The college basketball season is in full swing and while Saturday is packed to the brim with matchups between AP Top 25 teams and compelling games between conference foes from the blue bloods to the mid-majors, the Friday slate is a lot smaller by comparison. However, there’s still action in the Mountain West, MAC and Ivy League for college hoops fans and bettors to enjoy.
While the college basketball market is as sharp as it has ever been, there are still a few spots that hold some value on Friday. Let's take a look at my best bet for this smaller slate of games, and make sure you also check out our college basketball picks for the biggest games of the day.
Nevada Wolfpack -9.5 over San Jose State Spartans (-110)
We’ve gone to the Mountain West a few times in this column over the last week, and I’ll be backing another MWC favorite in a massive spot. Nevada needs as many wins as possible in the home stretch of the season to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Fortunately for the Wolf Pack, they’ll be taking on a San Jose State team that is just 9-18 on the season and has struggled mightily in conference play, winning just 2 of its 13 Mountain West games. Even on the road, I think we’re getting a slight discount on Nevada in this one given the situation, matchup and talent disparity.