On the eve of North Carolina vs. Kansas, we have just one top-25 college basketball game (Jacksonville vs. No. 21 Florida).
However, that doesn't mean there's no betting value on the slate.
In fact, here's college basketball best bets and predictions, including three picks for Thursday's NCAAB games.
NCAAB Best Bets, Predictions
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 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. | ||
Charleston Southern vs. North Florida
By Sean Paul
I’m really targeting a letdown spot early. The North Florida Ospreys took home the upset of the season so far, as it defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 74-71, in Columbia on Monday. That one win vaulted the Ospreys from No. 253 to No. 203 in KenPom.
I think Charleston Southern is flat out better — though, A’lahn Sumler might not play, and that changes things a bit. Even still, +8 is far too lofty to ignore.
The Buccaneers want to get the ball inside to stud big Taje’ Kelly and have the clear size advantage in this game. They start three players who stand 6-foot-6 or taller, including Drexel transfer Lamar Oden Jr., who scored 15 points against Clemson.
The key for a successful Charleston Southern cover is containing the 3-point arc. North Florida is a 3-point heavy shooting team that went 10-for-29 in the win over South Carolina.
Charleston Southern needs to cut that percentage down a bit and dominate the paint for the cover — and a potential win.
And no, it wouldn’t stun me if Charleston Southern won outright.
Pick: Charleston Southern +8 (Play to +6)
Southern Miss vs. UAB
In theory, UAB is primed to be a bounce back candidate in its second game of the season. On opening night, the Blazers, considered among the favorites in the AAC, dropped a home game to the always feisty Vermont Catamounts.
The Blazers’ case for a bounce back is made even stronger by their dismal shooting to open the season, with all 10 3-point attempts coming up empty.
I wouldn’t expect a sudden regression to the mean there, with the long ball low on UAB’s priority list. In all of Andy Kennedy’s first four years coaching the Blazers, they have ranked 300th or lower nationally in 3-point rate.
I’m more intrigued in this game that Southern Miss is undervalued. This is a team that lost critical players to injury and its head coach to a midseason heart attack while battling to a .500 record.
The Golden Eagles return with the fifth-most experienced team in college hoops, per Bart Torvik, including a trio of players with power-conference pasts.
Andre Curbelo, once a hot name at Illinois and St. John’s, leads the way, fully recovered from concussion issues last season, along with former Miami wing Christian Watson and Arkansas boomerang transfer Denijay Harris.
Bart Torvik’s “talent” ranking, based on high school recruiting metrics, has Southern Miss 88th nationally, well ahead of UAB at 248th.
Southern Miss opened with a win over Bowling Green, in which Curbelo looked like the real deal again. The Golden Eagles still won despite shooting only 22% from deep as a team.
I expect Southern Miss to at least hang around here, alerting it as a team to watch in the Sun Belt this season.
Pick: Southern Miss +14.5
Jacksonville vs. Florida
I'm targeting the over in this one.
Why? Well, Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard are almost impossible to contain offensively; Clayton gets downhill with ease and has the craftiness in ball screens, while Richard is a winning player who shoots the ball at a high level.
Add Alijah Martin into that mix, and there's not many teams in the country that can match that skill and talent in the backcourt.
But Jacksonville has a solid backcourt itself. Robert McCray V could go for 20+ against a defense that struggled to slow down an essentially new South Florida lineup. Plus, he's due for a big game after dropping just nine points in the opener.
The Dolphins don't have an elite frontcourt to expose Florida's question marks down low, but Zimi Nwokeji's floor-stretching abilities could open up the lane for McCray and Marcus Niblack for easy buckets.
Also, let's be honest: Allowing Trinity Baptist to shoot 41% from the floor and score 65 points is a bit concerning for Jacksonville.
Now imagine what Clayton and company can do.
Pick: Over 152 (Play to 154)
