College football takes center stage on Saturday, but that doesn't mean there isn't good college basketball matchups to bet.
In fact, we have two top-25 duels on Saturday — Baylor vs. Arkansas and Auburn vs. Houston — and Louisville plays Tennessee in an intriguing early-day affair.
So, with that in mind, here's our NCAAB best bets and picks, including three predictions for Saturday's NCAAB games on November 9.
NCAAB 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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 6 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 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. | ||
Tennessee vs. Louisville
By John Feltman
Is Louisville back?
Judging these teams early in the season is tough, but I love Louisville at home here.
KenPom projects the Vols as two-point road dogs, and the Cards have already become a favorite on the spread after opening at +1.
In his coaching career, Pat Kelsey is 1-12 against ranked opponents, but I do not think he's ever had a roster like Louisville has this season. They have a great combination of veterans from the transfer portal.
A lot of people are going to be high on the Vols because of their performance last season, but to me, the AP Polls and the betting market are overestimating them to begin the year.
You can make the argument that both teams have a ton of mysteries because of the roster turnover, but I trust what the Cards did in the portal over the Vols.
Give me the Cards to make a massive statement before Thanksgiving.
Pick: Louisville -1
Memphis vs. UNLV
For full disclosure, I took Missouri earlier this week against Memphis. Penny Hardaway's bunch looked lost in the opening half, but the Tigers put together a strong second half in which they looked revitalized, resulting in a 83-75 victory.
Tulsa transfer PJ Haggerty looks like a quality pickup after scoring 25 points, and the Tigers shot 8-of-20 from 3 (including three treys from PJ Carter off the bench).
However, Hardaway's teams continue to struggle with turnovers — the main issue that's held them back from reaching their potential over the last few years.
Who can be trusted to take care of the ball against the Rebels, especially on the road? Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter combined for nine turnovers against Mizzou, and Colby Rogers fouled out.
Also, I like UNLV's roster this season.
Dedan Thomas Jr. is one year older after averaging 13.6 points per game last season, "Bear" Cherry got stronger in the offseason and looked the part in the opener against Alabama State (24 points, 11 rebounds), and UNLV has four seniors or sixth-year-players who are playing key roles.
I'm not high on Hardaway as a head coach; the Tigers have won only one NCAA Tournament game despite having one of the most talented rosters in the AAC year after year. And even though the Tigers beat Missouri, they only played well for one half.
That's not going to work against this Rebels team. This season is Kevin Kruger's best chance to lead the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. But they don't have many opportunities to record quality wins, especially in the non-conference.
This is one of their few chances, and they get to play on their home floor.
Pick: UNLV ML +115
Auburn vs. Houston
By Sean Paul
I'm still not entirely sold on Houston in a half-court offensive setting. Who's the go-to guy in those spots? LJ Cryer is likely the go-to guy, but he's more of a 40% shooting guy than a super-efficient scorer.
That works in the Coogs' system since they crash the offensive glass incredibly well, but Auburn's size could minimize the second chances.
The two squads here virtually mirror one another, though.
Both are elite on the defensive end and have great coaches, but only one has an All-American, and that's Auburn.
The only true parallel you can draw for teams who play like Houston is Texas A&M and Iowa State.
Houston played both teams twice last year, and the Cougars covered the spread in just one of those games — at home against the Cyclones.
Very few teams have the size, rebounding and defense like Houston, but Auburn is one of the few.
Pick: Auburn +5.5
