We have a fun week of college hoops ahead, including the start of the ACC/SEC Challenge tonight, with Miami taking on Kentucky in Lexington.
Our experts have betting value for that top-15 affair, but other games across the board also stand out on Tuesday.
Dive in below for college basketball best bets and our staff's five top picks for Tuesday, November 28.
College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Wagner vs. Providence
By D.J. James
Wagner is perhaps the slowest team in men’s college basketball. It ranks 362nd in Adjusted Tempo and averages 20.8 seconds per possession on offense and 17.9 seconds per possession on defense.
Providence ranks 255th in Adjusted Tempo, averaging 18 seconds per possession offensively and 16.2 seconds per possession defensively.
The good thing here for over-backers is that Providence will control the pace. This will be at least much quicker than Wagner is used to playing.
Providence also ranks 38th in Rim & 3 Rate on offense, according to Shot Quality, meaning the Friars should be able to score at will on the Seahawks.
The Friars rank 95th in offensive rebounding rate and should own the glass throughout this game. The Seahawks rank 313th in allowed offensive rebounding rate, so look for the Friars to get plenty of put-backs.
Providence is a good defensive team, as there’s a reason it ranks 26th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and eighth in Defensive Effective Field Goal Percentage. That said, the Friars rank 59th in 3-point percentage against.
Adding on, they rank 99th in Open 3 Rate, per Shot Quality. Wagner is shooting a touch under 32% from deep, but it has a 3-point attempt rate of 40.9% (101st). The Seahawks should knock down some of these open opportunities.
Providence should control the pace in this one, while Wagner should hit some 3s. The total here is too low.
Pick: Over 125.5
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Miami vs. Kentucky
Miami +7
By Greg Waddell
This could be one of the most entertaining games of the entire college basketball season as two elite offenses face off in Rupp Arena.
Are the Wildcats capable of playing 40 full minutes of good basketball against a quality opponent?
They’ve only played two games this year against KenPom top-175 opponents – in one, they dominated Kansas early before melting down late to the Jayhawks’ veterans, and in the other, they needed overtime to beat Saint Joseph’s.
Miami’s team is full of experienced vets, and I expect age will matter in the biggest moments of this one.
It’s also a great matchup for Norchad Omier, who can dominate on the boards. Kentucky allowed 21 rebounds to the only good big it’s played this season (Hunter Dickinson). If Omier plays to his ceiling, he could total 15+ boards tonight.
If you’re feeling dangerous, Miami moneyline feels like great value. But I’ll play it safe and just take the Canes to cover.
Pick: Miami +7 (Play to +6)
Over 164
By John Feltman
This is primed to be a terrific back-and-forth affair between two explosive offensive teams. The Hurricanes and Wildcats enter this matchup both ranking in the top 11 in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency.
Wooga Poplar has been an absolute flamethrower for the Canes thus far, shooting 60% from 3-point land. I’d expect him and Nijel Pack to provide plenty of offense in this contest.
For the Cats, they’ve been even better offensively. Coming off of a 118-point performance against Marshall, this is another great matchup for this unit.
The Cats have a height and depth advantage, which fits their offensive mold perfectly. They’ve been terrific in transition and have feasted inside.
Kentucky is also shooting 43% from beyond the arc, which is the fourth-best mark in the nation. You think that’s impressive? Well, the Canes are shooting a ridiculous 45% from 3, which is good for No. 1 in the nation.
I have doubts that the Cats will be able to contain the Canes from the outside, as their perimeter defense hasn’t been the best to begin the year. Both of these teams also run a high-tempo offense and fail to crash the offensive glass.
The lack of second-chance opportunities should help us get over the total, since both teams are terrific in transition. There’s always the possibility for negative shooting regression, but both of these teams operate at such a high pace that it won’t matter.
I think Kentucky wins this game because it has more depth, but I have more faith in both of these offenses to cash the over for us.
Pick: Over 164 (Play to 165)
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Utah State vs. Saint Louis
By Kevin Rogers
Saint Louis took a major hit when leading scorer Sincere Parker sustained a broken foot in the Myrtle Beach Invitational. The Billikens lost a pair of games to Vermont and Wichita State before barely beating Dartmouth at home as a heavy favorite.
Tonight, the Billikens are home underdogs against a solid Utah State squad that’s won four straight games since losing to Bradley in overtime. The Aggies won the Cayman Islands Classic this past week, which included blowout wins over Marshall and Stephen F. Austin, while also edging Akron.
Utah State limited those three opponents to 12-of-59 shooting from 3-point range, as the Aggies rank ninth in the country in 3-point defense at 23.6%.
Since last season, SLU owns an 0-5 SU and ATS mark in its last five opportunities in the underdog role, with all five losses coming by double digits.
It’s hard to see a letdown for this Utah State team, which is playing its second true road game of the season.
Let’s take Utah State and play it up to -7.5.
Pick: Utah State -6.5 (Play to -7.5)
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Chicago State vs. Loyola Chicago
It looks like it may be another down year for Sister Jean and the Ramblers. The loss of Porter Moser has really been felt in the last couple of years, and Coach Drew Valentine’s leash is presumably getting shorter by the day.
However, I think this is a great spot for Loyola. The Ramblers are rested since a nice win on Thanksgiving against Boston College and now return home for a “get-right” game.
Having finished in the cellar of the Atlantic 10 last season, the Ramblers seem to be on pace for a similar finish this year, if their early results are any indication.
Valentine and his leaders will understand that this home spot against Chicago State may be one of their only remaining opportunities to get their record above .500, as they would move to 4-3 with a win over the Cougars.
Chicago State has done little to disprove the assumption that it's one of the 15-to-20 doormat programs of Division I hoops.
Loyola has struggled mightily to find scoring, especially when facing more athletic defensive units. Frankly, the Ramblers often run dysfunctional offense and don't have the individual talent to overcome poor action when the 30-second shot clock is nearly expiring.
Facing the Cougars, who rank 332nd in the nation in Defensive Efficiency, should be quite the cure.
Expect a rested group of Ramblers to come out focused and energetic from the jump as they face a local foe in Chicago State. I wouldn’t mind taking the full-game spread as well, but I’ll lay the 10.5 points in the first half with the Ramblers to help mitigate the potential for walk-ons leaving the backdoor open at the close of this contest.
Pick: Loyola Chicago 1H -10.5
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