Free Picks: NCAA College Basketball Best Bets 1/6/22

No.13 Ohio State 9-2 (3-0) at Indiana 10-3 (1-2)

This is a good matchup featuring two teams from the Big 10 that have great chances to make the Big Dance.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes have had to deal with COVID problems which has caused several postponed games. They struggled to beat Nebraska in their last game, and it took freshman, Malaki Branham’s 35 point effort to finally put the Cornhuskers away. The Buckeyes are averaging 77 points per game and they are shooting almost 40% beyond the arc and 49% overall. They have wins over three ranked teams, (Duke, Seton Hall, and Wisconsin), and if they can get their conditioning back, they are a handful.

Indiana: The Hoosiers lost a game at Penn State in their last outing and blamed a lack of effort down the stretch that led to that defeat. You can bet that will be a point of emphasis in this game. Indiana plays well at home and their undefeated 9-0 record in Assembly Hall verifies that. On paper, they aren’t as good as the Buckeyes, but games aren’t won on paper.

Indiana is a 3.5-point favorite. This is a must win game for Indiana as they can’t afford to lose at home if they want to contend for the Big Ten Conference Championship. I just have a feeling the Buckeyes are better than the Hoosiers and they will prevail in this one.

Best Bet: Ohio State +3.5

Washington State 8-5 (1-1) at Colorado 9-3 (1-1)

I know no one cares about this game between two middle-of-the-pack PAC-12 schools but I think it is worth a bet and that’s about it. Both teams haven’t played since before Christmas, because of COVID problems. So, how they bounce back will mean a lot in deciding the winner.

Colorado is a 1.5-point favorite. Anytime I can get a good team on it’s home floor with a spread as small as this one, I have to take it. I can see an upset in this game and won’t be shocked if it happens. But I’m banking on the home team and the small spread.

Best Bet: Colorado -1.5