A 1-1 start to the new year for my initial blog. We have over 50 games on January 4th, so we have a lot to choose from. Not too much top 25 action today, but plenty of great mid major looks. Here are the College Basketball picks for January 4th.
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College Basketball Picks January 4th
Penn State at Michigan State (-13.5) (O/U 146.5)
I can happily take a victory lap with my pre-season Michigan State take. The masses had them as a top-five team to start the season, but I had them outside the top 25. They come into this one at 8-5 to host a 7-6 Penn State team.
Neither of these teams are good by any means but the early indications are that the public are going to hammer the double digit underdog. This Penn State team is super young and have not experienced an environment like East Lansing yet.
Although I do not love this Spartans team, They will take care of business at home tonight. Great spot for them against a young Nittany Lions bunch.
The Pick: Michigan State -13.5
Cleveland State at Wright State (-5.5) (O/U 160.5)
College basketball, where betting lines NEVER make sense (because they make too much sense).
6-8 Wright State are sizable favorites against 10-5 Cleveland State for a few reasons. To start, these two teams are two of the better Horizon League teams. Wright State has drastically underperformed to start their 2023-2024 season. They are extremely talented with a great coach, and it is only a matter of time before they turn around. Besides that, they are home in this one.
Home Court in college basketball is the single greatest “unquantifiable” advantage in team sports. The line alone is telling us who to take. If this was closer to -1 or -2, I can see Cleveland State winning this. At -5.5, they are telling us Wright State will win this game with ease.
The Pick: Wright State -5.5
