College Basketball Picks Today: Friday's Best Bets Include Three Spread Plays [12/20/2024]

College basketball betting is back for another enticing slate on 12/20, and we're here to share our top picks for Friday's NCAAM action.

Today's college basketball best bets come from a range of matchups, including Rider vs. Pennsylvania and Longwood vs. North Carolina Central, with this article updated throughout the day to highlight the most attractive upcoming games.

Featuring a standout spread play at 6:00PM ET, these picks are based on cutting-edge simulations and machine learning.

For unlimited access to everything Dimers has to offer on Friday, December 20, 2024—including our full set of college basketball picks and best bets—check out Dimers Pro.

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List of College Basketball Picks Today [12/20, Updated: 1:31PM ET]

After digging deep into the numbers and conducting thousands of simulations, our leading predictive analytics model has identified the best college basketball bets for Friday, December 20, 2024.

We sort these picks by start times, reserving the highest edges and probabilities exclusively for Dimers Pro users.

Rider +5 (-112)

• Edge: 5.3%
• Probability: 58.2%
• Matchup: Rider vs. Pennsylvania (6:00PM ET, Friday)

Our model has pinpointed the next college basketball betting opportunity today, which comes in the Rider vs. Pennsylvania matchup. We recommend a spread bet on Rider +5 at -112 odds, offering an edge of 5.3%.

North Carolina Central +3.5 (-104)

• Edge: 7.4%
• Probability: 58.4%
• Matchup: Longwood vs. North Carolina Central (7:00PM ET, Friday)

Our model has found another great college basketball bet for Friday's NCAA action, this time in the matchup between Longwood and North Carolina Central. We suggest placing a spread wager on North Carolina Central +3.5 at -104 odds, with our analysis showing a compelling 7.4% edge.

MORE: College Basketball Props

Holy Cross +5.5 (-110)

• Edge: 5.7%
• Probability: 58%
• Matchup: Holy Cross vs. Siena (7:00PM ET, Friday)

Our next pick for Friday's college basketball action is from the Holy Cross vs. Siena matchup. We recommend a spread bet on Holy Cross +5.5 at -110 odds. Our model indicates a favorable 5.7% edge for this wager.

MORE: Friday Parlay Picker

NCAAM Best Bets: Friday, 12/20/2024

As of 1:31PM ET, here are the next three college basketball bets recommended by our model:

Matchup	Bet	Odds	Edge
Rider vs. Pennsylvania	Rider +5	-112 @ DraftKings	5.3%
Longwood vs. North Carolina Central	North Carolina Central +3.5	-104 @ FanDuel	7.4%
Holy Cross vs. Siena	Holy Cross +5.5	-110 @ FanDuel	5.7%

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While the bets listed are all positive expected value (+EV) opportunities, subscribing to Dimers Pro grants you instant access to today's best bets across all sports, powered by our advanced model.

Among Friday's college basketball picks is a +146 moneyline play with an edge of 2.7%.

Join Dimers Pro now to access these picks, along with a comprehensive range of props, trends and parlays for December 20, 2024.

List of Upcoming College Basketball Games To Bet On

• Norfolk State vs. Grambling State (4:00PM ET, Friday)
• Illinois-Chicago vs. Seattle (5:00PM ET, Friday)
• Rider vs. Pennsylvania (6:00PM ET, Friday)
• Delaware vs. St. Peter's (7:00PM ET, Friday)
• Holy Cross vs. Siena (7:00PM ET, Friday)
• Yale vs. Akron (7:00PM ET, Friday)
• Longwood vs. North Carolina Central (7:00PM ET, Friday)
• Appalachian State vs. North Texas (8:00PM ET, Friday)
• St. John's vs. Providence (8:00PM ET, Friday)
• Dayton vs. Cincinnati (8:30PM ET, Friday)

More on CBB

This article is part of our college basketball player props and college basketball best bets series.

For more NCAAB betting content, we have college basketball betting news and the latest March Madness odds and predictions.

Conclusion

This article, enhanced by AI and automation, aims to deliver accurate college basketball insights quickly, with human oversight ensuring high editorial quality. Our predictions are rooted in current data to help you make informed decisions. For additional resources and advice on responsible gambling, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

All odds and probabilities in this article are correct and accurate at the time of publication.