Best NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions (1/8): Friday Jr. College Hoops

Nate Hornung

Written by: Nate Hornung

Published: Thu Jan 08, 2026, 3:26 pm ET

Read Time: 5 minutes

Southern Miss hosts Texas State tonight in this Sun Belt battle - NCAA Basketball Picks

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We have almost made it to the weekend, and we have a massive college hoops slate for Thursday. Although we don't have any ranked on ranked matchups, there is certainly some good basketball to be played and plenty of edges to find. Let's get into our favorite NCAA Basketball picks for today!

  • NCAA Basketball YTD
  • 86-80 (51.8%)
  • +1.21u
  • Average Odds: -105

We are just above even for the entire season, but we've had tons of success in 2026. Since the calendar changed, we are 11-3 +6.84u on CBB. Do some quick math and you can figure out we were down about five units going into the new year, but now we are once again trending in the right direction. Let's keep it going today.

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Thursday's best bets are below. Keep reading for the analysis.

Go check out what else I've got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.

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Best NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions January 8

Northwestern Wildcats vs. #12 Michigan State Spartans NCAA Basketball Picks

Tom Izzo leads the Spartans against Northwestern tonight in East Lansing - NCAA Basketball Picks

Tom Izzo leads the Spartans against Northwestern tonight in East Lansing

Best Bet: Northwestern/Michigan State Under 143.5 (-112) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

Death. Taxes. Sparty unders. Michigan State is a VERY good defensive team, they love to play slow, and they are 10-5 to the under already this season. We've got trends on our side.

My co-host on Up Your Units, Colby Marchio, wrote all about this game, so check out his thoughts here for a full breakdown. However I agree completely. There is no reason the Spartans should let Northwestern hang around in this game, and I see them using their defense to control this contest.

Texas State Bobcats vs. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles NCAA Basketball Picks

Best Bet: Southern Mississippi -4 (-111) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

I took the Golden Eagles -4.5 earlier this morning, so I certainly like them at -4. While Southern Miss hasn't played the toughest schedule in college hoops, ranking No. 222 in strength of schedule, the Bobcats really haven't been tested. So far this year, Texas State has played the 14th easiest schedule in the nation. Tonight they are in for a wake up call on the road.

Southern Miss plays faster, and will speed things up, taking the Bobcats out of their comfort zone. Neither team shoots threes, as Texas State is actually dead last in 3P Rate, so they won't be able to crawl back into this by heating up from downtown. The Golden Eagles don't shoot threes either, but they attack the rim and get to the free throw line over 42% of the time (top 50).

The hosts are also ranked 80 spots higher on most advanced analytics websites. They are the much better team. The Bobcats offense is north of 260 in adjusted efficiency and eFG%, while ranking bottom 35 in turnover rate. Give me the hosts to win and cover this number as they look to go 4-1 in Sun Belt play to start the year.

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oregon Ducks NCAA Basketball Picks

Nate Bittle and the Ducks host the Buckeyes tonight in Eugene - NCAA Basketball Picks

Nate Bittle and the Ducks host the Buckeyes tonight in Eugene

Best Bet: Oregon -2 (-108) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

You can get a better number than I did tonight as the Ducks host the Buckeyes, as I am laying the 2.5. We are backing the Ducks on this short spread, but I would encourage you to just pay the juice on the moneyline to back them to win.

Both teams are coming off tough losses, but Ohio State is playing their first game on the West coast. This is their first time traveling three time zones this season, and this game is tipping off at 12:30 a.m. eastern, local time for the kids from Columbus. While the Buckeyes have played tough teams, Oregon ranks No. 33 in strength of schedule. I think this 8-7 team is favored over their 10-3 visitors at home for a reason, and I'll be backing the Ducks to get it done.

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Nate Hornung
Nate Hornung

Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.

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