While everyone is looking ahead to the Champions Classic on Tuesday in Indianapolis (Kentucky vs. Michigan State, Duke vs. Kansas), there's still value to be had in college hoops on Monday evening.
Our staff dives into five games — and gives you five best bets — so you can get your betting card ready for another night of hoops.
Dive in below!
Monday's College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click the team logos for one the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
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| Specific bet 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. | ||
Princeton vs. UMBC
Monday, Nov. 14 6 p.m. ET ESPN+ |
Princeton -4  |
Princeton enters this Monday night road contest after beginning the season 0-2.
Nonetheless, the Tigers should have a really good opportunity to get their first win of the season against the Retrievers.
The tournament darlings from two years ago (UMBC) may still have the reputation of a low-major stalwart, but they are nowhere near the level they reached in the spring of 2018.
Cleveland State transfer Craig Beaudion figures to lead the Retrievers' backcourt this year. Yet, if the first two games are any indication, he may need some time to gel and develop in second-year coach Jim Ferry’s system.
Beaudion is averaging only 2.5 points per game in his first two contests with UMBC despite being in the starting lineup.
The 0-2 record for Princeton fails to tell the whole story about its start to the season. Both losses came by a combined seven points, including a one-point defeat on the road at Navy three days ago on Veterans Day.
The Tigers are led by the preseason Ivy League Player of the Year in Tosan Evbuomwan. Tovan is a 6-foot-8 senior who is a wonderful post passer and is fully capable of leading the team in scoring, rebounding or assists on any given night.
Senior guard Ryan Langborg has started slowly through the first couple of games and will need to improve his shooting in order to garner Princeton’s first victory of the season.
Although this will be a road contest for the Tigers, the travel spot isn’t a difficult one. We should see Princeton’s best effort and focus given its disappointing start, especially considering it was picked to potentially be Penn’s most potent challenger in the Ivy League this season.
I would also give the slight coaching edge to Mitch Henderson and the experience present on Princeton’s roster under his tutelage.
Since this line may move as tip-off approaches, I would feel comfortable backing Princeton up to 6. The Tigers will need to make their free throws to close this one out late.
Pick: Princeton -4 (Play to -6)
Maine vs. Boston College
Monday, Nov. 14 6 p.m. ET ACC Network |
Maine +20.5  |
Maine isn’t a good basketball team. However, I like the vibes in Orono right now.
Chris Markwood was a terrific head-coaching hire. The first-year coach was a starting guard on Maine’s last 20-win team and has years of experience as an assistant for other great head coaches, including John Becker at Vermont and Bill Coen at Northeastern.
Maine will take a long time to climb back towards the top of the America East mountaintop, but Markwood is already starting to change the culture.
He’s gotten double-digit scoring performances from four players through two games this season, including 20 from Gedi Juozapaitis against Nebraska, when Maine lost by 13 as 22-point underdogs.
But Markwood’s most recent stop was Chestnut Hill, where he was an assistant under Earl Grant last season.
Markwood is familiar with this Boston College team, which returned four starters from last season.
Moreover, there’s nothing special about these Eagles. They finished outside the top 250 in both eFG% and eFG% allowed last season and are on pace to do the same.
Moreover, these Eagles are overvalued. They’re 0-2 against the spread (ATS) so far and could’ve easily lost to either Cornell or Detroit, beating the two by a combined six points.
Also, Grant loves to play down to competition. He’s 8-17-1 ATS as a double-digit favorite in his career.
Now, Grant has to stave off a former assistant coach that knows every intimate detail about how he coaches and his players play.
Maine won’t win this game, but if the Black Bears can keep it within 15 against Nebraska, they can keep it within 20 against BC.
Besides, three different models I trust project this number lower than the market, including:
- EvanMiya: BC -15.7
- Bart Torvik: BC -17.5
- Greg Peterson’s Projections: BC -18
However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles eke out another gross-looking, single-digit victory, meaning we’ll get to fade the Eagles again against George Mason on Friday.
Pick: Maine +20.5 (Play to +20) |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Florida Atlantic vs. Florida
Monday, Nov. 14 7 p.m. ET SEC Network |
Under 145.5  |
By D.J. James
Florida had a closer than expected game on Friday against Kennesaw State. It ended up winning by 10 points, but for a team of this stature, it was not the best showing.
The Gators will take on Florida Atlantic — which lost its last appearance to Ole Miss on Friday by 13 — on Monday night.
