The Best College Basketball Bets for Saturday, Jan. 17

Saturday’s college basketball slate offers several opportunities to get paid, if you know where to look. This card is built around matchup advantages, recent trends, and teams’ reliable performance for bettors to get aggressive.

From a ranked road favorite in the Virginia Cavaliers to a live underdog covering at a high rate with the Eastern Michigan Eagles to a surging mid-major riding momentum in the Mercer Bears, these bets focus on the wisest wagers for creating profit on a busy Saturday slate.

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All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.

Virginia Cavaliers -1.5 (-112)

No. 16 Virginia travels to Texas on Saturday to face SMU, and the Cavaliers are positioned to cover. Virginia is 3-1 on the road and has won and covered four straight, fueled by a balanced formula: ACC-best offensive rebounding, No. 2 league mark in 3-point shooting and the ACC’s fourth-best scoring defense. SMU has lost and failed to cover in two of its past three. Even in wins, the Mustangs’ turnover issues — including a 21-turnover game vs. Duke — loom, and shaky free-throw shooting could swing a tight finish.

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Eastern Michigan Eagles +11.5 (-108)

The Eagles have covered five of their past six, including two of their last three on the road, and they have won and covered two of the past three head-to-head meetings with the Falcons. EMU also has shown it can finish, highlighted by a Jan. 13 win over Northern Illinois in which it dominated the second half 49-33. Bowling Green has failed to cover five of its last seven and four straight at home, often digging early holes with uneven 3-point shooting.

Mercer Bears -6.5 (-108)

The Bears have won three straight and have covered seven of their last eight, including a strong 5-1 mark against the spread on the road in that stretch. Mercer’s edge shows late: it gets to the line and cashes in with reliable free-throw shooters. The Bears also bring a defensive bite,…

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Publish date : 2026-01-17 05:18:00

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