This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
3-0 Sunday! Time to follow that up with a deep dive into the small conferences that will be on the regular Monday rotations. With the College Football Championship tonight, the slate is very light, but small conferences like the SWAC and MEAC will offer up nuggets if we are diligent enough to find them. Thanks to the broadened legalization of sports wagering, games from all 32 conferences are lined regularly, so let's take advantage!
Monmouth Hawks 
vs Northeastern Huskies 
This is my top play today. Monmouth is 5-1 at home this year, with its only loss to KenPom No. 50 Princeton. In the other five games, the Hawks won by an average of 6.4 ppg, which is greater than today's spread. They are 8-2 SU/7-3 ATS in their last 10 at home and 7-3 SU/6-4 ATS in their last 10 as favorites. On the other side, Northeastern is just 2-8 SU/5-5 ATS in its last 10 away games and 1-9 SU/4-6 ATS in its last 10 as underdogs. The Huskies also have injury concerns after starter Luka Sakota missed their previous game. Monmouth wins by its six-point average.
College Basketball Best Bet: Monmouth -2.5 (FanDuel)
Alabama State Hornets 
at Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions 
We head south to the SWAC for today's last two selections. Last season, Alabama State took both games in this series including a three-point win at UAPB. The Hornets have been excellent on the road with an 8-1 ATS streak, while Pine Bluff is on an 0-6 ATS streak at home. Alabama State has also drawn a very distinct line between wins and losses, going 0-8 against teams in the KenPom top-150 (no surprise) but going 6-0 in their games against lighter opponents. The Hornets should take care of business here.
College Basketball Best Bet: Alabama State -1.5 (universal)
Southern Jaguars 
vs Prairie View A&M Panthers 
Southern appears to be the class of the SWAC after working through some early-season rotation issues. The Jaguars took out one of the other top teams in the SWAC (Texas Southern) in their conference opener on Saturday and PV presents are far lighter task. The home team has won six of seven in this series, and while I don't love the value, the Jags are worth a look today.
College Basketball Best Bet: Southern -5 (@ PointsBet)
Monday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Monday, January 8:
- Monmouth -2.5 (@ FanDuel)
- Alabama State -1.5 (universal)
- Southern -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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