Top 3 College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (11/13)
The college basketball season is underway and we have a fun Wednesday night of games to wager on. Our top men's college basketball bets today feature a pair of Big Ten teams in Illinois and Minnesota. Plus, we look at a competitive non-conference matchup between Seton Hall and Hofstra.
Note that all betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but shop around for the best odds and sportsbooks. Enjoy these college basketball picks and predictions for Wednesday, November 13th.
- NCAA College Basketball Odds
- NCAA College Basketball Player Props
- NCAA College Basketball Picks & Predictions
- NCAA College Basketball Matchups
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Wednesday’s Best College Basketball Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Hofstra (+4.5) vs. Seton Hall (-4.5) - O/U 136.5 (-110/-110)
Seton Hall and Hofstra meet up in a Tri-State battle on Tuesday night. This is technically a neutral-site game, but it'll take place a stone's throw from Hofstra's campus at Nassau Coliseum. Believe it or not, this is also the first time these New Jersey and New York schools will face off in over 50 years.
Seton Hall's offense is a real concern right now and it hasn't sorted anything out after two games. The Pirates lost four starters and the top three scorers from last year's team, including all-conference stat-stuffing point guard Kadary Richmond. They haven't yet found an answer to replace Richmond's production, especially running the offense. That's been evident early on with Seton Hall scoring 57 and 56 points in the first two games while ranking 307th in effective field goal percentage so far (per KenPom).
Instead, the Pirates are leaning on a stout defense that held Saint Peter's and Fordham to 53 and 57 points, respectively. They also currently rank 20th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (per BartTorvik). Shaheen Holloway's teams are normally strong defensively - ranking 30th, 20th, and 28th in adjusted defense over the previous three seasons (according to Torvik).
As Seton Hall struggles on the offensive end, Holloway's defense and slow pace should control the flow and keep this lower scoring. Hofstra also had to replace four starters from last year, including top two scorers Tyler Thomas (22.5 PPG) and Darlinstone Dubar (17.8 PPG). The Pride's new starting lineup is made up of five offseason transfers - none of which averaged double-digit points a year ago.
It'll likely take time for the Hofstra offense to fully gel. Despite scoring 90 points against Iona, the competition ramps up here against Seton Hall's defense. Take the under between two offenses still trying to figure themselves out.
Pick: Under 136.5 Total Points (-110)
Oakland (+21.5) at Illinois (-21.5) - O/U 151.5 (-112/-108)
Illinois may not be currently ranked in the AP Poll, but Brad Underwood's team has been a force to be reckoned with to start the season. The Illini won their first two games by 45 and 32 points over Eastern Illinois and SIUE, respectively. Yes, the competition isn't exactly the toughest so far but Illinois should keep the good times rolling against Oakland tonight.
Illinois lost its top nine scorers from last year, including stars Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, and Coleman Hawkins. However, Underwood has rebuilt the roster with a nice blend of promising high school talent and key veteran transfers. Five-star freshman wing Will Riley headlines the incoming class while 6-foot-6, do-everything point guard Kasparas Jakucionis is already generating NBA Draft buzz. Then there's freshman 7-foot-1 freshman center Tomislav Ivisic, who's proving to be a mismatch in the paint.
The Illini also brought in a trio of transfers to round out the rotation. Kylan Boswell (Arizona), Tre White (Louisville), and Ben Humrichous (Evansville) have fewer playmaking responsibilities than they did last year but provide valuable experience as role players. This could prove to be one of the better teams in the Big Ten by the end of the season.
Overall, Illinois has a notable talent advantage over Oakland here. The Golden Grizzlies have a much different squad than the one that upset Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. They had to replace four starters, including leading scorer Trey Townsend and sharpshooter Jack Gohlke. As a result, Oakland's offense is relying too heavily on unproven holdovers and transfers.
That was very evident last week when Boise State blew out Oakland, 87-43. Illinois is rated higher in the advanced metrics than Boise, so we could see a similar outcome here. Take the Illini to cover as large home favorites. They easily covered big spreads in the first two games and should make it three straight.
Pick: Illinois -21.5 (-110)
North Texas (+2.5) at Minnesota (-2.5) - O/U 131.5 (-110/-110)
One of the better non-conference matchups on tap for Tuesday is Minnesota hosting North Texas. The Golden Gophers are favored by just 2.5 points at home as we should see a tightly contested game here. Instead of picking a winner against the spread, let's target the total here.
Minnesota is very methodical and deliberate offensively. It's 287th nationally in offensive pace this season, which is right in line with head coach Ben Johnson's previous offenses at Minnesota (247th, 320th, 293rd in past three years). Most of the Golden Gophers possessions revolve around center Dawson Garcia, who has one of the sport's highest usage rates so far (33.1%).
Besides Garcia, the offense lacks reliable playmakers and shooters. Minnesota lost four of its top six scorers from last year, including point guard Elijah Hawkins and three-point threat Cam Christie. Right now, Garcia is the only consistent source of offense for the Gophers.
Meanwhile, North Texas comes in with a slow-as-molasses pace itself. The Mean Green are 361st nationally in overall tempo so far. They've also been 350th or lower in pace in the five previous seasons. North Texas hangs it hat on playing tight defense while forcing opponents into long possessions and poor shot attempts.
North Texas is also a work in progress on the offensive end right now. It lost all six of its top scorers from last year's team, including star Jason Edwards (19.1 PPG). The Mean Green roster is mostly remade of transfers that need time to gel offensively. On defense, though, the effort has been there. They also boast enough size to slow down Garcia in the paint.
Take the under as this game should be very slow-paced and features two questionable offenses. Plus, North Texas has a track record of playing lower-scoring games against better competition. It faced three power conference teams last year and all three finished with fewer than 130 combined points.