Best College Basketball Player Props Today: Illinois Takes on Washington

Written By Blaise Bourgeois | Published at January 29, 2026
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Saint Francis guard Chris Moncrief, right, fights for a loose ball during the first half of a First Four college basketball game against Alabama State in the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. (AP photo / Jeff Dean)

We're about six weeks away from March Madness, and the top teams in the land need to stay strong to land a top seed in the tournament. Tonight, we have two top-10 teams in action, with #9 Illinois hosting Washington, while the eighth-ranked Iowa State Cyclones, who have lost two of their last four games, host the Colorado Buffaloes.

There are plenty of other intriguing matchups across the country, and we're specifically looking at the American Conference clash between Memphis and Florida Atlantic.

Without further ado, let's look at our college basketball best bets for today, January 29.

All Odds as of 8:00 a.m. ET on Jan. 29

College Basketball Game Lines

Florida Atlantic ML @ Memphis (+125)

๐Ÿ€ Odds via FanDuel ย ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Memphis (9-10, 4-3) is just not a good basketball team and faces American Conference leaders FAU (14-7, 6-2) in a pivotal matchup tonight. These two teams met just 18 days ago, with FAU cruising to an 11-point win.

FAU are monsters on the offensive glass, and the Memphis defense allows offensive rebounds about a third of the time. Against similar opponents, all signs point towards an FAU rout, most notably the game against Wichita State. FAU won by 18, while the Tigers lost by 15.

We're confused why FAU are underdogs, and we are slamming this game hard.

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Washington +12.5 @ #9 Illinois (-118)

๐Ÿ€ Odds via DraftKings ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Illinois (17-3, 8-1) are 13-7 against the spread this season, but have not necessarily beaten up on lower opposition. In fact, just ten of their 17 wins have been by over 10 points, though the majority of those wins were against pure cupcakes.

Against a team like Washington (11-9, 3-6), after having to fight tooth-and-nail to top #12 Purdue, we think that the Huskies should be able to keep it to single digits. We're certainly not expecting another 46-point game from freshman Keaton Wagler.

Colorado @ #8 Iowa State -17.5 (-105)

๐Ÿ€ Odds via DraftKings ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Iowa State (18-2, 5-2) are beginning to be exposed after starting the season 16-0 with just one statement win on their resume over Purdue. However, the Cyclones are one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, and Colorado (12-8, 2-5) ranks 290th in the nation in points allowed per game. This is a horrible matchup on paper and we wouldn't be surprised if the Cyclones win by 30+.

Penn State @ Northwestern Over 150 (-110)

๐Ÿ€ Odds via Caesars Sportsbook ย ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Three of their last four matchups, including last year's, have hit well over their totals. Penn State (9-11, 0-9) have been awful in conference play and have allowed about 93 points a game over their last three games. Northwestern (9-11, 1-8) have also struggled in Big Ten play this season, with both of these teams sure to be up for this one.

We don't really know what to think of the current odds, which has the Wildcats at eight-point favorites. However, we're confident that this game is going to go well over the 150-point mark, and maybe into the 160s.

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