This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Twas a rough Sunday with two genuinely surprising results (Oregon getting hammered, Mizzou losing outright in KC) and Stony Brook needing OT to get a close cover over Army. Today is another "small plate Monday" that features a limited menu with exotic morsels to sample, something we will have to get used to over the next few weeks as Bowl Season takes center stage over the winter break. Rest assured, your faithful college hoops handicappers here at Rotowire will relentlessly dig for winners during that time. Let's see what today brings to the table.
Oakland Grizzlies at 
Michigan State Spartans
Quick poll: who was surprised to see Oakland show up in this space today? If you raised your hand, welcome! Those of you that are regular readers likely know my affinity for Greg Kampe and the Grizzlies and saw this pick coming a mile away. Oakland is 9-1 ATS this year and have already traveled to Big 10 giants Ohio State (6-point loss) and Illinois (11-point loss). With Sparty fresh off a get-right blowout win of Baylor on Saturday, this quick turnaround serves as the annual meeting between these teams. The Grizzlies get yet another road underdog cover tonight.
College Basketball Best Bet: Oakland +16.5 (universal)
Duquesne Dukes vs Bradley Braves
This neutral-site game in Akron, OH features two regularly successful mid-majors. To be transparent, there are not a lot of trends that back the Dukes here, but there is a major factor causing me to play against Bradley and that is the status of Connor Hickman. Hickman has missed the last two games for Bradley which as been a big contributor to their current four-game slide. Recent form does favor Duquesne has they have yet to lose to a team outside the KenPom Top 100. I like the value on the Dukes today.
College Basketball Best Bet: Duquesne -3.5 (@ FanDuel)
Quinnipiac Bobcats at Holy Cross Crusaders
The mighty Quinn is another semi-regular in this space including last Monday when they were a winner for us. While the numbers for the Bobcats aren't incredibly favorable as road favorites, they have yet to lose to a team outside the Top 200. Those wins include a nine-point road victory at #340 Army and a seven-point victory at #327 Niagara. At #353, Holy Cross is a team they should handle.
College Basketball Best Bet: Quinnipiac -5 (@ PointsBet)
Monday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Monday, December 18:
- Oakland +16.5 (universal)
- Duquesne -3.5 (@ FanDuel)
- Quinnipiac -5 (@ PointsBet)
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.
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