Virginia Gets It Done: College Basketball Picks For Monday, January 30, 2023

College basketball is getting closer to being everyone's focus. We've already passed the College Football Playoffs and have seen Georgia hoist that championship. The Super Bowl matchup is set, so once that is gone, we only have the NBA - which I can tell you has been ridiculously difficult to bet this season - and NHL. Then we hit March and everyone acts like they are college basketball experts after never watching it before the tournament starts.

Virginia vs. Syracuse, 7:00 ET

These two teams are both solid names in college basketball. While they might not be the first teams you think of, they are certainly some of the more reliable teams. This year has seen Virginia as one of the best teams in the nation. Syracuse isn't quite that good, but they've been respectable. These two teams just played a few weeks ago with Virginia winning a home game over Syracuse by seven. In that opening match, Virginia never trailed the Orangemen and even built a 23-point lead at one point. They were also up by 14 with under three minutes to play before the game ended with the closer final. That, to me, indicates that the Cavaliers took their foot off the gas a bit. I think this game plays out very similarly. I like Virginia to be able to cover the -5 spread. This line does show some strength towards Syracuse the last spread was +12, the game ended with Syracuse covering, and a seven-point difference. But, as I mentioned already, it wasn't that close. I'll back Virginia in this one.

Baylor vs. Texas, 9:00 ET

Baylor comes into this game with a 16-5 record and sitting at 17th in the country. They have been playing very good basketball lately as they have won their past six games. They now need to face a Texas team that is coming off just their fourth loss of the season. Texas is now ranked 10th in the nation, but they have lost two of their past four games. They have also lost three of their past eight games overall. Texas is facing a ranked opponent for the second straight game, but it doesn't get easier after this. They next face Kansas State and Kansas - both also ranked opponents. I think that the Longhorns at home are a hard team to bet against. Baylor does have the ability to take them down, though. I'd actually lean toward Baylor winning this game. This game has been bet down quite a bit already, but I think now get a bit of edge on the number. At 146.5, I think the best look here is the over.

I have a few smaller plays to share here, but not much of a writeup. These are ones I still feel confident in, but nothing that I think needs to go into too much depth. I like Alabama State and Florida A&M to go over their 127 total. One other one that I like based solely on one factor is Kansas City over South Dakota State by -2. I'll share it this way, but the line is going towards Kansas City and it isn't because the general public has focused in on this game.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024