Saturday's college basketball slate is thin compared to the previous two days and what is to come during Thanksgiving week.
But there's still value to be had from a betting perspective, even with a full slate of football on the docket.
Read below for college basketball best bets, picks, predictions and odds for Saturday, November 22.
College Basketball Best Bets
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 2 p.m. | |
  | 4 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. | ||
NJIT vs. Navy
NJIT and Navy open the college basketball slate with a Noon ET tip on Saturday.
The Highlanders are 3-2 on the season, with Cincinnati and No. 6 Louisville still to come on deck.
Meanwhile, the Midshipmen are under .500 (2-3) with losses to Yale, Penn State and UNC (all excusable defeats).
Projections flagged down a line about six points off the Action PRO odds, meaning this game is in play from a value prospective.
Saturday's NJIT vs. Navy over/under stands at 142.5, but PRO projections peg the true total higher — at about 148.3.
That creates a strong Grade-A edge for the over.
Pick: Over 142.5 (Play to 148)
Click below to see Alex's full PRO projected edges for Saturday's slate:
Central Michigan vs. Marquette
By Evan Abrams
Central Michigan is coming off an ugly 90-66 loss at home as 4.5-point favorites against Northern Kentucky. The Chips are a rough 2-3 on the season and now have to face Marquette.
Normally that would be a bad thing for this program, but the Golden Eagles have struggled this season, losing three games, including two straight at home.
While the quality of their opponents (Indiana, Maryland, Dayton) haven't been poor, the loss of Kam Jones is evident and the defensive lapses are surprising for a Shaka Smart-led team.
Marquette is favored by more than 20 points (as of writing), and one of my systems — "Bet Teams Off Bad Loss, Short Rest" — says we should continue to fade the Golden Eagles.
In college basketball, teams coming off a poor loss with limited rest often bounce back stronger against the spread due to urgency, focus and quick turnaround adjustments.
Central Michigan's loss to Northern Kentucky certainly applies, and that game was on Thursday.
A short window between games minimizes overthinking and keeps teams engaged, especially when facing an opponent that's a high-major.
Market perception tends to overvalue the recent bad loss and undervalue the quick recovery potential, creating an inefficiency in pricing.
Teams in this position frequently show sharper defensive effort and improved shooting consistency as they attempt to correct course immediately, making them a profitable play despite fatigue concerns.
More importantly, this system has an overall return on investment (ROI) of 2%, including a 728-650-26 record since 2005.
Pick: Central Michigan +21
Providence vs. Penn State
By Sean Paul
What happens in this game boils down to which team controls the tempo.
Providence, which is much improved on offense in 2025-26, has increased its tempo this season thanks to the additions of Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers.
It's equally as important — if not more important — for Penn State to play closer to its 276th-ranked adjusted tempo.
The Nittany Lions are going to struggle keeping the litany of Providence guards out of the paint. Once Edwards and Co. escape the frontline of Penn State's defense, it's an easy path to the bucket or to the foul line.
With the line sitting at -4, I'll go with the Friars. I actually view them as pretty undervalued.
Providence looked better than Virginia Tech for most of their previous game until collapsing late, and playing in Boulder against Colorado is a tough task due to altitude.
I'm not going to be overly critical of Providence for either loss.
Plus, Penn State is worse than both of those teams by a pretty fair margin.
Pick: Providence -4 (Play to -6)
