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  1. College Basketball Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 1/21
  2. Texas vs. Kentucky Prediction: Wednesday, 1/21
  3. Notre Dame vs. UNC Prediction: Wednesday, 1/21
  4. Best College Basketball Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 1/21
  5. Get $1,500 in Bonus Bets Today at BetMGM Sportsbook When You Sign Up

The 2025-26 college basketball season is in full swing, and we’re here to help you cash in on the action. Let’s dive into the top college basketball best bets today for Wednesday, January 21st. We have multiple Top 25 teams headlining a jam-packed night of college hoops. Don’t miss out on the best college basketball picks below as you cash your own bets. Good luck! 

College Basketball Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 1/21

Our college basketball best bets today begin with a marquee SEC matchup between Texas and Kentucky. Plus, North Carolina hosts Notre Dame in a bounce-back ACC spot.  Check out some more college basketball predictions below for other games tonight, including Georgetown vs. Villanova and San Diego State vs. Grand Canyon. Let’s jump in.  

 

 

 

Texas vs. Kentucky Prediction: Wednesday, 1/21

This is a big game for Texas and Kentucky. The SEC foes have both endured up-and-down seasons thus far, and a quality victory here could go a long way for NCAA Tournament seeding. The Wildcats are rightful home favorites, but there’s some clear value in backing the visiting Longhorns in what should be a tight matchup. 

Kentucky is riding high after pulling off an improbable comeback win on the road at Tennessee over the weekend. The Wildcats trailed by double digits in the second half and were even losing with less than a minute remaining. As impressive as the victory was, the result might say more about the Vols collapsing late. UK also needed a big second-half comeback to get past LSU the game prior. Again, it’s an appluadable effort, but the ‘Cats were favored in that game and found themselves down 16 points at halftime. 

Yes, both of those comebacks shouldn’t be ignored, but this is still a flawed team. It’s a prime time to sell high on Kentucky, which may be overvalued right now coming off a three-game win streak – headlined by Saturday’s upset win over Tennessee. This is still the same team that lost to Missouri at home and suffered a 15-point loss to Alabama to begin SEC play. 

As for Texas, an 11-7 record isn’t ideal on paper. Yet, that deserves some context. Three of the Longhorns’ losses came against upper-tier non-conference opponents in Duke, UConn, and Virginia. They also lost by just 1 point against Arizona State on a neutral court back in November. Then, Sean Miller’s squad began SEC play by losing a coin flip overtime game to Mississippi State before getting handled by Tennessee (understandable). 

Earlier this month, though, Texas beat Alabama on the road and handed Vanderbilt a double-digit loss. Those are two of the top teams in the conference, and the results exemplify how good the Longhorns can be. They will look to get back in the win column tonight after losing a close one, 74-70, to Texas A&M on Saturday. 

In this matchup, Texas can have an edge down low with 7-footer Matas Vokietaitis. The Longhorns are at their best offensively when the center is dominating in the paint. He’s proven to be a handful in the post while drawing fouls at the highest rate in the country. That’s an issue for Kentucky, which is still without Jayden Quaintance’s defensive prowess and length in the frontcourt. The Wildcats also don’t have a versatile defender to consistently match up with Texas point-forward Dailyn Swain. 

On the other side, Kentucky has a potent offense when it’s hitting three-pointers. However, the scoring tends to be too reliant on the perimeter shot while not being effective enough inside or from the free-throw line. The Wildcats’ offense is also still trying to figure things out with point guard Jaland Lowe out for the season now. Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen have stepped up in his absence, but they also both need to have good games for Kentucky to be reliable game-to-game. 

Texas can score with UK in this matchup, with Vokietaitis and Swain controlling the interior. Notably, the Wildcats are allowing a conference-worst 55.8% effective field-goal percentage in SEC games, and especially struggling inside. Let’s take the Longhorns to cover as road underdogs and keep this close with the real chance at winning outright.  

 

 


 

Notre Dame vs. UNC Prediction: Wednesday, 1/21

North Carolina started the season strong, with a 13-1 record before January and impressive non-conference wins over Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio State. However, the Tar Heels have since dropped 3 of their last 4 games and seem to be trending down. It’s a prime time to buy low on UNC, though, in a get-right spot at home tonight. 

Notre Dame is among the bottom-feeders in the ACC. The Irish showed some promise in the early months, but that all changed when stud point guard Markus Burton injured his ankle in December. The junior was the offensive engine for Notre Dame, and without him, the scoring has been severely lacking. 

The Irish are averaging just 65.5 PPG over the past 6 games with Burton sidelined indefinitely. They’re 1-5 in this stretch with 4 straight losses coming in. Notre Dame has also lost each of its past 3 games by double-digits to Clemson (15 points), Miami (12), and Virginia Tech (13). The offense is relying too much on freshman Jalen Haralson lately, while not getting consistent scoring from anyone else.  

A return home from last week’s West Coast road trip to Stanford and Cal will certainly help UNC re-find its groove. This is a must-win game for the Heels to get back on track before facing Virginia on the road this Saturday. Yes, Hubert Davis’ squad has admittedly had its defensive issues recently. Yet, North Carolina should be able to contain the current shell of an offense that is Notre Dame. 

Meanwhile, UNC’s frontcourt duo of star freshman Caleb Wilson and 7-footer Henri Veesaar should feast inside and dominate down low. Wilson, a future NBA lottery pick, is averaging 19.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while proving his preseason hype. Veesaar averages 17.2 PPG and 9.1 RPG while being a force inside. Notre Dame simply doesn’t have the size, talent, or depth in the frontcourt to contain both Wilson and Veesar. 

Let’s take North Carolina to cover the spread in a comfortable victory. It’s a large number, but the Tar Heels will be hungry for a blowout. Notably, they are 4-2 ATS when favored between 10-20 points this season. Plus, this will be the fourth consecutive time UNC has been favored by double digits at home vs. Notre Dame with Davis as coach. It covered each of the three previous meetings. 

 

 


 

Best College Basketball Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 1/21

 

 

 

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