This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Coming off a 3-0 sweep with yesterday's picks, here are my selections for a big day in the college hoops world, featuring many notable teams on the slate.
Baylor vs. 
Duke
The SentinelOne Classic from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
Baylor finally suffered its first loss of the season in its recent game, getting blown out by Michigan State, 88-64. Before that beatdown, Baylor had put up impressive numbers, ranking fourth in offensive efficiency. The only problem is its defense, ranking 68th in efficiency, clearly the weakest area of the team. This hasn't been a huge issue so far, as the Bears have only seen three teams that rank in the top 40 of the country in offensive efficiency. They beat Auburn by six, beat Florida by four and then just lost by 22 points to Michigan State. Unfortunately for Baylor, Wednesday's opponent has the highest offensive efficiency rating out of anyone on its schedule, past or future.
Duke, in contrast, already has three losses on the season, but its resume is still in decent shape. The Blue Devils came within a minute of defeating Arizona, dominated Michigan State, and then lost a pair of tough road games a few weeks ago. With 10 games under its belt, Duke has established itself as one of the best scoring teams in the country, ranking ninth in offensive efficiency, while also having a stout defense, ranked 34th on that end of the court.
Looking at these two teams side-by-side, they're somewhat similar at first glance, although a closer look reveals that one team has a clear edge in a couple of important areas. First, the Blue Devils are much more careful with the ball. They have the sixth-lowest offensive turnover rate in the country, while the Bears rank below the D1 average in the same category. Going in the other direction, Duke again ranks better in defensive turnovers. Second, the Blue Devils can neutralize a major strength of the Bears -- offensive rebounding. Duke has the 10th-highest defensive rebounding percentage in the nation, an important stat because Baylor ranks eighth on the offensive glass.
Overall, considering the fact that Duke is the better defensive team and matches up well with Baylor, I'm going with the Blue Devils in this spot.
College Basketball Best Bet: Duke -2
Oklahoma vs. 
North Carolina
The Jumpman Invitational from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Oklahoma is one of the last unbeaten teams in the country at 10-0, and it's easy to see why after looking at its numbers. The Sooners are among the best defensive teams in the nation, recording the ninth-best efficiency rating, hardly a surprise considering the defensive juggernaut that head coach Porter Moser built at Loyola Chicago. In his final year with the Ramblers, coach Moser had the team ranked number two in the nation in defensive efficiency, and now in his third year in Norman, he nearly has Oklahoma at the same level.
North Carolina is seeking redemption following back-to-back losses against Connecticut and Kentucky, but first, it needs to play better on defense for that to happen. The Tar Heels have put up extraordinary scoring numbers, but their defense is a liability that is proving difficult to overcome. North Carolina allowed exactly 87 points in both of its recent losses and with the way Oklahoma plays defense, a similar scoring output almost certainly spells out a loss.
Aside from the defensive advantage, Oklahoma surprisingly has a massive rebounding edge over North Carolina going in both directions. The Sooners rank 26th on the offensive glass and 56th on defense, while the Tar Heels rank outside of the top 100 teams in the same two categories. Oklahoma is also much better at inside scoring, making over 60 percent on two-point shots compared to 51.5 percent for North Carolina.
When it comes down to it, Oklahoma is simply the more balanced team. It has a suffocating defense while also possessing an effective offensive attack. All things considered, I have to take the points in this matchup. I'm on the Sooners.
College Basketball Best Bet: Oklahoma +3
Alabama vs. 
Arizona
From the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Despite sitting eighth on KenPom's overall efficiency chart and possessing the highest offensive efficiency rating in the nation, Alabama has lost four of its last six games. The number of losses seems alarming at first, but the Crimson Tide has played one of the most difficult schedules in the country, losing to Ohio State, Clemson, Purdue, and Creighton in that span. Alabama held a lead in the second half against each of the last three teams, so it's still a competitive group despite recent outcomes not going in their favor.
Arizona, meanwhile, has played like one of the top teams in the nation, recording elite stats on both ends of the court. The Wildcats lost their unbeaten status after tripping against Purdue in their most recent game, proving that they're not infallible after all.
It won't be easy, but I like Alabama's chances of keeping the game close. As of mid-December, the Tide is the best-scoring team in all D1 basketball, at least according to KenPom, and Arizona just had trouble with Purdue, the second-best offensive team. And while the Wildcats' have excellent defensive numbers overall, they've been incredibly vulnerable on the perimeter. Arizona is allowing opponents to make over 34 percent of shots from behind the arc, ranking 237th in the country. This is a noteworthy trait against Alabama because head coach Nate Oats is known for emphasizing three-point shooting in his game plan, and this year is no different. The Tide are making 39 percent from behind the arc while shooting at a high frequency, yielding the 66th-highest percentage of points off three-pointers.
Given Alabama's relentless and consistent scoring prowess, I'm taking the points in this matchup. It's always possible the shots won't fall and the Tide get buried due to a shaky defense, but I trust that Alabama will be locked in after losing two close games against elite teams. I'm going with Bama in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Alabama +7.5
Wednesday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Wednesday:
- Duke -2
- Oklahoma +3
- Alabama +7.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
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