This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Friday's college basketball slate features a notable matchup in the Pacific Northwest in addition to an SEC team that's also in action. Steve Peralta shares his best bets for the day.
Grambling St. at 
Vanderbilt
If Grambling State wants to compete in this game, it will need a solid defensive performance, as its offense is struggling this season. The Tigers are one of the worst offensive teams in the country, but at least their defense has been iron-tight lately, holding their last two opponents under 50 points. Grambling State does several things well on defense. It's holding opponents to under 46 percent on two-point field goal percentage, holding them to 27 percent on three-point field goal percentage, and forcing turnovers at the 37th-highest rate in the country, per KenPom. Grambling State's shining moment earlier this season came on November 11 when it defeated Colorado, 83-74. Following that loss, the Buffaloes defeated Tennessee in Nashville, 78-66, so that victory is not something to take lightly. Grambling State can compete with any team on any given day.
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, doesn't have an offense quite as bad when it comes to efficiency, but it's also a team that typically relies on its defense to win games. Vanderbilt is one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the nation, making under 63 percent, while also performing below the D1 average in two-point field goal percentage, offensive rebounding rate, and free-throw attempt rate. Overall, the Commodores don't do many things well on offense, perhaps explaining how they only scored 48 points at home against Southern Mississippi on November 11. On paper, Grambling State's defense ranks higher than Southern Miss in most categories, including adjusted efficiency, per KenPom.
The Commodores have only defeated one opponent by more than 14 points and, as they showed against Southern Miss earlier this season, they're liable to lose by double-digits to inferior opponents at home. Given a sturdy Grambling State defense, I'll take the double-digit points in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Grambling St. +14.5
Washington at 
Gonzaga
Washington's defense has been playing its best basketball of the season. The Huskies have held each of their last five opponents to 66 points or fewer, including a 73-63 win over Colorado and a 68-64 win over Saint Mary's -- the two best offensive teams that Washington has faced so far this season. Gonzaga will obviously raise that bar in today's game, but so far Washington's defense has responded well to its toughest challenges yet. The task of containing a superstar like Drew Timme is no doubt incredibly difficult, but Washington is holding opponents to under 49 percent on two-point field goal attempts while also blocking shots at the fourth-highest rate in the country, so the Huskies certainly have the tools to get the job done. One other note regarding Washington's defense, while the Huskies typically prefer a slightly quicker tempo on offense, their zone defense actually slows down opponents, ranking No. 284 in adjusted tempo when playing on that end of the court.
Gonzaga will undoubtedly play for high stakes late in the season, however its recent stretch of performances hasn't been great. In their last game, the Bulldogs were at home and trailed Kent State with under four minutes to go. They needed an 11-0 run in the closing minutes to win, 73-66. Prior to that close call, Gonzaga lost to Baylor by a point, narrowly defeated Xavier by four points, and got demolished by Purdue, 84-66. The latter teams are among the best in the country, but the fact that Gonzaga never really appeared dominant against any of these teams is still an important piece of information.
All things considered, Gonzaga hasn't done much in the past couple of weeks that would suggest it's about to cover a 16-point spread against a competent and defensive-minded team like Washington. Gonzaga's defense has played better in its last couple of games, holding opponents to under 67 points, so I'm expecting a lower-scoring game, although ultimately I still think Washington will stay within range of the spread. If your book offers first-half numbers, I tend to prefer those in this matchup since Gonzaga's offense is somewhat combustible, especially with its style of play. Either way, I'm taking the points and the under in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Under 148.5 & Washington +16.5
Friday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Friday:
- Grambling St. +14.5
- Washington at Gonzaga - Under 148.5
- Washington +16.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the College Basketball odds page on RotoWire.
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