Welcome to the second weekend of the college basketball season. Last weekend was highlighted by two top-five duels: Villanova vs. UCLA and Texas vs. Gonzaga. Now, our focus shifts to Feast Week and the advent of college basketball's myriad early-season tournaments.
Yet, even beyond the Myrtle Beach Invitational or Shriners Children's Charleston Classic, there is still ample betting value among Friday's standard regular-season slate.
Ky McKeon of Three Man Weave has examined Friday's oddsboard and highlighted his top three best of the day. His three-pick card tips off at 3:15 p.m. ET with Brown vs. Creighton and extends all the way until 9 p.m. ET as in-state rivals Georgia and Georgia Tech fight for bragging rights.
Check out all three best bets below.
Friday's College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Three Man Weave is targeting from today's slate of games. Click the team logos for one the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
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| Specific bet 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. | ||
Brown vs. Creighton
Friday, Nov. 19 3:15 p.m. ET ESPN3 |
Brown +12.5  |
Welcome to paradise. The Paradise Jam, of course.
The Virgin Islands sets the stage for another beloved MTE. This Creighton vs. Brown duel will tip off at 3:15 p.m. ET, which equates to 4:15 local time on the island.
The time and location of this game is relevant to the handicap, especially for a young Creighton team that’s yet to leave the state of Nebraska. The Bluejays are feeling high and mighty, fresh off a monster win over their in-state rival Cornhuskers on Tuesday.
All things considered, it was an impressive, milestone victory for the unseasoned Jays. They withstood a furious NU run late in the first half and eventually kept the host Huskers at arm’s length to secure the victory.
Now, the hangover. Creighton must make a quick turnaround and quickly jet set down to the Virgin Islands with only two days to rest, travel, scout and prepare.
Granted, Brown’s trip isn’t a picnic, either, but the Bears get the luxury of two additional off days with an hour closer to their natural eastern time zone body clock.
Just prior to that win at Nebraska, Creighton survived two wars against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kennesaw State, failing to cover the lofty closing spread by a wide margin.
It’s also worth noting that Nebraska lost Trey McGowens, the heart and soul of the Huskers' backcourt midway during the first half.
Historically under head coach Greg McDermott, the Jays have been a non-conference juggernaut. This year, however, the Jays are still in the fetal stages of their development and McDermott is still tinkering with his rotations.
This is not the time to trial and error against Brown, which is exceedingly long and athletic at all five positions. Don’t let the Ivy brand taint your perception of the Bears. Mike Martin boasts a roster that’s nothing like the DNA of a prototypical Ivy team.
Even without swiss-army knife Tamenang Choh, who has yet to debut this year, the Bears have been a handful in the early going. Just ask North Carolina, which needed a late second-half surge to squeak by Brown in its own building.
Later in the season, Creighton could be a rising comet in the betting markets. Tonight, however, Brown’s poised to give the young, unseasoned Jays an unpleasant reality check.
Pick: Brown +12.5 (Play to +10)
Auburn vs. USF
Friday, Nov. 19 7 p.m. ET ESPN+ |
USF +13.5 |
Betting on South Florida? In basketball? Yes, my fingers ache with every keystroke, but this matchup is ripe for an outlier performance from the Bulls.
First off, true college hoops degenerates know the perils of #RoadAuburn. War Eagle is not the same animal away from their home gymnasium, where the raucous crowd energy ignites Auburn’s unabashed confidence.
However, when Bruce Pearl and company wander into enemy territory, that juice is lost. In fact, since 2016, operation fade #RoadAuburn has cashed at a 56% clip (36-28 against the spread).
Yes, this is a new year, and a vastly new roster, but this rendition could have issues against the Bulls. The way to stop South Florida is simple: keep them in the half-court, where Brian Gregory’s revised offense (Princeton-influenced) is still a major work in progress.
However, this is where Auburn’s thirst for defensive "events" (steals and blocks) could backfire, especially in extended full-court pressure.
This stretched out defense could open the floodgates for USF to capitalize in transition, where the Bulls’ litany of athletic slashers are sneaky effective. In USF’s opening game against Bethune-Cookman, that devastating transition attack was only seen in short spurts, as BCU confounded the Bulls with a tricky zone.
This the epitome of a "set it and forget it" bet. Basic half-court execution and converting open shots can be a chore for these Bulls, so save yourself the agony. Meanwhile, USF’s length and foot speed should be just as painful for the visiting Tigers, who are notorious for laying eggs away from home.
The key matchups lie up front. Former UNC transfer Walker Kessler gives the Tigers an element not seen since Austin Wiley — that is, a towering, conventional paint protector and efficient post scorer — while Jabari Smith is a certified pro.
The Bulls don’t have that caliber of ammunition, but former Texas Tech transfer Russel Tchewa is large enough to hold his own against Kessler, while South Carolina import Jalyn McCreary is a next-level athlete, too.
To be clear, USF’s frontline tandem is not on the same planet as Kessler and Smith. In this matchup, with this big of a number, they don’t need to be. They just need to act as imposing barricades to prevent an onslaught on the boards and make Auburn score over the top.
If successful, Auburn may find itself in a sweat late in the second half.
Pick: USF +13.5 (Play to +11)
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia
Friday, Nov. 19 9 p.m. ET SEC Network |
Under 138 |
Rock fight, anyone?
Unless you have a rooting allegiance in this Peach State showdown, this game need not be watched. It’s tough to drum up appeal for this rivalry game, outside of devout alumni and deep-pocketed boosters.
The current slopes of Georgia Tech and Georgia’s basketball programs are pointing downward.
At Tech, head coach Josh Pastner is retooling his roster in the wake of a commendable 2021 campaign. He lost his two bookends from last year’s top-40 caliber squad in Jose Alvarado and Moses Wright, two gut-wrenching losses on both sides of the ball.
At Georgia, Tom Crean’s situation is far more ominous. Unable to gain serious traction on the recruiting trail, Crean seems to be stuck in reverse in Athens. This current roster is exhibit A of said demise.
Both teams are unrecognizable compared to last season. Both the Jackets and the Bulldogs were left empty handed with pivotal pieces leaving for greener pastures. Their replacements are, well, just that, a patchwork collage of temporary band-aids.
What’s left are predominantly raw and athletic misfits, inept at scoring or shooting at an efficient clip. Outside of Michael Devoe, the Jackets are starved for outside shooting. For Georgia, Crean’s been forced to lean heavily on B-list transfers and wildcard JUCOs, none of whom have panned out thus far.
Efficiency is just one half of the total equation, though. Pace, of course, is the other, which should also play in the under's favor.
In prior years, Crean was not a fan of walking the ball up the floor. This season, his Bulldogs aren’t potty trained, so to speak, in transition offense yet, so he’s kept the offensive restrictor plates on, at least for now. After three games, UGA’s average offensive possession length ranks as the 247th-fastest in America, per KenPom.
On the other side of the coin, Georgia Tech’s funky zone will further enable its in-state rival to methodically work the ball side-to-side in the half court.
If GT commits to retreating in transition, Georgia will find itself operating deep in the shot clock with long, tedious possessions. All signs point to this being an anticlimactic, ugly boxing match.
Pick: Under 138 (Play to 135)
