Thanksgiving is behind us and college basketball is officially in full swing. As a quick reminder, inevitably lines will change from the posting of this article to actual game time. Remember to shop around to find the best odds offered. Now let's get to it, if you don't have any Black Friday shopping going on don't worry because here's a great deal: my favorite picks for the college basketball slate today.
All odds via BettingPros consensus
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Gonzaga vs. Auburn: Gonzaga -14.0
I mistakenly took the under in the Gonzaga vs. Kansas game yesterday and my oh my is this Gonzaga team laps ahead of the field. The fact that they posted 102 points against Kansas, a historically solid defensive unit, is terrifying.
Auburn, on the other hand, seems to be trending in the exact opposite direction. The loss of all five starters clearly is still impacting them, as they struggled versus Saint Joseph’s yesterday evening, stealing a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Gonzaga should run the floor here and can easily post another 100+ point effort. Auburn a year ago depended a lot on the dribble drive and getting to the charity stripe, but the Zags are elite at staying out of foul trouble. So I expect Auburn to struggle offensively as well.
Boise State at Houston: Over 144.0
With Mountain West Player of the Year candidate Derrick Alston returning for his senior year, Boise State is set up to be a legitimate sleeper team. With the plethora of experienced transfers they bring in, the Broncos should be able to put up points early in the season, especially against a team like the Cougars.
Houston is a physical team that will frequently send their opponents to the free-throw line. A year ago, Houston ranked 10th in percentage of opponents points scored from the charity stripe. I like the over here because a lot of scoring can be done with the clock stopped and Boise State shot at a 75% clip from the line a year ago.
The Cougars return five of their top seven scorers from their squad that ranked 22nd in offense for the 2019-20 season. I expect both teams to be in mid-season form here and post big numbers offensively. If Houston gets in foul trouble early, don't be surprised to see Boise State go on some runs either.
Arkansas Pine Bluff at Wisconsin: Wisconsin -34.0
Yes, I understand that 34 is a lot of points. But have no fear – Arkansas Pine Bluff is the worst team in college basketball per KenPom. Their offense is essentially non-existent, as they were the single worst offensive unit a year ago.
The Golden Lions do most of their scoring from inside-the-paint, but Wisconsin ranked 27th in 2-point defense a season ago and with the Badgers returning four of five starters, I don't see that changing. The Badgers aren't the most up-tempo team in the nation but they will be spectacularly efficient in this matchup. You may be in for a bit of a sweat, but Greg Gard and Co. should lead Wisconsin to a cover. Honestly, if Wisconsin doesn’t cover in this matchup, I would be a little worried for their team moving forward.
Mercer at Georgia Tech: Under 144.5
Georgia Tech struggled in their season opener, falling to Georgia State 123-120 (4OT). Even with a day off, a quadruple overtime game is incredibly taxing. The Yellow Jackets were not an exciting team last year but where they excelled at was on defense. Georgia Tech ranked 16th in overall defensive efficiency while limiting opponents to a 28.3% clip from beyond-the-arc.
While Mercer doesn't exactly depend on the three-ball, in the eight games last year where they shot below 29% from 3-range, they only eclipsed 70 points a single time. The Bears ranked 216th offensively last season and lost two All-Conference players coming into this year.
Against a team in Georgia Tech, who shot 37% from the field on Wednesday, I simply don't see many points being scored in this game. I trust the Yellow Jackets’ defense but seriously doubt their offense, so it should be an interesting matchup to witness.
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Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.