Hartford, Connecticut, is the site of today's marquee game, as a pair of prominent programs clash in a big-time non-con matchup. We have only a handful of games on Friday's slate, but there are still a few other options to consider. Here are my picks for a trio of games tipping off on Friday evening.
Top College Basketball Best Bets for Today
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Texas 
at Connecticut
This pick is all about Texas, both the good and the bad. The Longhorns rely solely on their offense to win games because it's playing at a high level on that end of the court, but also because their defense has not performed well at all.
Texas currently ranks 26th nationally in offensive efficiency, with similar marks across the board in other key areas. The Longhorns rank in the top 75 of the nation in effective field goal percentage, turnover percentage, offensive rebounding, and free-throw attempt rate. The latter stat perhaps deserves the most attention as it plays directly against UConn's defense. The Huskies are proving to have a very formidable defense, although it is terrible in one key area -- fouling. The Huskies are putting opponents on the charity stripe at a very high rate, 277th in the nation, so this is an area where Texas can take advantage.
The Longhorns will need to play well offensively to win because their defense has been relatively poor, ranking 103rd in efficiency. They don't generate turnovers and have a fouling problem, ranking 244th in free-throw attempt rate allowed, so it's hard to have confidence that Texas will get many stops.
There's a chance UConn's defense steps up and limits Texas' potent offensive attack, but I'm betting the Longhorns will push the tempo and cause a high-scoring game. I'm on the over in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Over 145.5
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East Tennessee State 
at Austin Peay 
I don't trust Austin Peay's offense. The Governors have been poor offensively in many vital areas, making it hard for me to believe that they can outscore East Tennessee State, regardless of the location.
For example, Austin Peay ranks outside of the top 250 teams in the following offensive categories: adjusted efficiency, effective field goal percentage, offensive rebounding, free-throw attempt rate, and two-point field goal percentage. It's hard enough to score with these kinds of numbers, and East Tennessee State is above average defensively in nearly all of the same categories, with the one exception being free-throw attempt rate allowed (188th).
To be fair, I'll note that Austin Peay is also above average defensively, but East Tennessee State is above average offensively and has one key advantage over Austin Peay. Specifically, the Governors are highly vulnerable in the paint, allowing opponents to make almost 54 percent of two-point attempts, 232nd in the nation. At the same time, the Buccaneers do most of their damage on the interior, making nearly 60 percent of shots inside the arc, the 28th-highest mark among all D-1 teams.
Given Austin Peay's lackluster offensive attack and East Tennessee State's advantage over the Governors' defense, I have to roll with the Bucs.
College Basketball Best Bet: East Tennessee State -2.5
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Cal Baptist at Eastern Washington 
Eastern Washington doesn't play much defense, ranking 318th in adjusted efficiency, but its best attribute directly counters Cal Baptist. Specifically, the Lancers are among the best in the nation at collecting offensive boards, ranking 12th in offensive rebounding percentage, but the Eagles are above average at defensive rebounding (146th), seemingly the only area where they're outperforming the average D-1 team on the defensive end.
The Eagles will be in business if they can get stops on defense, because their offense isn't bad, ranking 164th in adjusted efficiency. A closer look at the matchup again reveals another potential advantage for Eastern Washington. The Eagles do most of their damage inside the paint, making over 55 percent of their shots within the arc (89th). This is important because Cal Baptist has been more vulnerable on the interior, allowing opponents to make over 51 percent of their two-point attempts.
Eastern Washington's defense is certainly a liability, but all things considered, I like the Eagles' chances of leveraging their strengths to exploit the Lancers' weaknesses. I'm taking the points with the home team.
College Basketball Best Bet: Eastern Washington +4
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Friday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Friday:
- Texas at UConn - Over 145.5
- East Tennessee State -2.5
- Eastern Washington +4
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sources, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
