We have another massive slate on Wednesday in college basketball as the SEC/ACC Challenge and Big East-Big 12 Battle continue.
I'm targeting three specific games with betting value on Wednesday.
So, here's college basketball best bets, including three predictions and picks for Wednesday, December 4.
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. | |
  | 9:15 p.m. | |
  | 10:30 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. | ||
Green Bay vs. IU Indy
The Horizon opener features two programs sporting brand new head coaches. Media personality Doug Gottlieb takes his Green Bay Phoenix on the road to take on former dominant D-II coach Paul Corsaro and his IU Indy Jaguars.
IU Indy hasn’t quite washed off all the stink of IUPUI, but this year’s Jags are a far more competitive squad than last season. They have ample shooting options on the perimeter and are extremely well-coached.
While the Jags fell a tad short of expectations in their MTE last week, a win over Alabama A&M on their home floor was a good momentum builder going into conference play.
Green Bay is one of the more volatile teams in the country. Gottlieb brought in some major talent, and the pace at which his Phoenix play can lead to some eye-popping offensive numbers.
Of course, the defensive end has been a struggle this year, and Gottlieb’s offense has been heavily reliant on transition and the individual play of Anthony Roy.
This game comes down to coaching. Green Bay is more talented, but IU Indy is better coached, and the Jags should be good and amped up for their first conference contest.
They have the firepower to keep pace with the Phoenix on the scoreboard, and you can count on Corsaro throwing in some zone looks to push Roy off his game. Stopping Roy is the key — if the Jags can take him away, the Phoenix offense will suffer.
Green Bay has been the nation’s worst offensive rebounding team in the early going – one shot trips down the floor should be the norm.
IU Indy’s ball movement and shooting should be able to crack Green Bay’s porous defense, a defense that doesn’t turn teams over, nor shuts down the 3-point arc.
Pick: IU Indy +4
Auburn vs. Duke
In what could be the best game of the year, the team with the most talent in the country — Duke — hosts arguably the best team in the country — Auburn.
The Blue Devils fell short in their two marquee matchups this season, suffering close losses on neutral floors to Kentucky and Kansas, but they had every opportunity to win both and even led Kentucky by double digits in the second half.
Auburn has the most impressive resume in the nation, with wins over Houston, Iowa State, North Carolina and Memphis. But it's worth noting that the Tigers had to make heroic comebacks against both Houston and Iowa State to salvage wins.
This will be Auburn’s first true road contest in what will no doubt be a raucous environment at Cameron Indoor. This Auburn team isn’t one to get flustered, but Duke will be the most talented team it has faced to date.
Perhaps the biggest key for Duke is its ability to defend Player of the Year frontrunner Johni Broome — or rather do its best to contain him. Broome is an animal, but he will be going up against the country’s best defense tonight.
Duke has mobility and size. It can stick multiple bodies on Broome to combat his versatility without sacrificing too much in the strength department.
With its enormous perimeter, Auburn’s guards and wings won’t find many easy looks from deep. On the interior, it’s strength versus strength as Auburn’s No. 1 2-point-field-goal-percentage offense faces the No. 3 2-point-field-goal-percentage defense.
Duke’s offense has been a mixed bag this season. Jon Scheyer has allowed his talent to play more in the open floor, a welcome departure from last campaign. But, at times, the Blue Devil attack has stalled in the half-court.
This has been especially true in late-game or crunch-time situations, where it seems Scheyer just writes “Cooper Flagg” on his white board and puts the future No. 1 pick in isolation.
This won’t work well against Auburn, a tenacious defensive squad. The hope will be that Duke’s talent, ability to share the ball and multiple shooting weapons will be enough to overcome the occasional stagnation.
Kon Knueppel playing well would certainly help — he was a combined 1-of-16 from deep in Duke’s two losses.
Duke has enough firepower to beat the best team in the country. Scheyer’s squad is getting better and better, and his talent is unmatched. Cameron Indoor — and the nerds that pack the stadium — should be enough to carry the Blue Devils to the cover.
Pick: Duke -2.5 (Play to -3)
Oregon vs. USC
Tonight’s classic Big Ten matchup features Oregon and USC, old rivals from the defunct Pac-12.
The Trojans have struggled out of the gate, losing to all three of their opponents ranked inside the KenPom 150.
Meanwhile Oregon has looked immense, scoring four wins against Tier-A competition.
Conference play is a perfect time to start anew and get re-motivated for the season ahead, and it should add a little pep to USC’s step to host a rival. Eric Musselman isn’t new to this – he’s built winning programs and has had great success, so hope is not lost for the Trojans.
Experience should benefit USC, a team frankly made up of mid-major all-stars. While early results haven’t been great, USC has plenty of talent and depth to stay competitive.
Center Josh Cohen has been excellent defending the post, an area Oregon looks to attack, though USC’s overall rim defense has left something to be desired.
On the other end — despite Oregon’s size — the Ducks haven’t been amazing at protecting the paint, and in fact, they have gotten lost many times on off-ball cuts. Look for Cohen to feast off duck-ins off dribble penetration.
The Trojans share the sugar and have great positional size, often playing lineups featuring nobody under 6-6. That positional size will pay dividends defending the Ducks' perimeter, allowing them to contest shots from the smaller Jackson Shelstad and Keeshawn Barthelemy.
USC is a bit of a “hold your nose” play, as Oregon has been the clear better team through the first month of the season.
Here's to hoping the Trojans hit the reset button and get right for Big Ten play.
Pick: USC +6 (Play to +5)
