Honestly, if you’re a casual fan, you might look at a January Sunday and think it’s just a "recovery day" after the Saturday chaos. You’d be wrong. While yesterday gave us the massive Top-25 upsets and last-second heartbreakers—like Oklahoma State stunning K-State at the buzzer—the college basketball games today offer something arguably more important: the "gut check" for mid-majors and the slow-burn battles that decide conference seeding.
It's Sunday, January 18, 2026. The NFL playoffs might be hogging the big screen, but the real drama is happening on the hardwood in places like Philadelphia and Houston.
The Big One in the Bayou City
If you only watch one game, make it Arizona State heading into the Fertitta Center to face No. 7 Houston. This isn’t just another Big 12 matchup. It’s a clash of identities. Houston is currently sitting at 16-1, breathing down the necks of the top five in the AP Poll. They play a brand of defense that feels less like basketball and more like a legal assault.
Arizona State is the underdog here, basically fighting to prove they belong in the upper echelon of the toughest conference in America. Bobby Hurley’s squad has had its ups and downs this season, but they’ve shown they can get hot from the perimeter. The problem? Houston doesn't let you breathe, let alone set your feet for a triple.
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Owls vs. Owls: The AAC’s Best Kept Secret
Over in the American Athletic Conference, we’ve got a weirdly compelling "Owl on Owl" crime. Florida Atlantic travels to Temple for a noon tip-off. FAU has been riding a three-game winning streak and currently sits at 12-6. They’re a 1.5-point favorite, which tells you everything you need to know about how the Vegas sharps view this one. It’s basically a toss-up.
Keep an eye on Devin Vanterpool for FAU. The kid is averaging over 15 points and 6 boards. He’s the engine. Temple, on the other hand, is one of the most disciplined teams in the country when it comes to taking care of the rock. They only turn it over about 8 times a game. In a tight matchup like this, one extra possession usually decides the whole thing.
Mid-Major Grinds and Horizon League Drama
There's a bunch of "lunchtime" basketball today that’s actually super interesting if you care about the Big Dance.
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- Oakland at Green Bay: This is a battle for the top of the Horizon League. Green Bay is on a five-game tear, but Oakland enters as a slight 3.5-point favorite. Watch Brody Robinson—he’s a bucket-getter who can facilitate just as well as he scores.
- Vermont at Albany: If you want to see how a perennial power handles a road test, watch the Catamounts. They’ve owned the America East for a decade, but Albany at home is always a trap.
- The Ivy League Slate: We’ve got Penn at Harvard and Cornell at Brown. The Ivy League doesn’t do a traditional conference tournament for everyone, so every single regular-season game feels like a Game 7.
What Most People Get Wrong About January Ball
Users often search for college basketball games today thinking they'll see the Final Four contenders at peak performance. That's not what this is. This part of the season is about survival and attrition. We're seeing teams like Texas Tech (who just ended BYU's 13-game win streak yesterday) finally finding their rhythm, while others are hitting the "January wall."
The NET rankings are starting to solidify. Today's games, especially those in the mid-major ranks like the MAAC or the Patriot League, are high-stakes for teams that know they won't get an at-large bid. For a team like Mount St. Mary’s or Niagara, today is about securing a home-game path through their conference tournament.
Strategy for the Savvy Viewer
If you’re looking for betting value or just want to see high-level execution, look at the "Total" for that FAU-Temple game. It's set around 151.5. Both teams can score, but conference games on Sunday mornings (local time) often start sluggish.
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Also, don't sleep on the late-night West Coast action. San Jose State taking on UNLV might not sound like a blockbuster, but the Mountain West is a multi-bid league this year. Every win is a massive resume builder.
Actionable Insights for Today:
- Focus on the Point Guard Play: In Sunday games, tired legs lead to turnovers. Teams with veteran lead guards, like Houston or Oakland, are much safer bets to cover.
- Watch the "Home Dog": Temple and Green Bay are both home underdogs today. In college hoops, the home crowd on a Sunday can be a massive equalizer against "superior" talent.
- Track the Big 12 Standings: With Houston in action, the top of the Big 12 is shifting. If Houston wins big, they keep pace with Arizona for the conference crown.
The season is officially in the "grind" phase. Enjoy the games, keep an eye on the injury reports (especially with these quick turnarounds from Thursday/Friday games), and remember that March is won in the quiet gyms of January.
For the most accurate live updates, keep your eyes on the NCAA's official scoreboard or your preferred sports app, as tip-off times can shift slightly for television windows.
Next Steps:
To stay ahead of the curve, you should check the updated NET rankings tomorrow morning. Sunday results often cause significant jumps for mid-majors who pull off road wins. If you're looking to build a bracket strategy early, start noting which teams are winning on the road this month; road success is the #1 indicator of tournament resilience.