There's a good chance that Florida is back and ready to prove it deserves to be in conversations at the top of the SEC, but the angle in this game is the under.
Florida Atlantic did hit the over in its last game, but it has run at the 227th-ranked Adjusted Tempo — per KenPom — this season. The Owls are averaging 19.2 seconds per possession on offense and 17.3 seconds per possession on the defensive end.
Basically, they will ensure teams use up much of their shot clock.
The Gators are 1-1 ATS on over/unders, but they have a great 3-point defense. FAU is hitting 38.1% of its 3s this season while Florida is holding opponents to 26.7% from outside. Look for Kyle Lofton, Will Richard, Kowacie Reeves and Myreon Jones to hold the FAU shooters in check.
Once this piece of FAU’s game is eliminated, it’s hard to see where it will manufacture points.
That said, Florida has struggled immensely on the offensive glass, so the Owls can prevent multiple scoring opportunities each time down the floor for the Gators.
Colin Castleton may be hard to contain, but FAU can control the clock.
Pick: Under 145.5 (Play to 143.5) |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
DePaul vs. Minnesota
Monday, Nov. 14 7 p.m. ET Big Ten Network |
Minnesota -1 |
Though this matchup is among the bottom-feeders in the Gavitt Games, this is my favorite play of the tournament.
Tony Stubblefield has his work cut out for him this season after losing his top three scorers in the offseason. Javon Freeman-Liberty and David Jones combined to average 36 points and 15 rebounds per game.
The Blue Demons haven’t impressed in their first two games this season, either. Despite starting 2-0, the program has won by an average of nine points to lowly-ranked competition and failed to cover the spread in both games.
Now the Blue Demons will have their first true test with their new roster against Minnesota. Though they will be missing Jamison Battle in this matchup, I still see the Gophers getting the job done.
6-foot-11 Dawson Garcia is poised for a big game. The Golden Gophers have been living at the charity stripe this season, and that will continue against a DePaul defense that ranks outside the top 200 in free throw attempts allowed.
Look for Minnesota to utilize its size advantage and own the paint in this matchup. The Golden Gophers' perimeter defense has been stout and will continue to force tough shots for DePaul from beyond the arc.
DePaul is in for a rude awakening playing its first power opponent without its top three scorers from last season.
Pick: Minnesota -1 (Play to -3) |
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is an Action Network feature that allows users to automatically pre-load their bet slip at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Oral Roberts vs. Houston
Monday, Nov. 14 8 p.m. ET ESPN+ |
Under 146.5  |
One of the few constants in college basketball is Kelvin Sampson’s defense. Once again, Houston is one of the best defensive teams in the country and has the veteran experience to compete for a national title.
In two games this year, the Cougars have given up just 91 total points in back-to-back blowout wins.
While they're drawing a more talented Oral Roberts team in this one, a dominant win is inevitable.
Houston is predicated on athleticism and length. It forces turnovers, plays physically, rebounds extremely well and is meticulous. Jamal Shead and Marcus Sasser are disruptors on both the offensive and defensive end, and both have steal rates above 5.5%.
This Cougars team is going to finish in the top 20 in turnover rate once again this season, and their length should cause plenty of issues for an Oral Roberts team that once made headlines as a Cinderella sweetheart in the NCAA tournament a few years ago.
Max Abmas should struggle in this one. Houston will likely deploy a similar strategy to Saint Mary’s, which played Oral Roberts in its season opener. Abmas was limited in that game — he shot under 40% from the field — and the Golden Eagles were forced to find alternative ways to score.
They shot 40% from 3 as a team despite an eight-point loss, but that success will not be replicated against Houston’s defense.
The Cougars guard the perimeter well and should force ORU inside, which is its weak spot. ORU is 316th in 2-point offense through two games.
I love the under in this spot. Oral Roberts’ offense is going to struggle and Houston should dictate the pace of the game. The Cougars are 344rd in the country in pace, and with a big lead, they will force a fast-paced Golden Eagles squad out of their comfort zone.
Efficiency on defense and slow offensive sets is the perfect recipe for an under, and in a matchup between two teams that are severely mismatched, Houston should be in control from start to finish.
ORU will try to run-and-gun, but it won’t find success against this Houston defense. Also, there shouldn’t be fouling late with such a heavy spread.
Look for the Cougars to bleed out the clock in another win to begin the season.
Pick: Under 146.5 (Play to 142)
