Thursday CBB Best Bets Jan. 29: Is Illinois giving too many points?

Thursday features a moderate college basketball slate with several mid-major teams and a handful of high-major schools taking the floor on the fifth Thursday of January 2026. Can Northwestern cover a tough game against Penn State as moderate home favorites? Will a scrappy Washington team hang with Illinois in a conference clash on Thursday night? Read on for our Thursday CBB Best Bets Jan. 29 article.

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CBB Best Bet: Penn State +8.5 over Northwestern

I like the Nittany Lions here. Penn State is well-positioned to cover the 8.5-point spread as road underdogs against Northwestern on Thursday night. The Nittany Lions have been reliable away from home, sporting a 3-2 ATS record as the road team, and a solid 5-4 ATS mark in conference play this season. History also heavily favors Penn State in this matchup; they are 7-3 straight up and 6-4 ATS in their last ten games against Northwestern. These consistent trends suggest the Nittany Lions have the poise to keep this contest within striking distance and will have a chance to win outright at the end. Final score projection: PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS 72, NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS 70.

CBB Best Bet: Washington +12.5 over Illinois

I’m backing the Huskies in this one. Washington is in a good spot to cover the 12.5-point spread as road underdogs against Illinois on Thursday. The Huskies have been remarkably steady in conference play, boasting a 7-2 ATS record, and have proven their grit with a 5-3 ATS mark as underdogs this season. Despite playing at a rest disadvantage, they remain reliable at 5-4 ATS when having less rest than their opponent in 2025-26. Furthermore, Washington is currently one of the hottest teams in the betting market, going 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. This combination of recent momentum and conference toughness suggests they will keep this matchup much closer than the double-digit spread implies. Final score projection: ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI 78, WASHINGTON HUSKIES 72.