College Basketball Picks Today:
Expert college basketball handicapper Greg Peterson shares his top college basketball picks today for Thursday, January 15.
Check out Greg’s Daily College Basketball Lines and his Coast 2 Coast Hoops Podcast. Also, check out our College Basketball Betting Splits and become a VSiN Pro Subscriber.
6:30 PM Eastern
Robert Morris Colonials vs. IU Indy Jaguars
IU Indy’s tempo has slowed from the start of the season, but they are still eighth in possessions per game and continue to gamble for turnovers, ranking 48th in turnovers forced per possession. That aggression hasn’t translated to stops, as they are 350th in points per possession allowed and give up a ton of second-chance opportunities, ranking 357th in defensive rebound percentage with opponents rebounding 37.9% of their misses. That’s a major issue against a Robert Morris team that ranks 15th nationally in offensive rebound percentage at 37.5%, though Robert Morris is still 273rd in points per possession allowed on defense.
Pick: Robert Morris vs. IU Indy Over 161.5 (Greg’s Handicapped Total 167.5)
7:00 PM Eastern
Detroit Titans vs. Northern Kentucky Norse
Northern Kentucky is one of the best teams in the country at generating turnovers, ranking 38th in turnovers forced per possession on defense, while Detroit has struggled to knock down outside shots, ranking 269th in 3-point shooting percentage at 31.3%, which drops to 30.1% away from home. Both teams are playing with some pace, but nothing extreme, with Detroit ranking 117th in possessions per game and Northern Kentucky 143rd.
Pick: Detroit vs. Northern Kentucky Under 158.5 (Greg’s Handicapped Total 152.5)
Old Dominion Monarchs vs. Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern is allowing plenty of second chances, ranking 306th in defensive rebound percentage, but they face an Old Dominion team that may not be able to fully capitalize as they are 324th in offensive rebound percentage. Georgia Southern games feature a lot of possessions with the team ranking 19th in possessions per game, but there should be plenty of dead possessions as Georgia Southern ranks 86th in turnovers forced per possession on defense and Old Dominion is 261st in points per possession overall and 320th in 2-point shooting percentage.
Pick: Old Dominion vs. Georgia Southern Under 162.5 (Greg’s Handicapped Total 155.5)
UW Green Bay Phoenix vs. Cleveland State Vikings
Cleveland State has struggled with turnovers, ranking 309th in turnovers per possession on offense and 315th in turnovers generated per possession on defense, but should get cleaner looks against a UW Green Bay defense that ranks 361st in turnovers forced per possession. Cleveland State is 45th in 3-point shooting percentage at 36.8% and should get open looks against a UW Green Bay defense that is 224th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. Cleveland State is still giving up points at a high rate, ranking 356th in points per possession allowed, while playing at a fast pace, ranking 45th in possessions per game.
Picks: Cleveland State +3.5 and Over 148.5 (Greg’s Handicap Cleveland State -1.5 and Total 157.5)
8:00 PM Eastern
Cal Baptist Lancers vs. Abilene Christian Wildcats
Both teams have been strong at limiting second chances, with Cal Baptist ranking 11th nationally in defensive rebound percentage away from home and Abilene Christian ranking 92nd. Abilene Christian is excellent at generating turnovers, ranking 11th in turnovers forced per possession, but the offense has lagged behind, ranking 283rd in points per possession and 300th in opponent 2-point shooting percentage. Cal Baptist takes a high percentage of shots from inside, ranking 23rd nationally in 2-point attempt rate in road and neutral court games.
Picks: Cal Baptist +2.5 and Under 137.5 (Greg’s Handicapped Cal Baptist -4.5 and Total 132.5)
St. Thomas Tommies vs. North Dakota Hawks
North Dakota’s offense has slipped to 275th in points per possession overall, but they have been much better at home, scoring 16.1 more points per 100 possessions compared to away games. St. Thomas ranks 70th in points per possession offensively, but they are not generating second chances, ranking 363rd in offensive rebound percentage, and face a North Dakota defense that is 293rd in points per possession allowed but excellent at forcing turnovers, ranking 29th in turnovers forced per possession. St. Thomas is also vulnerable inside, ranking 256th in opponent 2-point shooting percentage.
Pick: North Dakota +10 (Greg’s Handicap North Dakota +6.5)
Arkansas State Red Wolves vs. South Alabama Jaguars
Arkansas State has struggled with consistency around the perimeter, ranking 327th in turnovers per possession and 292nd in 3-point shooting percentage at 30.9%. That plays into the hands of a South Alabama defense that forces opponents to take 3-pointers at the second-highest rate in the country, with 62.4% of opponent field goal attempts coming from deep, while also allowing the fewest free throw attempts per possession. That limits easy points for an Arkansas State team that ranks 23rd nationally in free throw shooting percentage at 77.7%. Arkansas State wants to play fast, ranking 37th in possessions per game, while South Alabama ranks 299th.
Picks: South Alabama +3.5 and Under 153.5 (Greg’s Handicap South Alabama -2.5 and Total 146.5)
Charleston Cougars vs. Towson Tigers
Injuries have made Charleston’s offensive numbers look worse than the team’s current form, but they are still playing at a moderate pace, ranking 205th in possessions per game, and are 317th in 3-point shooting percentage. Towson plays extremely slowly, ranking 352nd in possessions per game, and is even worse from the perimeter, ranking 360th in 3-point shooting percentage at 27.1%. Defensively, Towson has been strong at home, ranking 52nd in points per possession allowed and 48th in defensive rebound percentage.
Pick: Charleston vs. Towson Under 141.5 (Greg’s Handicapped Total 135.5)
8:30 PM Eastern
Tarleton State Texans vs. Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Tarleton State leads the nation in turnovers forced per possession and faces a Southern Utah team that has struggled badly taking care of the ball, ranking 315th in turnovers per possession on offense. On defense, Southern Utah has been overwhelmed at home, ranking 359th in points per possession allowed and dead last in 3-point shooting percentage defense, allowing teams to shoot 41.6% from deep.
Pick: Tarleton State -6 (Greg’s Handicap Tarleton State -11.5)
SIU Edwardsville Cougars vs. UT Martin Skyhawks
UT Martin has struggled mightily with ball security, ranking 348th in turnovers per possession, which is magnified in a game that should feature strong defense. UT Martin ranks 63rd in points per possession allowed, while SIU Edwardsville ranks 68th overall and improves to 29th away from home, along with ranking 14th in opponent 2-point shooting percentage away from home. That interior defense is especially important given UT Martin’s 26.5% 3-point shooting, which ranks 356th nationally.
Pick: SIU Edwardsville +8.5 (Greg’s Handicap SIU Edwardsville +3.5)
9:00 PM Eastern
Wichita State Shockers vs. Florida Atlantic Owls
Both teams are strong on the glass, with Florida Atlantic ranking 16th in defensive rebound percentage and Wichita State 67th. Wichita State does a good job slowing games down, ranking 275th in possessions per game, while pairing that with a defense that is 64th in points per possession allowed and 51st in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. That is key against a Florida Atlantic team that shoots 42% from 3-point range at home and ranks 20th nationally in the percentage of points scored from beyond the arc at home.
Picks: Wichita State +5.5 and Under 152.5 (Greg’s Handicap Wichita State +1.5 and Total 145.5)
