Jump to a topic
  1. College Basketball Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 1/30
  2. Providence vs. Villanova Prediction: Friday, 1/30
  3. UNLV vs. Nevada Prediction: Friday, 1/30
  4. Best College Basketball Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 1/30
  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 Friday, January 30th. We have multiple Top 25 teams in action and plenty of entertaining matchups on tap. Don’t miss out on the best college basketball picks below as you cash your own bets. Note that all odds are accurate as of this writing, but are always subject to change. Good luck! 

College Basketball Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 1/30

Our college basketball best bets today begin with a Big East matchup between Providence and Villanova. Plus, we focus on a late-night Mountain West showdown as Nevada hosts UNLV. Check out more college basketball predictions below for other games today, including Michigan vs. Michigan State. Let’s jump in.  

 

 

 

Providence vs. Villanova Prediction: Friday, 1/30

Tonight’s lone Big East matchup features a pair of teams looking to get back on track. Villanova just lost in overtime at UConn, and recently slipped up at home to St. John’s as well. The Wildcats now enter an easier part of the schedule, beginning with Providence. As for the Friars, they’ve struggled to an ugly 2-8 conference record thus far with losses in 6 of the last 7 games. 

Instead of picking a side for this one, the over/under is our focus. Both offenses can anchor a higher-scoring game for different reasons. Let’s break it down. 

Providence’s style of play this season regularly leads to back-and-forth offensive shootouts. It plays at the 16th-fastest tempo in the sport, averages 88.8 PPG (16th nationally), and ranks 25th in offensive efficiency at KenPom. Conversely, the defense has major issues. The Friars are allowing 86.1 PPG, which is 359th in college basketball. They’ve also given up 90.5 PPG in conference play while ranking dead last in the Big East in defensive efficiency. 

If you’re keeping score at home, Providence brings a fast pace combined with a top-25 offense and a terrible defense to the table. That’s the recipe for high-scoring games and overs. In turn, the over has hit in 71% of the Friars’ games this year. The over is also 9-3 in their last 12 games, including the prior meeting vs. Villanova earlier this month. 

Speaking of Nova, it plays at a molasses-slow tempo (352nd in the country) and would love to keep this lower-scoring. However, Providence will likely speed up the Wildcats and make them play quicker. We’ve already seen this occur for Villanova against faster-paced teams this year. Conference matchups with St. John’s (164 combined points), Providence (170), Butler (152), and Marquette (149) have all hit the over. 

At home, the ‘Cats should bounce back offensively after being held to 61 points in regulation against UConn last time out. The easy matchup against Providence’s defense certainly helps. Villanova’s 36.3% three-point shooting will especially be a factor, as the Friars rank 341st nationally in three-point defense. 

 

 

 

UNLV vs. Nevada Prediction: Friday, 1/30

Nevada suffered some early-season losses, but it has been playing much better over the past two months. The Wolf Pack are 11-3 over their last 14 games, including 7-3 in Mountain West play so far. It’s one of the best starts to the year for head coach Steve Alford since he took over in 2019. 

The Pack just earned a hard-fought overtime win at home over Grand Canyon on Tuesday. Now, they try to carry that momentum into a second straight home game. This time, the opponent is a struggling UNLV team that ranks 132nd at KenPom and 145th in the latest NET. 

UNLV has been very up-and-down in Josh Pastner’s first season as head coach. The Runnin’ Rebels are 10-10 overall this season and 5-4 in conference play. They’ve lost the past two games by 28 and 11 points to New Mexico and San Diego State, respectively. It’s worth noting that the UNLV did pull off upsets over Utah State and Boise State earlier in January. 

In this matchup, Nevada’s offense can set the tone and build a comfortable lead. The Wolf Pack are among the best in the country in a few key offensive areas. They rank 18th nationally in offensive turnover rate and 19th in free-throw attempts rate. They’re also shooting a lights-out 38.6% from three-point range (16th in Division I), including a conference-best 40.1% during league play. 

Meanwhile, UNLV is allowing 77.3 PPG this season (280th in the country) and 80.3 PPG over their last 7 games. The Rebels are allowing opponents to shoot 37.3% from three in conference play. They also rank 340th nationally in opposing free-throw attempts rate and 275th in defensive rebounding rate. It all plays right into Nevada’s offensive strengths. 

The other notable difference-maker in this game is pace. UNLV prefers to play fast, ranking 50th in the country in tempo. However, Nevada will look to slow things down and get the Rebels out of their rhythm. The Wolf Pack are 285th in pace, including 341st in defensive tempo. 

Let’s take Nevada to cover as the home favorite. The Pack are 5-1 ATS over the last 6 games, and 10-4 ATS over the last 14 contests. Meanwhile, UNLV is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games as a single-digit underdog. 

 

 

 

Best College Basketball Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 1/30

 

 

 

Get $1,500 in Bonus Bets Today at BetMGM Sportsbook When You Sign Up

Before you lock in our college basketball best bets today, take advantage of this awesome offer from BetMGM Sportsbook. Click here to sign up and use our BetMGM promo code ALARM to get $1,500 in bonus bets today. 

All you have to do is deposit a minimum of $10 and place your first wager. If your bet wins, great! If it loses, then you can receive up to $1,500 back in bonus bets from BetMGM Sportsbook. Just click here to get started and use promo code ALARM. 
 

Â