College Basketball Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Saturday
The weekend starts with a bang as 17 AP top 25 teams are in action on a loaded college basketball slate. We have highlighted the odds, movements, and our college basketball best bets for Saturday based on the top odds.
Of all the marquee non-conference matchups, the two headliners are the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide visiting the No. 1 Houston Cougars and the battle in Las Vegas between the No. 10 Arizona Wildcats and the No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers.
Here are our best bets for Saturday’s college basketball slate (odds via PointsBet, FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Saturday’s College Basketball Schedule and Odds
(odds via DraftKings)
- Penn State (+400) vs. Illinois (-500)
- Oklahoma (+150) vs. Arkansas (-175)
- Yale (+950) vs. Kentucky (-1650)
- Alabama (+290) vs. Houston (-350)
- San Diego State (-125) vs. Saint Mary’s (+105)
- Auburn (-125) vs. Memphis (+105)
- Arizona (-125) vs. Indiana (+105)
- Creighton (-560) vs. BYU (+430)
Saturday’s College Basketball Best Bets
- Spread: Villanova -9.5 (-110 via Caesars)
- Moneyline: Auburn (-120 via FanDuel)
- Total: San Diego State-Saint Mary’s Under 127.5 (-110 via PointsBet)
- Upset: Oklahoma (+150 via DraftKings)
Top College Basketball Picks for Saturday
Spread: Villanova -9.5 (-110) ★★★★
Villanova’s 2-5 start was the school's worst since 1991-1992, and its four-game losing streak was its worst since 2011-12. However, the Wildcats have gotten right for the moment with wins over Oklahoma and Penn, two underrated teams out of the Big 12 and Ivy League, respectively. One can't help but think the common denominator in those wins is the emergence of stud freshman Cam Whitmore.
Whitmore is projected to be Villanova's first "one-and-done" freshman since Tim Thomas, and in 44 total minutes thus far, he has scored 28 points while adding four steals. His biggest impact might be on the defensive end, as the Wildcats held Oklahoma and Penn to an average of 62.5 points. Thus, a Boston College team that has already lost games to Maine, Tarleton State, and New Hampshire shouldn't provide much resistance for a surging Villanova squad.
This line is up from an opening number of -7.5, but as long as we can get a spread under -10 as we can at Caesars and DraftKings for minimal juice, we are jumping at the opportunity.
Moneyline: Auburn (-120) ★★★★★
Auburn is 8-0 on the season, and though some may criticize the Tigers for beating only one team ranked in the top 55 of KenPom's rankings (Saint Louis) and having the 279th-ranked strength of schedule, their seventh-ranked strength of record suggests their resume to this point is quite impressive.
Auburn is fresh off a 27-point dismantling of Colgate, one of the most experienced teams in the country. Defensively, Auburn ranks in the top 15 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, effective field-goal percentage defense, and 2-point percentage and 3-point percentage allowed. Memphis is 3-1 straight-up against the four teams it has played that rank in the top 50 in adjusted defensive efficiency (VCU, Seton Hall, Stanford, and Mississippi). However, it has averaged just 63.8 points in those games, and Auburn has a lot more offensive firepower than those teams.
FanDuel’s Moneyline odds are a slightly better value than the -125 or -130 found at competing sportsbooks.
Total: San Diego State-Saint Mary’s Under 127.5 (-110) ★★★★
If you want to watch a clinic on fundamental half-court defense, tune into this high-quality non-conference matchup. The Aztecs rank 19th in adjusted defensive efficiency and are a top-50 defensive team in terms of turnovers forced (22.4% of opponents' possessions).
Meanwhile, Saint Mary's ranks eighth in adjusted defensive efficiency, mainly because it does not allow anything at the rim. The Gaels hold opponents to just 40.5% shooting inside the arc, which is a concern for an Aztecs offense that shoots only 29.2% (310th in the country) from 3-point range.
Making this wager at PointsBet is a no-brainer, as it is one point higher than all other sportsbooks, which offer 126.5.
Upset: Oklahoma (+150) ★★★
Arkansas is dealing with one of the most devastating injuries of the young season, as forward Trevon Brazile was the team's leading shot-blocker and rebounder before suffering a torn ACL. In addition to Brazile's elite rim protection, his presence will also be missed offensively, as his ability to shoot from deep (37.9% from 3-point range) allowed Eric Musselman to pull opposing bigs away from the basket and free up driving lanes for his standout guards.
Oklahoma's Groves brothers each shoot 50% or better from the floor, and their ability to operate without Brazile's menacing presence will go a long way in the Sooners' upset bid. We would not back the Sooners if this game were in Bud Walton Arena, but Oklahoma should have the crowd heavily on its side with the game in Tulsa.
Where to Bet on College Basketball
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
College basketball best bets from 12/10/2022 at 7:45 a.m. ET.
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