This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
A 1-2 Monday dropped me to 29-28 on the year, good for +1 unit, and I'm actually good with that! The early months of the college hoops season are tough to navigate, and I'm happy to be on the plus side of things and we are submersed in conference play for the next two months. Today's slate in an intriguing one, so let's get right into it.
Northwestern Wildcats vs Michigan State Spartans 
This strikes me as a "somebody knows something" line. I anticipated it being somewhere in the 5-7 range, so 2.5 makes me pause. Northwestern does play very well at home (5-0 SU and ATS run), and its tends to give Michigan State fits when it plays, as the Wildcats are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 against the Spartans. To keep the results whole, I'll take the points as my official play, but I would not blame anyone for jumping on the moneyline, either.
College Basketball Best Bet: Northwestern +2.5 (universal)
Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers vs Sacred Heart Pioneers 
The Mountaineers are tough to beat at home and have been a big money maker this season with their 11-3 ATS record. The home team has won five of the last six in this series , covering four of those wins. I expect those trends to continue today.
College Basketball Best Bet: Mount St. Mary's -4 (@ DraftKings)
Marist Red Foxes vs Fairfield Stags 
Marist is off to a fantastic start to the year at 11-2 overall and 4-0 in MAAC play. The Red Foxes are undefeated at home and 10-0 SU in their last 10 games in which they were favored. Fairfield's only road win came at No. 361 New Hampshire in early-November. In their last three road games, the Stags lost at No. 272 Monmouth by 14, No. 187 Columbia by 13, and No. 189 Merrimack by 13. At No. 210, Marist falls right in line with that level of competition and should win this game by double digits.
College Basketball Best Bet: Marist -6.5 (@ FanDuel)
Sunday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Sunday, January 12:
- Northwestern +2.5 (universal)
- Mount St. Mary's -4 (@ DraftKings)
- Marist -6.5 (@ FanDuel)
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
