This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Despite a couple of 1-2 days last Sunday/Monday, I'm still 12-6 in January and off a 2-0 sweep of yesterday's client plays. Late January/early February is not only a grind for the kids, it is a grind for us handicappers as well, with some teams starting to make their second rounds in their conference schedules. Constant adjustments are necessary, but one has to stay true to their basic process, and this is just the kind of challenge I enjoy! Let's dive into Sunday's small but power-packed slate.
Xavier Musketeers at Connecticut Huskies 
I probably sound like a broken record, but if a Sean Miller team is a significant underdog, I'm investigating. Xavier was a winning client play for me on Tuesday and therein, I noted the Musketeers have settled in and are making life hard for the upper half of the league. They are on a 7-2 ATS run overall and are 6-3 ATS in their last 10 as a dog. They are also 2-0-1 in their last three games against UCONN, including a closely-contested, five-point home loss January 10. UCONN is one of the best teams in the country, no doubt, but this is too many points to give a good coach and a scrappy squad.
College Basketball Best Bet: Xavier +11.5 (@ BetMGM)
North Texas Mean Green at Florida Atlantic Owls 
The Mean Green are another very live road dog, particularly now that Rubin Jones and John Buggs are healthy and back in the lineup. The return of those player on Thursday resulted in a big win over No. 37 SMU and now they take their defensive style on the road to take on FAU. The last three games in this series have been decided by four, four and three points, respectively. Furthermore, the Owls have struggled covering the big numbers that come with their popularity, as their 3-7 ATS skid as favorites indicates. This should be another hotly-contested game.
College Basketball Best Bet: North Texas +10 (@ DraftKings)
SMU Mustangs at Wichita State Shockers 
SMU's struggles have come against teams inside the KenPom top-100. Against lesser teams, the 'Stangs have dominated, including a 27-point road win at No. 137 Murray State and an 11-point conference road win at No. 175 East Carolina. At No. 162, the Shockers are right in that range and are really struggling to adjust to the new system implemented by Paul Mills. SMU should have no trouble covering this small-ish number.
College Basketball Best Bet: SMU -5 (@ PointsBet)
Sunday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Sunday, January 28:
- Xavier +11.5 (@ BetMGM)
- North Texas +10 (@ DraftKings)
- SMU -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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