A massive first week of college basketball continues on Friday with dozens of games across nearly every conference in Division I. We’ve got a ton of hoops to look forward to, which means plenty of ways to take advantage of some potential early mistakes in the betting market.
Some sports bettors don’t fully tune into college basketball until after the football season is complete, but that’s not us! I’ve got a couple of best bets to lock in for Friday’s massive card, so let’s get into those best bets, and don’t forget to check our NCAAB predictions for daily picks on all the biggest college basketball games throughout the campaign.
CBB best bet: Kansas Jayhawks vs UNC Tar Heels Over 156.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of Fanatics Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Playable to 157.5
Arguably the biggest game on the docket on Friday’s slate comes in Chapel Hill, where the North Carolina Tar Heels will host the Kansas Jayhawks in a clash between a pair of blue bloods. I’m a bit higher on Kansas than the market, but this is not a game where I want to take a side given my concerns with North Carolina’s defense in this spot. Instead, I’ll look for a higher-scoring affair, and it should start with the pace of the Tar Heels offense. Hubert Davis’ group is going to run and run often, and the Tar Heels should see plenty of success with their wings and experienced guards. As for the visitors, the 2-man game of Darryn Peterson and Flory Bidunga looks to be unstoppable, and as long as the Kansas role players find ways to contribute, the Jayhawks should do enough to push this game over the total.
CBB bet bet: Furman Paladins -2.5 over Troy Trojans (-110)
Odds widely available at time of publishing. Playable to Furman -3.
This is not going to be a very popular game, but my favorite mid-major bet on the board comes in South Carolina, where the Furman Paladins should win and cover this number in their home opener against a solid Troy team. These teams are coming off very different results, with the Trojans knocking off Kent State while Furman got worked by High Point in its season opener. However, I came away from that game extremely impressed with another very good High Point offense, and Furman certainly contributed to that loss with 22 turnovers of its own. Now, the Paladins come back home to play in a building where they have been very successful over the years, and they’re in a great spot to bounce back against a Troy team that shot over 50% from the floor in an overtime win against Kent State earlier this week. Let’s roll with the Paladins at home.
Now check out our expert’s best college basketball and March Madness futures bets for the new season
Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources and never miss a story
