Friday's college hoops betting slate is light on quantity but heavy on quality. We've got an intriguing Big East conference game on tap as well as a Big Ten-Big East showdown in Wisconsin. Here are my predictions for a trio of games on Friday night.
Top College Basketball Best Bets for Today
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Seton Hall 
at Providence 
Here we have one team with all defense and no offense, and the other has all offense and no defense.
I'm not one to blindly follow cliches, such as "defense wins championships," but the better defensive team appears to have the edge in this one.
The Pirates are proving to have an elite defense. They boast the 13th-best adjusted efficiency rating among all D-1 teams and rank in the top five nationally in defensive turnover percentage and two-point field goal percentage allowed, holding opponents to 42 percent. These are essential strengths in this matchup because the Friars are excellent at scoring, ranking 34th in adjusted offensive efficiency.
The Pirates aren't nearly as sharp offensively, but it does two things well that should give them a boost in this matchup. First, Seton Hall is active on the glass, posting the 78th-best offensive rebounding percentage. Providence is comparatively weaker on the defensive glass, 206th in rebounding. Second, the Pirates are great at protecting the ball, ranking 82nd in offensive turnover percentage. Providence seldom forces mistakes, ranking 310th in turnovers, so the Pirates should get a shot off on most possessions, if not multiple shots, thanks to the rebounding advantage. Providence easily has the worst defensive efficiency rating among Big East teams, so Seton Hall will likely benefit from most of its second-chance opportunities.
Given Seton Hall's aforementioned advantages, I gotta go with the Pirates in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Seton Hall +2.5
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Villanova 
vs. Wisconsin 
Wisconsin is coming off its worst game of the season, a 90-60 defeat at Nebraska that happened nine days ago. The Badgers made just 7-of-32 3-point attempts (22 percent), their worst performance of the season. Including the last game, Wisconsin has made 33 percent of its three-pointers this year, so I expect a better performance this time around, especially playing closer to home. Villanova's defense isn't terrible, but the Wildcats seem not to guard the perimeter. They have allowed opponents to make 38 percent of three-point attempts, among the worst marks in the nation (335th).
At the other end of the court, Villanova is a potent group. The Wildcats rank 25th in adjusted offensive efficiency and top 75 nationally in effective field goal percentage, turnovers, and offensive rebounding (15th). Wisconsin, meanwhile, has a respectable adjusted defensive efficiency rating (49th), but it hasn't looked particularly strong in many areas and has been lit up on multiple occasions, allowing at least 90 points to both BYU and Nebraska. The Badgers rank outside the top 180 teams in effective field goal percentage allowed and turnovers, so the underlying numbers are not very encouraging.
Given the offensive abilities of both teams, I'm betting that we'll have a high-scoring game on our hands. I'm taking the over.
College Basketball Best Bet: Over 150.5
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Belmont 
at UC Irvine 
Belmont is proving itself to be one of the sharpest-shooting teams in the nation. The Bruins have made 62 percent of two-point attempts (ninth) and 40 percent of three-point attempts (ninth), yielding the second-highest effective field goal percentage among all D-1 teams. The only problem is that Belmont will meet its match on Friday.
UC Irvine is proving to be similarly elite on defense. The Anteaters have held opposing teams to under 41 percent on two-point attempts (fourth) and 29 percent on three-point attempts (40th), giving them the second-best effective field goal percentage allowed among all D-1 teams.
Belmont is surprisingly poor in other offensive areas, ranking outside the top 220 teams in turnovers, rebounding, and free-throw attempts, so Belmont faces a major uphill battle on Friday if UC Irvine's defense can maintain its level of play.
The Anteaters will need their defense to maintain their form if they want to win because it's hard, if not seemingly impossible, to count on their offense. UC Irvine ranks 292nd in adjusted offensive efficiency, 316th in effective field goal percentage allowed, and 274th in offensive rebounding. It's challenging to score against any team with these kinds of numbers, and Bemont's defense is no slouch. The Bruins rank 88th in adjusted efficiency and 27th in effective field goal percentage allowed, so they don't usually allow many easy looks.
I'm tempted to take the better shooting team in this matchup, but this is a cross-country road trip for Bemont, and UC Irvine's defense is tough to fade. Instead, I prefer our chances of seeing a grinding defensive battle. I'm taking the under in this spot.
College Basketball Best Bet: Under 146.5
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Friday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Friday:
- Seton Hall +2.5
- Villanova vs. Wisconsin - Over 150.5
- Belmont at UC Irvine - Under 146.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sources, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
