Top 3 College Basketball Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (11/18)
Monday's college basketball schedule features four AP Top 25 teams, setting up a strong slate of games to begin the week. We included two of these ranked teams in our picks and predictions, identifying key opportunities worth considering.
For a detailed breakdown of Monday’s matchups, here are our College Basketball Best Bets and top picks for November 18.
Monday's Best College Basketball Bets
(College basketball best odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
North Texas (+2.5) @ McNeese (-2.5) | O/U 131.5 (-110/-110)
North Texas is 3-0 this season and is coming off what could go down as its biggest non-conference win of the year, as it beat Minnesota 54-51 on the road. The Mean Green imposed their will on the Golden Gophers, slowing the tempo and executing in the half-court with many ball screens until they got the shot they wanted.
Not taking anything away from a road win over a Big Ten opponent, the Golden Gophers were not at full strength, as point guard Mike Mitchell sat out, and Tyler Cochran and Caleb Williams also remained sidelined. And while Dawson Garcia gutted through 34 minutes while putting up 24 points and eight rebounds, his status was unknown throughout that day as he dealt with a groin injury.
The Mean Green will face a McNeese squad capable of winning an NCAA Tournament game. McNeese covered easily as 17.5-point underdogs in a 72-64 road loss in its last game at Alabama and was impressive in holding a lethal three-point shooting Crimson Tide team to 11-of-34 beyond the arc.
PICK: McNeese -2.5
Pacific (+24.5) @ Arkansas (-24.5) | O/U 147.5 (-110/-110)
Arkansas continues to be a work in progress under John Calipari, who built the Razorbacks roster completely from scratch when he took the job.
Calipari still does not have a fully healthy Jonas Aidoo or Trevon Brazile, and the team is outside KenPom’s top 60 in adjusted offensive efficiency, shooting just 30.6% from 3-point range thus far. Meanwhile, the Razorbacks are getting just 15.0 points per game combined from former top prospect D.J. Wagner and FAU transfer Johnell Davis thus far, so Pacific figures to be facing the top-25 SEC squad at exactly the right time.
The Tigers have also played five games thus far (two more than Arkansas), and that game experience should serve them well in a tough Bud Walton Arena environment.
PICK: Pacific +24.5
North Alabama (+26.5) @ Auburn (-26.5) | O/U 153.5 (-110/-110)
There may not be a better team in the SEC when it is all said and done than Auburn, who is cemented in the AP top-5 after beating Houston 74-69 nine days ago. And while the Tigers opened the season with an impressive 94-point performance against Vermont, I expect a much more sluggish game from Bruce Pearl’s squad, knowing what is coming down the pike.
Auburn heads to the Maui Invitational later this week and opens the tournament with a difficult matchup against a top-seven Iowa State squad. Thus, I would not put it past Pearl to use this game to experiment with rotations and examine his bench more deeply to determine what he has heading into arguably the most anticipated early-season tournament.
On the defensive end, Auburn is one of the most elite rim-protecting teams in the country. The Tigers consistently funnel teams into tough mid-range jump shots. Auburn ranks in the top five in adjusted defensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage defense, and two-point percentage allowed, making life awfully difficult for North Alabama to do its part in scoring.
PICK: Under 153.5
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.