College Basketball Looks for Thursday, January 18th

College basketball continues to line our pockets this season as we were able to go 2-0 on the night and get some wins in both plays. I don't stick to totals or to sides, but last night the totals stood out to me and while one was a no-sweat play, the other was a very close call and we barely squeaked over the low total. Tonight, I have a couple of more plays that I would like to give out in the college ranks and we will see if we can replicate the success from yesterday.

South Florida vs. Memphis, 7:00 ET

Memphis is one of those teams with a famous coach, but not quite the immediate success that the program hoped for when hiring him. Michigan is experiencing it with Juwan Howard at the helm, but Memphis is finally turning the corner with Anfernee Hardaway leading the way. After teetering on success for the past couple of seasons, they have busted out with a 15-2 record and 4-0 in conference so far this year. They are ranked 10th in the nation at the moment and it is pretty well-deserved. They've beaten Arkansas, Texas A&M, Clemson, and Virginia, all ranked opponents and one of them on the road. I do like that they've been able to win games both by blowing opponents out, and by grinding out close games. That bodes well for March. They are led by David Jones, and I expect South Florida to key in on him. His offensive prowess is good enough though as he continuously leads his team in scoring, and sometimes even rebounding. South Florida has the ability to at least manage Jones in this game. They are a more guard-heavy/focused team, but they do have a couple of decent defenders that they can throw on Jones. I think that their guards will likely be capable of providing help and then recovering to guard the outside shooters of Memphis. South Florida's offense isn't all that impressive, but they manage to methodically defeat teams. I think Memphis should beat this South Florida team with relative ease. Can they win by 12 or more points? I'm not really sure. I do think this total is a bit too high in this game though and will play the under 158.5.

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 17: Head coach Penny Hardaway of the Memphis Tigers looks on during the first half of a game against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 17, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Illinois vs. Michigan, 8:30 ET

From one big-name coach to the other I mentioned. This season, the Wolverines have taken a bit of a step back and currently sit at just 7-10 for the season. Tonight, they take on one of the best teams in the nation in a Big 10 battle. Michigan has lost five of their past six games and four of them have been against Big 10 opponents. Their lone win was on Monday against Ohio State in an eight-point victory on Michigan's home court. Michigan lacks a bit of identity of what can make them successful. They have four guys averaging double figures on the year, and two of them are averaging 17 points per game. They are led by a strong frontcourt, but they don't really have great guard play with the exception of Dug McDaniel. They are threats to shoot from the outside, but they basically allow just as many points as they score on the season. Illinois has been off to a good start, but has stumbled with their conference play and are now just 3-2. They lost to Maryland on their home court Sunday when they fell 76-67. Their other loss was at Purdue, but that was a close game at least. Can they go into Michigan and win this one? They have lost two of their three road games this season, but they match up well with Michigan. They also have a strong frontcourt but are led by a guard. The line for this game is a really short Illinois -2.5. I'd put it this way, Illinois will either cover this with ease, or lose outright. That's what I think about this game. I think they are more likely to cover with ease in this one than they are to lose. I'll take Illinois in this.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024