Skip to main content

College Basketball Player Props & Best Bets Today: Bronny James Debuts on Sunday

Mike Spector

Last Updated: December 10, 2023 3:58 PM EST • 4 min 6 sec read.

College basketball best bets.
College basketball best bets.

Bronny James’ highly anticipated debut for the USC Trojans highlights Sunday’s college basketball slate, and we have you covered with our college basketball player props and best bets for Sunday based on the best college basketball odds from our best sports betting apps.

Bronny James, after suffering cardiac arrest less than five months ago during a USC practice, has successfully completed his second consecutive full-contact practice. This noteworthy progress signifies his preparedness to debut for USC against Long Beach State on Sunday, marking a pivotal milestone in his recovery journey and a significant step toward resuming competitive play.

Additionally, on Sunday's slate, Miami is set to face Colorado in Brooklyn, while Texas A&M will host Memphis, featuring two top-25 teams in action.

Here are our college basketball player props and best bets for Sunday (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Sunday’s college basketball schedule and odds

(Odds via DraftKings)

Sunday’s college basketball best bets

Not intended for use in MA
Affiliate Disclosure: Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook

Visit our Google News page and click "Follow" (⭐) for the latest odds, picks and news!  

Sunday’s college basketball player props

Jordan Dingle (St. John’s) Over 13.5 points vs. Boston College (-120 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

St. John’s guard Jordan Dingle may not be averaging the same 23.4 points per game that led the Ivy League at UPenn in 2022-23, but he's scored 11.9 points per contest while continuing to grow in Rick Pitino’s system. Dingle has scored in double figures over five straight games, and he's exceeded this projected total in three. And shot volume isn't an issue for Dingle, as he's attempted 11-plus shots in three of the previous four games.

Dingle faces a Boston College defense that ranks 325th in 3-point percentage allowed. With the Red Storm ranking as the best offensive-rebounding team in Division I while securing 46.5% of their misses, they should earn plenty of extra possessions and raise Dingle’s ceiling for scoring.

Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State) Over 1.5 3-pointers vs. Prairie View (-125 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Milan Momcilovic has not only attempted the most 3-pointers of any Iowa State player (51), but he's the only one shooting at better than a 38.1% clip. His 45.1% 3-point shooting percentage is the second-highest among all Big 12 players who average at least 5.7 attempts from deep per game. Momcilovic has made multiple 3-pointers in four consecutive matchups, all coming against Power Six competition. 

We expect Momcilovic to light up a Prairie View defense that's allowing six 3-pointers and 37.5% shooting or better from distance in two of its three losses. KenPom predicts Iowa State will score 82 points in this matchup, and that should mean plenty of 3-point attempts for a team that ranks outside the top 300 in 3-point tries per field-goal attempt. 

Sunday’s college basketball game picks

Long Beach State +14.5 vs. USC (-115 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

USC is the talk of the college basketball landscape on Sunday with Bronny James making his season debut. The ticket prices on the secondary market have been soaring, with the most expensive seats listed for $16,899 through Seat Geek. Thus, the James factor is likely distorting much of the general public’s view of the game, and what better way to take advantage of that than to be on the contrarian side with Long Beach State as the underdogs?

The Beach is 3-2 in true road games during 2023-24, but one of those wins was an impressive 94-86 victory in Ann Arbor against Michigan. Long Beach State could make this game very competitive, as it puts pressure on opposing defenses at the rim and often foregoes shots from the perimeter (the Beach ranks 337th in 3-point attempts per field-goal attempt).

USC doesn't possess the usual rim protection that it's accustomed to under Andy Enfield after the Trojans ranked second in the country in 2-point percentage allowed during 2022-23. And the Beach can also take advantage of that on the offensive glass, where the Trojans rank 322nd in offensive rebounding percentage allowed.

As of Saturday night, the consensus spread on this matchup was Long Beach State +14.5. But now BetMGM is the only shop offering that number, as the line has fallen to as low as +13.5 at FanDuel.

UCF -3 vs. Ole Miss (-110 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ole Miss is one of the lone remaining unbeaten teams in 2023-24, but it's also not the most battle-tested bunch, with just one win against a team inside KenPom’s top 70 (Memphis). The Rebels rank in the top third of the country in rim rate allowed. But against an uptempo team like Memphis, the Tigers attempted more than three times the amount of 2-point shots compared to 3-pointers (55 to 18). UCF is similar, as the Knights rank 31st in the country in adjusted tempo. 

We expect UCF to cover this short spread through a defense that ranks in the top 26 nationwide in adjusted defensive efficiency, turnover percentage forced, offensive rebounding percentage allowed, 2-point percentage, and block rate. UCF’s games against SEC teams tend to be low-scoring, as eight of the team's last nine contests have totaled 134 points or fewer.

Additionally, UCF is 4-1 as a home favorite this season after covering in 64.7% of such games since the start 2022-23. Meanwhile, Ole Miss is 2-6 against the spread in non-conference games during 2023-24 while covering 31.6% (6-13-2) of such contests since 2022.

FanDuel and BetMGM are offering -105 odds to back UCF at -3.5. But we prefer the extra half-point of insurance, and bet365 is the only shop offering the favorites at -3.

College basketball best bets made 12/10/2023 at 7:28 a.m. ET

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

Written By:
Mike Spector
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”