College Basketball Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Friday
A 12-game college basketball slate closes out what has been an entertaining week thus far. We have highlighted the odds, movements, and our college basketball best bets for Friday.
Of the 12 games, just 10 involve games between two Division I opponents. The Washington Huskies are the only team from a Power Five conference in action as they face the Gonzaga Bulldogs, but that allows bettors to look at other lesser-known teams that could make them money later in the season.
Here are our best bets for Friday’s college basketball slate (odds via BetRivers, FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Friday’s College Basketball Schedule and Odds
(odds via DraftKings)
- Stony Brook (+625) vs. Bryant (-900)
- Binghamton (+625) vs. Fordham (-900)
- Queens University (+210) vs. High Point (-250)
- Washington (+850) vs. Gonzaga (-1600)
- Arkansas State (+250) vs. Air Force (-300)
Friday’s College Basketball Best Bets
- Spread: Queens +6 (-110 via DraftKings) ★★★★
- Moneyline: Lipscomb (-345 via BetRivers) ★★★★★
- Total: Washington-Gonzaga Over 148.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ★★★★
- Upset: Fairleigh Dickinson (+105 via Caesars) ★★★★
Friday’s College Basketball Top Picks
Spread: Queens +6 (-110) ★★★★
Queens has been surprisingly competitive in its first season in Division I out of the ASUN. The Royals started the season with a bang with a surprising win over Marshall and were competitive in one of their toughest road games to date, even leading George Mason by 12 points midway through the first half.
Those that see Queens for the first time seemingly have difficulty with its pressing style (pressed on 31% of possessions last year). In addition, High Point is not built to take advantage of Queens' biggest weaknesses. The Royals have a 24.7% turnover rate (358th in the country), but High Point forces turnovers at the 356th-worst rate (14.4%). In addition, the Panthers are undersized in the frontcourt with 6-foot-7 Zack Austin and 6-foot-8 Emmanuel Izunabor. They are not built to take advantage of an undersized Royals squad that allows opponents to shoot 50% from inside the arc.
As of early Monday morning, DraftKings was the only sportsbook with a line posted for this game, but we are already getting a better number than the opening line of +5.5.
Moneyline: Lipscomb (-345) ★★★★★
There's not a lot of value in many moneyline plays on Friday's small slate, so we're OK with paying up slightly for Lipscomb to earn a road win in this matchup.
The Bisons are just 1-2 in true road games this year, but those two losses were by a combined nine points, which includes a narrow one-point defeat in South Bend against Notre Dame. The most impressive part about Lipscomb's near upset of the Fighting Irish was that big man Ahsan Asadullah, who led the team in points, rebounds, and assists last year, was held to just 10 points and three rebounds as he battled through foul trouble.
However, Asadullah has come on strong in the previous two games, averaging 15 points and shooting 57.7% from the floor (15-of-26). His ability to dominate in the paint and pass out of double teams will prove deadly for an Alabama A&M defense that allows opponents to shoot 42.6% (361st) from 3-point range.
At BetRivers, bettors can find as much as $20 worth of value compared to the steeper -365 odds found at FanDuel.
Total: Washington-Gonzaga Over 148.5 (-110) ★★★★
Through nine games last year, Gonzaga was averaging 86.2 points per game. Thus, its 80.2 ppg average through nine games this year is a disappointment and a cause for concern with regard to its long-term outlook.
However, the Bulldogs have been exposed by three of the best defensive teams in the country, as they have averaged just 67.7 ppg in losses to Texas, Purdue, and Baylor. Those teams have tough and physical presences, have guards that pressure the ball and disrupt off-the-ball movement, and do a tremendous job on the defensive backboards. That's not Washington's forte, who sits in an extended 2-3 zone all game, and that will not expose the lesser play-making abilities of this year's Gonzaga guards. In addition, the Bulldogs shoot 38.6% from 3-point range (26th-best) and can expose the Huskies on the offensive glass, as Washington secures just 31.1% of opponents' misses (257th).
While most sportsbooks are offering the same total, FanDuel is one of the few where bettors can find the standard juice of -110 to back the Over.
Upset: Fairleigh Dickinson (+105) ★★★★
The FDU Knights are bound for success under new head coach Tobin Anderson, as his frenetic pace and extended pressure (his team pressed on more than half of its defensive possessions last year) have been difficult for teams to adapt to. The small school out of the NEC has already taken Loyola Chicago to overtime and just beat Saint Joseph's by 17 points on the road in its last game.
The Knights are forcing turnovers at a top-50 rate (22.2% of opponents' possessions), which will be a big reason they upset Columbia, as the Lions turn the ball over on 22.5% of their possessions (336th). In addition, Columbia's 345th-ranked adjusted offensive efficiency will not expose FDU's 363rd-ranked defense when the game does become more of a half-court grind.
Where to Bet on College Basketball
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
College basketball best bets from 12/9/2022 at 6:16 a.m. ET.
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