This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Welcome back from Christmas Break! We stormed into the off-week with a 3-0 Monday, and I'm looking to keep that momentum going as we close out 2024. Conference play fires up in full force this week, and that will keep us warm all the way to March. Let's dive into today's slate.
Hofstra Pride at Quinnipiac Bobcats 
There is a lot of value on the Pride today. Hofstra's only questionable loss came in a quick turnaround game in the Bahamas tournament in November. Otherwise, the Pride has crushed poor opponents, and Quinnipiac has yet to beat a team inside the KenPom top-200. Hofstra is a little banged up but should have enough to win this one fairly handily.
College Basketball Best Bet: Hofstra -1.5 (universal)
Fort Wayne Mastodons at Green Bay Phoenix 
Last week, I was on Fort Wayne when the Dons went to Ann Arbor, which was most definitely the wrong side of that game. However, I still believe the Mastodons are one of the best teams in the Horizon, and Green Bay is on quite a different level than Michigan. In fact, Green Bay is one of the worst teams in the country with a coach that has been far more hype than substance so far. IPFW has won SEVEN straight in this series and has covered spreads much bigger than this one along the way.
College Basketball Best Bet: Fort Wayne -8 (@ BetRivers)
Longwood Lancers at SMU Mustangs 
This is the ultimate trap spot for SMU. The Mustangs are off a 26-point conference road win at Boston College on Dec. 21 and now return home to play a good Longwood team days before Duke rolls into Dallas to resume ACC play. Teams of Longwood's caliber (No. 169 in KenPom) have played SMU tough this season, with a 13-point home win over No. 144 UNC Greensboro and a two-point neutral site win over No. 158 Cal Baptist. This is a lot of points against a decent squad in a dangerous spot.
College Basketball Best Bet: Longwood +19.5 (@ DraftKings)
Sunday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Sunday, December 29:
- Hofstra -1.5 (universal)
- Fort Wayne -8 (@ BetRivers)
- Longwood +19.5 (@ DraftKings)
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.
