College Basketball Best Bets for Tuesday: Matchups, Odds, Picks, Predictions
Feast Week is in full swing and Tuesday’s slate of college basketball games is a big one. We have highlighted the odds, movements, and our college basketball picks and best bets for Tuesday.
This is the best time on college basketball's nonconference schedule, with several programs competing in midseason tournaments as part of Feast Week. The semifinals of the Maui Invitational will highlight Tuesday’s action, but there are plenty of interesting games on the docket.
Here are our best bets for Tuesday’s college basketball slate (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Tuesday’s College Basketball Schedule and Odds
(odds via DraftKings)
- Creighton (+110) vs. Arkansas (-130)
- San Diego State (-105) vs. Arizona (-115)
- Texas Tech (-560) vs. Louisville (+430)
- Bradley (+600) vs. Auburn (-850)
- Liberty (+155) vs. Northwestern (-180)
- Louisiana-Lafayette (+140) vs. Southern Methodist (-165)
- Oral Roberts (+340) vs. Utah State (-425)
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Tuesday’s College Basketball Best Bets
- Moneyline: Southern Methodist (-160 via Caesars) ★★★★
- Spread: Creighton +2 (-110 via DraftKings) ★★★★
- Total: Oral Roberts-Utah State Under 159.5 (-115 via FanDuel) ★★★
- Upset: Liberty (+155 via Caesars) ★★
- Prop pick: San Diego State +0.5 in first half (-114 via FanDuel) ★★★
Top College Basketball Picks for Tuesday
Moneyline: Southern Methodist (-160) ★★★★
At first glance, this line might be a bit surprising. SMU is 2-2 but still favored over an undefeated Louisiana squad (4-0) for Tuesday’s nonconference tilt. And it is easy to side with the oddsmakers in favoring the Mustangs.
This will be SMU’s third game of a four-game homestand, winning the previous outing via a 55-47 decision over Evansville on Saturday. The Mustangs are now 40-6 at Moody Coliseum since the start of the 2019-20 season, going 20-2 at home against out-of-conference opponents during that stretch.
Kenpom gives SMU a 60% chance of victory, which is enough to eat the juice a bit on the moneyline. Just make sure to bet this moneyline price at Caesars, which has the best price on the market.
Spread: Creighton +2 (-110) ★★★★
In the offseason, Creighton probably got too much hype with many college basketball outlets listing this squad as high as No. 2 in the nation. But now the Blue Jays might be a bit underrated, simply due to the computer projections.
Kenpom ranks Creighton at No. 19 in all of college basketball, projecting a 71-69 loss to Arkansas (No. 10 in KP) in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational. We can’t help but think the current 2-point spread is due only to those projections, because the Blue Jays have an argument for being the favorite on Tuesday.
Arkansas demolished Louisville in the opening round, but Creighton’s 76-65 win over Texas Tech was more impressive on Monday. Creighton ranks 15th in adjusted offensive efficiency, and this loaded roster should be able to keep pace with the Razorbacks. The Blue Jays could easily win this game, but we will take the 2-point spread to be safe.
Total: Oral Roberts-Utah State Under 159.5 (-115) ★★★
While tourney games will garner a lot of attention this week, it is nice to see Oral Roberts head West for a road meeting with Utah State on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles (3-2) will be looking to hand the Aggies (4-0) their first loss of the season when the two teams meet in Logan, Utah.
Kenpom projects Utah State to remain unbeaten with an 82-73 win, but that score and this total feel too high. The Aggies are shooting an absurd 43.7% clip from beyond the arc, which will likely regress a bit on Tuesday since the Golden Eagles rank 45th in defensive 3-point percentage.
Oral Roberts continues to lean on Max Abmas offensively, though his scoring average has ticked down from 22.8 points per game last season to just 15.0 points per contest through five outings. If Abmas isn’t able to do much more than that, we don’t think Oral Roberts can score enough to hit this Over. With this line being 1-2 points lower at other sportsbooks, bettors should place their Under bet with DraftKings.
Upset: Liberty (+155) ★★
The Liberty Flames bring a 2-2 record into the Cancun Challenge, alternating wins and losses through their first four games. Liberty is coming off a 76-72 loss to Southern Miss, so its early-season pattern would suggest a win is on the way against Northwestern.
Of course, the thought process behind this pick is more advanced than that. Northwestern (4-0) might be the favorite, but it will have a difficult time defending Flames guard Darius McGhee, who is averaging 20.3 points per game while shooting 40.5% from deep. McGhee has made 381 career 3-pointers, which is the second most among active players in Division I.
Per ShotQuality, the Wildcats rank 299th in allowing high-quality 3-point shots. In a tourney setting, a player like McGhee can get hot enough to lift the Flames to their first-ever victory over a Big Ten program.
Prop pick: San Diego State +0.5 first-half spread (-114) ★★★
San Diego State might have the best defense in the field in Hawaii, as this team ranks ninth in adjusted defensive efficiency. Yet, the Aztecs have been exceeding expectations on offense, scoring at least 80 points in three of their first four games.
Monday’s 88-77 win over Ohio State illustrated San Diego State’s ability to play well on both ends of the floor. The Aztecs held the Buckeyes to 26 points in the first half before both teams exploded for 51 points in the second half.
Arizona is coming off a late-night win over Cincinnati and really hasn’t been tested during a 4-0 start. San Diego State might win this game, but we like the Aztecs to at least get off to a strong start. FanDuel is one of the better places to play these first-half markets.
Where to Bet on College Basketball
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
College basketball best bets from 11/22/2022 at 8:45 a.m. ET.
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