The SEC/ACC Challenge and the Big East-Big 12 Battle load up the slate on Tuesday with a plethora of intriguing matchups that also have betting value.
In fact, our staff is eyeing three particular games for their best bets.
So, here's college basketball best bets, including three picks and predictions for Tuesday, December 3.
College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:30 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
Cincinnati vs. Villanova
By John Feltman
This is the definition of a statement game for the Wildcats. The fan base is fed up with head coach Kyle Neptune, but tonight could be the spark that the team needs to carry it into conference play.
The Bearcats are not to be underestimated. Under the leadership of head coach Wes Miller, they have stormed into this outing with an impressive 6-0 record.
Their prowess on both offense and defense (currently ranking 24th in adjusted offensive efficiency and fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency) makes them a formidable challenge for any team.
Cincy has a trio of legit scorers, including guards Simas Lukosius and Jizzle James and leading scorer Dan Skillings Jr. All three are averaging above 14 points per game. They will pose numerous problems for a Villanova backcourt that allows opponents to shoot many 3s against them.
Villanova's Achilles' heel this season has been its defense. With opponents shooting 36% from deep against it, the team finds itself among the bottom third in the nation in blocks. This is an area that needs immediate attention and improvement if they are to stand a chance against the Bearcats.
The Wildcats have been a strong rebounding group, which should give them a significant edge, especially on the offensive glass. That will allow them to generate second-scoring chances and eliminate many transition opportunities for Cincy.
The Bearcats have been able to score from all areas of the floor thus far, but they are shooting a putrid 59% from the charity stripe. That creates a massive discrepancy between them and Villanova, which is shooting 81% from the line.
Although Cincy has a trio of legitimate scorers, the best player on the floor at all times is unquestionably Eric Dixon. The senior forward is averaging 25 points per game and is the heart and soul of the Villanova team.
Dixon is shooting 54% from deep, and Villanova has been one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country. The Cincy defensive metrics are impressive, but its strength of schedule ranks 108th.
Tonight is a great buy-low, sell-high spot, and I am taking Villanova with the points at home. Regression looms for Cincy on both ends of the floor, mainly because opponents only shoot 38% from inside the arc against it.
3-point shooting, rebounding and free-throw shooting could make a significant difference, and I think this is Cincinnati's peak market value.
Pick: Villanova +4.5 (Play to +2.5)
Notre Dame vs. Georgia
The 4-4 record might not look pretty for Notre Dame, but this is a team that is better than that record suggests.
The Irish went 0-3 at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas last week, despite being very competitive against three quality opponents in Rutgers, Houston and Creighton.
That was with star point guard Markus Burton going down in the first five minutes of the Rutgers game and missing the rest of the event.
Burton will remain out on Tuesday, but a few days of practice for Micah Shrewsberry’s team running the offense without him should benefit the Irish against the Bulldogs.
It’s been a promising start to the year for the Georgia, with wins already against Georgia Tech and St. John’s, and a good effort in a loss against Marquette in the Bahamas.
Georgia is still not that efficient offensively however, which leads me to believe it will struggle to create margin against a Notre Dame team that plays really hard.
The Irish have guys like Braeden Shrewsberry and Matt Allocco who can really shoot it from deep, which should also help them hang around in this one.
Give me the road underdog to keep this to single digits in what should be a fun game in Athens.
Pick: Notre Dame +8.5
Ole Miss vs. Louisville
This number is outrageous.
I would project Louisville as a three-point home favorite at most, and I’m downgrading it significantly after Kasean Pryor’s ACL injury — the Cardinals' thin rotation is also without Koren Johnson and Aboubacar Traore.
I wonder if the Cardinals are overvalued after their run to the Battle 4 Atlantis title game.
Meanwhile, I’m falling in love with the Rebels. Chris Beard is a phenomenal basketball coach, and having assistant coach Mark Adams back with him is already re-invigorating his no-middle defense.
They have already pulled off double-digit comebacks against BYU and Purdue, beating the former but falling two points short against the latter because the Boilers shot 45% from deep (10-for-22).
Speaking of the no-middle — while the defensive scheme is inherently vulnerable to crisp passing and strong weak-side spot-up shooting — I’m uncertain if the Cardinals can effectively move the rock against the Rebels' ball pressure (ninth nationally in defensive turnover rate).
While Chucky Hepburn and Reyne Smith are relatively sure-handed, the Cardinals have recorded over 14 turnovers in five of their past six games — including 20 against Winthrop — while sinking to 225th nationally in turnover rate.
Conversely, I feel good about the Rebels handling Louisville’s on-ball pressure (fifth nationally in defensive turnover rate), given Ole Miss leads the nation in turnover rate.
The Rebs are loaded with steady ball-handlers in the backcourt and on the wing, with Jaylen Murray boasting an absurd 5.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Of similar importance, Ole Miss’ army of backcourt and wing options is perfect for Beard’s isolation-heavy system. The Rebels rank among the nation’s top 25 teams in ISO PPP (1.11) on relatively high usage, with Murray, Matthew Murrell, Sean Pedulla, Jaemyn Brakefield and Dre Davis all averaging double-digit points per game.
Those five should score in droves against Louisville’s questionable man-to-man defense, which ranks 285th nationally in ISO PPP allowed (.93). Hepburn is an excellent on-ball defender. Still, Smith is an exploitable mismatch, and the now-injured Pryor grades out as the team’s second-best defender by DBPR.
I also give Ole Miss a two-way rebounding edge, especially without Pryor. Combine that with the Rebels’ two-way turnover edge, and they should win the shot-volume battle convincingly.
As long as Louisville doesn’t make 40% of its 3s, I think Ole Miss wins outright, and I’ll happily snag over three with my Rebels.
Pick: Ole Miss +3.5 (Play to +3)
