While the Maui Invitational wraps up on Wednesday, be thankful for the start of the Battle 4 Atlantis, another loaded tournament down in Nassau, Bahamas.
Our staff has four picks across all four games to help you fill out your college basketball betting card.
So, here's 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis odds, picks and predictions for Wednesday's games on November 27.
Battle 4 Atlantis Best Bets
Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
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12 p.m. | ||
2:30 p.m. | ||
5 p.m. | ||
7:30 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. |
Louisville vs. Indiana
By Greg Waddell
The Battle 4 Atlantis tips off on Wednesday with two teams that could really use a statement win. Pat Kelsey is searching for his first big victory at Louisville, and Mike Woodson looks to restore faith that this could be the year for Indiana fans.
Indiana enters this game with a flawless 4-0 record, but the Hoosiers have had a handful of uninspiring halves along the way, trailing Eastern Illinois after 20 minutes and letting UNC Greensboro hang around for far too long.
On the other end, Louisville has been business-like in its three wins, disposing of Winthrop, Bellarmine and Morehead State by comfortable margins.
The Cardinals' lone game against an NCAA Tournament-caliber squad was ugly though, as Tennessee slaughtered Kelsey's squad in their home gym (days after Kelsey promoted videos of himself encouraging fans to "Pack the Yum").
It remains to be seen if Kelsey's crowd-begging skills will translate to Atlantis, or if his teams can win games against quality opponents even if they have the crowd advantage. Kelsey's teams are just 3-27 outright in 30 career games against KenPom top-75 opponents.
Louisville wants to shoot as many 3s as possible, as Kelsey's teams always do. On the season, the Cardinals rank second nationally in 3-point attempt rate, but the shots aren't falling just yet.
The Cardinals make only 29% from 3 as a team, a whopping 6% worse than an Indiana team that is often criticized for its inability to shoot.
This year's game could be decided by star power, and Indiana has the decisive advantage in that category. Woodson's transfer portal class features point guard Myles Rice — who has been the Hoosiers' best player in their brightest moments this season — and former Arizona center Oumar Ballo.
There is an argument to be made that Indiana has the four best players in this game, as two of Louisville's biggest stars (Kasean Pryor and Terrence Edwards Jr.) have both logged single-digit points in multiple games already this season.
Given Kelsey's track record in big games and Indiana's advantage physically, the safe bet is on the Hoosiers to cover.
Pick: Indiana -1.5 (Play to -6)
West Virginia vs. Gonzaga
By Greg Waddell
Gonzaga gets set to face West Virginia in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday afternoon.
We will see how the best offense in college basketball travels, as the Zags' dynamic backcourt will challenge the new-look Mountaineers.
West Virginia enters this game with a 3-1 record through the first few weeks, and the Mountaineers have taken care of business against the worst teams they have matched up against, defeating Robert Morris, Massachusetts and Iona.
The game with UMass was a battle, and West Virginia lost the second half by an 11-point margin.
Outside of those three wins, the Mountaineers got blitzed by the only good team they have seen, losing by 24 to Pitt.
Pitt's offense was unstoppable in that matchup, and the Gonzaga roster should be able to capitalize just like Pitt's guards did. Nolan Hickman, Ryan Nembhard and Khalif Battle have been sensational to start the season, and the Zags have many different ways to attack an average defense.
West Virginia relies on forcing turnovers (ranking 60th nationally in defensive turnover percentage), but it won't have much luck against the Zags' backcourt. Gonzaga is the best team in the country at avoiding turnovers, giving it away on just 11% of its possessions.
On the other end of the floor, the best thing the limited West Virginia offense does is take and make shots from outside. West Virginia shoots nearly half of its shots from distance, and is making 37% of them, good for 70th nationally.
But Gonzaga's 3-point defense has been elite, holding opponents to just 22% shooting from deep, which ranks third nationally.
If all else fails, the Gonzaga bigs will be able to feast on the boards. Gonzaga ranks in the top 40 in the country in both offensive rebounding percentage and offensive rebounds allowed, and West Virginia is a disaster at blocking out, ranking worse than 280th in the sport in both categories.
