 2.5 points.
Best Bet: North Alabama -2.5
Louisiana Tech at Jacksonville State
Start Time: 5:00 PM EST
Louisiana Tech comes into this game with a 10-7 overall record and a 0-6 mark on the road. The Bulldogs are 6-8 overall ATS and 1-5 ATS on the road.
Jacksonville State enters this matchup with an 8-9 overall record and a 6-4 mark at home. The Gamecocks are 4-10 overall ATS and 2-5 ATS at home.
Jacksonville State won and covered both games in this series last year. Louisiana Tech was a three-point favorite in both matchups. Jacksonville State has lost three of its last four games, including a 15-point loss at home to Sam Houston State. Louisiana Tech is off back-to-back wins at home. The Gamecocks appear to need a get-right spot, and Louisiana Tech has been awful outside of Ruston, LA.
Louisiana Tech is 13th in the nation in scoring defense, but the metric is a little deceiving. They play at a snail’s pace to limit possession. The Bulldogs are 351st in the nation in pace of play. Jacksonville State takes a similar approach, but the Gamecocks are much more efficient on the offensive end than Louisiana Tech. LA Tech is 355th in offensive efficiency, while the Gamecocks are 298th in the same metric. Both teams are poor, but the Bulldogs are much worse.
Jacksonville State is similar to North Alabama in that they’re both proud programs that just got embarrassed at home. Louisiana Tech has struggled on the road, and Jacksonville State is capable of wearing down the Bulldogs. The Ass Kickin’ Chickens need this game to get back into the C-USA conference regular season race, and the Bulldogs are extremely beatable on the road. Let’s ride with Jacksonville State to win and cover this game at home.
Best Bet: Jacksonville State -4
New Mexico at San Diego State
Start Time 8:00 PM EST
New Mexico enters this game with a 14-3 overall record and a 3-2 mark on the road. The Lobos are 10-6 overall ATS and 3-2 ATS on the road.
San Diego State comes into this matchup with a 12-4 overall record and an 8-1 home mark. The Aztecs are 8-7 overall ATS and 4-4 ATS at home.
In this series, the home team has won four of the last five. San Diego State won and covered a 2.5-point spread in last year’s matchup in Viejas Arena. New Mexico has won four games in a row, including road wins at Air Force and at Colorado State. San Diego State has won six games in a row. Their two best wins over that stretch were a triple-overtime thriller at home against Boise State and a road win against Nevada in the Bat Cave.
Both of these teams are very similar in their offensive ratings and profiles. New Mexico is 96th in effective field goal percentage, while San Diego State is 98th. The Aztecs are 98th in points per game, and New Mexico is 94th in points per game. The biggest difference is in their defensive profile. San Diego State is a top-25 defensive team. The Aztecs are 35th in blocks per game and 74th in steals per game. San Diego State is also a top-40 team in the nation in shooting percentage against two-point shots.
The Aztecs have done well to defend their home this year. San Diego State is built on its approach to defense, and they’re just better on that end of the floor than New Mexico. The Aztecs can do enough on offense, but their defense will carry the day by clamping on a New Mexico team that’s playing on an unfamiliar floor. Lock up San Diego State to win and cover the 3.5 points.
Best Bet: San Diego 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!
