College Basketball Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Nov. 24

My college basketball best bets today kick off what should be an exciting Feast Week.

Today's massive slate begins at 11 a.m. ET with two multi-team tournament games in Florida and runs through 11:59 p.m. ET with the final matchups from the Players Era Festival, which features nine AP Top 25 teams. My college basketball expert picks start with a mid-major matchup from the Cayman Islands and wrap up with three predictions involving ranked teams from the Players Era Festival, including two ranked-vs-ranked showdowns.

These matchups are a part of Feast Week, and you can stay on top of all the hoops action this Thanksgiving with our college basketball Feast Week guide.

🏀 College basketball best bets: Nov. 24

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds.

💰 College basketball expert picks today

⬆️  Middle Tennessee vs. George Washington prediction: Over 161.5 (-110 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

Middle Tennessee has played only two of its four games against D-I competition, but early returns suggest its interior defense (59.8% allowed, ranking 327th) will be an issue all season. The Blue Raiders are also due to regress from a D-I leading 3-point percentage defense that has allowed just 20.5% to this point.

This is the second of three games in three days for both teams, and I expect George Washington’s top-60 pace will eventually wear down its opponent. The Revolutionaries also averaged 97.8 points over their previous four games entering this tournament, rendering the 67 points they scored in their season opener a one-off thanks to Maine’s unique 3-2 zone.

This is a three-star play, as George Washington was the only team in the country entering this tournament with nine players averaging at least 8.0 points per game. That depth will prove pivotal in this multi-team tournament. 

bet365’s -110 odds carry a 52.38% implied probability and would net $9.09 in profits on a winning $10 wager.

🌪️  St. John’s vs. Iowa State prediction: Iowa State ML (-135 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

St. John’s and UConn figure to have an epic battle right to the end of the season for the Big East regular-season title. But there are early concerns for the Red Storm, particularly with the fact that they are frontcourt-dominated and have not identified a true point guard yet.

Iowa State is a bad matchup for a team trying to figure out its backcourt, as the Cyclones force the highest turnover rate in the country (28.4%). And the Cyclones' offense also turns the ball over at the 17th-lowest rate in the country, which should bode well for their chances of attacking Rick Pitino’s full-court pressure.

Instead of laying the 2.5 points on the spread, there is great value for moneyline backers at DraftKings, as Iowa State’s implied odds to win outright are as high as 60.78% (-155) at the opposite end of the market. If the Cyclones win outright, my $10 wager would net $7.41 in profits.

⬇️  Syracuse vs. Houston prediction: Houston team total Under 76.5 (-115 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Houston is coming off a season-high 91-point effort in a blowout win over Rider. But prior to that, it had not topped 78 points despite playing just one team inside KenPom’s top 137.

The Cougars will face a stern test from a Syracuse defense that leads the country in effective field goal percentage and 3-point percentage allowed, while also ranking in the top 10 in 2-point percentage defense and turnover rate forced. 

The Orange have held three of their first four opponents to 50 or fewer points. And I also expect Houston to play at a slower tempo than its usually 355th-ranked pace, knowing that another game against a ranked Tennessee opponent awaits tomorrow.

If Houston scores 76 or fewer points, my $10 wager through DraftKings’ -115 odds at a 53.49% implied probability would net $8.70 in profits.

🐶   Gonzaga vs. Alabama prediction: Gonzaga -3 (-110 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Alabama’s offense under head coach Nate Oats continues to operate almost exclusively under the “rim-and-3” philosophy. 

The Crimson Tide have increased their percentage of shots either at the rim or from the 3-point line every year from 2020-21 to this season, with their current rate at 85.9%. Thus, to beat Alabama, one needs to have strong rim protection and perimeter defense.

That could not be truer of Gonzaga, whose 2-point and 3-point percentages allowed both to rank in the top-14 in the country. Some of that has to do with scheduling, but the Bulldogs also own three wins against Power 4 teams ranked inside KenPom’s top 85.

I am headed to bet365 for this wager, as it is the only top sports betting site offering a spread of -3 instead of -3.5. Through its standard -110 juice at 52.38% implied odds, a $10 wager would return $9.09 in profits if the Bulldogs cover.

Our Shane Thurston also has a play on this game in his Gonzaga vs. Alabama prediction, but he looks toward the total.