Best College Basketball Bets Today: Two Best Teams in the Big 12 Clash on Wednesday

A loaded Wednesday night slate features a top ten matchup between two of the best teams in the Big 12: Kansas and Iowa State.

The ninth-ranked Jayhawks have had some ups and downs this season but have been much better since their embarrassing home loss to West Virginia.

Meanwhile, the second-ranked Iowa State Cyclones’ sole blip this season was against the now-No. 1 Auburn Tigers by just two points.

While that top ten matchup is undoubtedly the marquee game on Wednesday night, the No. 12 Michigan State Spartans will also look to improve to 6-0 in the Big Ten when they host the Penn State Nittany Lions.

So, what can we expect on Wednesday night? Continue reading for our two best college basketball picks, including an in-depth analysis of each matchup!

The odds for today's college basketball games are from FanDuel Sportsbook. Place a $5 bet at FanDuel and claim $200 in bonus bets.

No. 9 Kansas @ No. 2 Iowa State

• Date: Wednesday, January 15

• Time: 7:00 pm EST

• Moneyline: Kansas +205 | Iowa State -255

• Spread: Kansas +5.5 (-102) | Iowa State -5.5 (-120)

• Total: Over 144.5 (-115) | Under 144.5 (-105)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Iowa State ML (-255) at FanDuel

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Despite having one of the most talented rosters, the Kansas Jayhawks have had their fair share of struggles on the offensive end of the floor.

As of mid-January, the Jayhawks rank 31st in adjusted offensive efficiency (KenPom) and 88th in effective field goal percentage. 

Kansas is not a selfish basketball team by any stretch, and the Jayhawks protect the ball well; they rank in the top 25 nationally in both assists and turnovers per game.

But Kansas’s offense on the road? Yikes.

The Jayhawks have an effective field goal percentage that is 12% lower away from Allen Fieldhouse, and they will be heading to one of the hardest places to win: Hilton Coliseum.

Last season, the Cyclones won all 18 of their home games and have started off the 2024-25 campaign with a 9-0 record there.

It will be a tight game but Iowa State has simply been unbeatable at home.

Penn State @ No. 12 Michigan State

• Date: Wednesday, January 15

• Time: 7:30 pm EST

• Moneyline: Penn State +530 | Michigan State -780

• Spread: Penn State +11.5 (-110) | Michigan State -11.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 155.5 (-110) | Under 155.5 (-110)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Michigan State -11.5 (-110) at FanDuel

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It is certainly a challenge to get an accurate reading of this Penn State team. One week ago, the Nittany Lions lost on the road to a Kasparas Jakucionis-less Fighting Illini team by nearly 40 points.

Then, days later, Penn State dropped a game against a ranked Oregon team by just one point.

And earlier in the season? The Nittany Lions strung together a convincing, double-digit win on their home floor against a tough Purdue squad.

Which Nittany Lions team will show up on Wednesday night?

Unfortunately, we aren’t expecting the “good” one.

Penn State has lost three consecutive games and its play on the road drops off substantially.

In fact, the Nittany Lions shoot 7% lower from the field and 5% lower from 3-point land when they are playing away from home; they also have a total rebounding rate that is 8% worse on the road.

But, here’s where it gets crazy: Penn State scores 17 fewer points outside of Bryce Jordan Center.

And now, the Nittany Lions are forced to take on Michigan State, one of the hottest teams in the country.

Michigan State has strung together nine consecutive wins and has an average scoring margin of +23.5 on its home floor.

However, the Spartans have been outrageously impressive in their two home Big Ten games, winning by an average of 35.5 points. 

Of course, Penn State’s game against Illinois was an outlier; the Nittany Lions aren’t going to lose by close to 40 points very often, and they certainly are a better team than that outing would indicate.

Still, Michigan State held Washington and Nebraska to 33% shooting from the field and sub-20% shooting from deep in its two home conference games thus far. 

And the Spartans are one of the best rebounding teams (third in total rebounding rate) in the country. As mentioned above, Penn State struggles to be competitive on the glass on the road.

I’ll lay the near-dozen points with Sparty.