College Basketball Best Bets & Player Props Today: Odds & Picks for Nov. 21

After going 7-1 over the last two days, we are back to capitalize with another four-pack of college basketball best bets and player props today.

Despite 11 ranked teams being in action, today’s best bets and player props are focused on the more untapped lines involving mid-majors, including a point guard who is one of the top distributors in the country.

🏀 College basketball best bets & player props: Nov. 21

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

💰 College basketball expert picks today

⬇️  Davidson vs. Boston College prediction: Under 137.5 (-105 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

An early tip at the Charleston Classic involving a team whose fans do not travel well (Boston College) should lead to a sleepy low-scoring game in the Lowcountry Bracket.

Davidson has played one team with a KenPom-adjusted tempo of 300 or lower, and that game against Charlotte finished with just 117 total points. I expect a similarly-paced game against Boston College, which ranks 302nd in adjusted tempo, with regression looming for the Wildcats, who will be hard-pressed to keep up their 47.1% 3-point shooting much longer.

The best number and price is through BetMGM’s -105 odds which carry a 51.22% implied probability, and would net $9.52 in profits on a winning $10 wager.

🟣  St. Thomas vs. Northern Colorado prediction: St. Thomas -3.5 (-105 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

St. Thomas is in its first year of NCAA Tournament eligibility, and looks every bit the part of the Summit League favorites to this point. The Tommies have had nearly a week to prepare for this neutral-site Portland Invitational matchup after coming off an impressive 12-point road victory at SEMO, where they shot 58.7% from the field.

St. Thomas returned 41.3% of the minutes (top 51 in D-I) from a team that lost in the Summit League Tournament final last year. Its willingness to eschew offensive rebounds (its 12.6% offensive rebounding rate is the lowest among D-I teams) to prioritize transition defense will go a long way in limiting Northern Colorado’s up-tempo attack.

bet365 is the only one of our best March Madness betting sites where you can lay the 3.5 points with the favorite at less than the standard -110 juice (52.38% implied odds). If St. Thomas wins by four or more points, my $10 winning wager would return $9.52 in profits.

If you're looking for some coverage of a couple of bigger-name teams, my Wisconsin vs. BYU prediction breaks down a ranked-ranked matchup

⛹️ College basketball player props today

⬆️  James O’Donnell, C, Portland: Over 10.5 points (+110 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

James O’Donnell has scored 11 points just once in four games, which is why the plus-money odds at a 47.62% implied probability make sense to back this Over. But the other view is that this is worth a play since O’Donnell has scored in double figures in back-to-back games despite attempting 11 shots total, as he has been more aggressive in getting to the free-throw line 13 times in that span.

Portland faces a Cal St. Fullerton defense that ranks in the bottom 40 in 3-point percentage allowed (39.5%). But teams are still attacking its weak interior more, scoring 43.7% of their points inside the arc, which puts the Titans' defense in the bottom 65 in that metric.

If O’Donnell at least matches his season high with 11 points, my $10 winning wager would net $11 in profits.

⬆️  Styles Phipps, PG, Pepperdine: Over 5.5 assists (-150 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Styles Phipps averaged just 2.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in fewer than eight minutes per game last year for Grand Canyon. It suffices to say that the transfer is thriving in his new role as Pepperdine's floor general.

Phipps has six or more assists in three of the five games played this season, including a career-high 11 in the last game against New Orleans. His production thus far is good for the 44th-highest assist rate (37.6%) in the country, and he should soar over this projected total against a Stephen F. Austin defense that allows assists on 52.7% of opponents’ made field goals.

That makes the -150 juice at 60% implied odds at bet365 worth paying up for, especially since a $10 winning wager would still net $6.67 in profits.