This is truly a nightmare matchup for the Mountaineers in every way, and the superior team should have their way in this contest.
Back the Zags to cover.
Pick: Gonzaga -15.5 (Play to -18)
Oklahoma vs. Providence
By Sean Paul
The Friars will likely get their best player — Bryce Hopkins — back for the first time since suffering a torn ACL in January.
While there's no word on how big Hopkins' role will be, him returning would be huge. He's the only player on the Friars' roster who can score 25+ points in a game, something he did twice in 14 games last season.
Providence needs a jolt of energy offensively, too. It ranks 145th in KenPom's offensive efficiency metric, mainly due to a bloated 20% turnover rate and a poor 31% 3-point percentage.
The problem with the Friars' shooting is they attempt 3s 54% of the time, but they don't have enough shooters. Playing through the paint is the DNA of Providence, and the addition of Hopkins should lead to a more inside-out attack.
But will that be enough?
The Sooners' path to covering here centers around their guards.
Freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is averaging 15.5 points and 4.0 assists per game, but he's running the show as a freshman. He has yet to play a tough team, so this test will be one to watch.
The veteran transfers — Kobe Elvis, Duke Miles and Brycen Goodine — provide some scoring pop. Elvis and Miles are both creators, while Goodine is a knockdown shooter with length.
I like the Sooners here. Even assuming Hopkins is back, I don't trust Providence's shooting enough.
Plus, the turnover issues from the Friars could play a role here, as the Sooners will look to force the guards into bad decisions.
Pick: Oklahoma -2.5
Davidson vs. Arizona
The situational spot screams Arizona.
After back-to-back losses to Wisconsin (KenPom No. 30, road) and Duke (KenPom No. 4, home), the Wildcats should bounce back and cruise to a neutral-court victory over Davidson (KenPom No. 116), which will be facing its first real test of the season after wins over Bowling Green, East Tennessee State and VMI.
There are some more nuanced schematic mismatches to unpack.
Arizona wants to run the open court and dump the ball into the post, where Tobe Awaka and the monstrous 7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas have likely already established early post positions.
Matt McKillop-led teams are consistently among the nation’s best transition-denial defenses. But the Wildcats have been ripped apart on the low block since the start of last season — Sean Logan and Reed Bailey are brutal post-up defenders, and frontcourt depth is a question mark.
On the other end of the court, Davidson runs a methodical half-court motion offense that runs shooters around a web of secondary off-ball screens on the perimeter. The offense has been highly productive against low-major competition.
Still, I think the Wildcats’ 38% 3-point clip is due for regression — ShotQuality projects that number closer to 33% based on the “quality” of shots taken, and I doubt Bobby Durkin keeps shooting over 52% from deep in the long run.
Additionally, Arizona’s defense should hold up OK against perimeter-oriented motion-based offenses. While rim protection and frontcourt depth are question marks, the Wildcats have a stable of lengthier, switchable, above-average perimeter defenders — for example, KJ Lewis, Anthony Dell’Orso, Jaden Bradley and Caleb Love.
Speaking of Love, he will shoot Arizona out of games. He shot 1-for-15 from 3 against Duke and Wisconsin, and the Wildcats predictably lost both games. He's been downright dreadful this November.
But he’s a streaky playmaker — you get the good and the bad with Love — and I think we’ll see some positive shooting regression for the fifth-year guard.
The same goes for the entire Wildcat offense, which is shooting 27% from 3 on the young season, while ShotQuality projects that mark closer to 33% based on the “quality” of attempts.
Davidson is due for a similar amount of positive 3-point shooting variance on defense (allowing 39% from 3 despite closing out on over 60% of catch-and-shoot 3-point jumpers). But that might not matter if Arizona consistently punishes the rim against Logan and Bailey.
Ultimately, the situational spot screams Arizona, and I’m unsure if Davidson is ready for a big step up in competition.
Tommy Lloyd’s squad might not get its usual onslaught of fast-break buckets, but Arizona should score efficiently and consistently in the half-court, and I can’t say the same for Davidson.
Pick: Arizona -15.5