There are many things to be thankful for as 2020 wraps up. We can all be thankful that we are safe and healthy and for NCAA basketball. We don’t say this tongue in cheek. We do mean every word of this. 2020 has been such a downer in so many ways that we have all needed a release and for all of us that love and follow college basketball, this has been our release.
Best College Basketball Sportsbooks
The bookies are back in business but more importantly, we the gamblers are back in business. There is nothing better than college basketball. The little guys do everything they can to win and this adds value to many games. Here are our top three picks for Sunday, December 27th.
Missouri State vs. Northern Iowa Picks
McLeod Center (Cedar Falls Iowa)
4:00 PM ET
ESPN+
Pick: Missouri State +6.5
Other than Vanderbilt, there are no big names playing today and this is exactly how we like it! We love the opportunity to find a hard-charging team that wants and needs to make some noise and the Missouri State Bears are that team today. They come in having won three in a row and with a ton of confidence. Northern Iowa, just the opposite. They come in having lost four of the last five and not sure where they are headed this season. The Bears lead head-to-head in every category across the board with 51.1% shooting to 45.7% for NI, 39.3 to32.0 rebounding, 19.0 to 12.8 assists, and they lead in blocks and steals. We think the Bears give NI a run today and could win the game with their 69.3 points allowed to NI’s 74.4.
Live College Basketball Odds
UMass Lowell vs. Stoney Brook Picks
Island FCU Arena (Stony Brook New York)
2:00 PM ET
ESPN3
Pick: UMass Lowell +1
Stony Brook is playing over their heads right now and they are still just 4-4 on the season. Two of those wins have come by way of Binghamton! With no prejudice against Binghamton, let’s face the facts, they aren’t exactly the Duke Blue Devils or the Kentucky Wildcats… It’s Binghamton and this town has never had a decent basketball program. To boot, they have lost to some terrible programs. The defense will not show up for this event. This will be a fun game to watch and UMass Lowell, will keep it close and it should go over 141.
College Basketball Predictions
UC Santa Barbara vs UC Irvine Picks
Bren Events Center (Irvine CA)
7:00 PM ET
ESPN3
Pick: UC Irvine +2
The only surviving college basketball game in California that survived the schedule today… Everything else was canceled due to lockdown restrictions and/or travel restrictions. Both teams come in putting a lot of points on the board so be sure to not only play the dog at home but also check out your bookie’s totals. This one should fly over 135. UC Irvine is ripe to win at home and we like their chances in this one.
Dial-up this online bookmaker before closing out the Christmas weekend and have some fun with these three games. There is betting value in the lesser-known programs, and there is value in watching any college basketball!
