Now that the NFL season is winding down, college basketball picks are going to become more popular among recreational bettors looking for action (and value).
The sheer volume of college basketball games makes it an attractive sport to bet, especially when there are more than 40 games on the odds board like there are on Wednesday night.
With that said, it’s not easy to quickly handicap a loaded college basketball odds board like tonight’s, which is why I’m turning to the Action Network’s PRO betting tools.
And after doing just that, here are the three smartest college basketball picks for Wednesday night, including Gardner Webb vs. Radford (7 p.m. ET), UCF vs. Texas (8 p.m. ET) and Maryland vs. Northwestern (9 p.m. ET).
College Basketball Picks for Tonight
*College basketball odds as of Wednesday morning
Gardner Webb vs. Radford Pick
7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Gardner Webb vs. Radford may not be the sexiest game on Wednesday’s slate, but it is offering a solid betting model edge that’s also catching the eyes of professional bettors.
Let me explain.
Radford opened as a 4.5-point favorite against Gardner Webb before sharps steamed the Highlanders up to between -5 and -5.5.
Steam refers to sudden, uniform line movement across the market that is often the result of bettors with the resources and respect to move odds getting down on the same side of the same game at multiple sportsbooks, all at once.
Further, the Action Network’s PRO Projections make this spread Radford -7, so even after the half-point line move, there’s still a 4.5% edge based on the latest consensus of -5.
PRO Report Pick: Radford -5 (-110) via DraftKings
_InlineAdBlock
UCF vs. Texas Pick
8 p.m. ET | LHN
UCF vs. Texas is a classic case of big bets from savvy players forcing oddsmakers to move the line.
After hitting the market at -7, Action Labs’ Bet Signals are reporting a steam move on the Longhorns, explaining why this spread has pushed to -8.5 at most sportsbooks.
In addition, the Action Network’s college basketball public betting data shows that 86% of the money wagered on the spread has come in on Texas well, illustrating just how heavy the Longhorns loot is flowing right now.
PRO Report Pick: Texas -8 (-110) via DraftKings
Maryland vs. Northwestern Pick
9 p.m. ET | BTN
Northwestern is a 3.5-point favorite over Maryland as of the time of writing, a line that is offering a beefy 8.3% edge compared to our betting model projection of -6.5.
Please note that this spread has stretched to -4 and even to -4.5 at other books, so be sure to shop around and grab the -3.5 if pouncing on this Wednesday edge.
PRO Report Pick: Northwestern -3.5 (-110) via BetMGM