On Tuesday, we have one of the primer non-conference events of the college basketball season, the Champions Classic.
But there are no nights off in college hoops, as multiple top-25 teams are in action on Monday, including the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Jim Root of Three Man Weave has the latest college basketball best bets, odds, predictions and picks, including three selections for Monday, featuring Yale vs. Purdue on November 11.
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 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. | ||
Jacksonville vs. Furman
By Jim Root
Under Bob Richey, Furman has frequently produced offensive fireworks. His mantra of “can’t shoot, won’t recruit” indicates his desire for deadly floor spacers, and Furman’s efficiency over the years has reflected that idea.
This is not the same Paladins team, however.
They took a big hit in the offseason when key transfer Jalen Sullinger was dismissed from the team, robbing the Paladins of a dynamic playmaker and shooter.
To make matters worse, it was too late in the offseason to find an adequate replacement.
With less firepower, Furman tried to control the pace in its Division I opener against Belmont. The Paladins had an average possession length of 19.2 seconds, which currently ranks 320th in the country. Richey has played slowly before, so it would not be a shock for this year’s squad to be very half court-centric.
They have a perfect dance partner here for such an approach.
Jacksonville has been one of the slowest teams in the country under Jordan Mincy, ranking 356th, 361st and 293rd in pace the last three seasons (KenPom). The Dolphins did not get sped up against a turbocharged Florida team last Thursday, posting an average possession length of 21.7 seconds (356th nationally).
With both teams seemingly content to walk the ball up the floor — plus Furman being a guard short after Sullinger’s departure — this game sets up well to be a methodical under.
Pick: Under 143 (Play to 141)
Yale vs. Purdue
By Jim Root
Yale’s quick tour of the Midwest started on a sour note. The Bulldogs lost at UIC by 12 on Saturday, blowing a seven-point halftime lead in the process.
Despite that, I like Yale to go into Mackey Arena and compete with Purdue.
The biggest edge for the Bulldogs is having an elite on-ball defender to send at Purdue’s Braden Smith. Bez Mbeng is the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, a 6-foot-4 menace who lives to make opposing guards miserable.
Smith is the engine of the Purdue offense; if Mbeng can frustrate him or even take him out of his game, the Boilermakers will have issues scoring.
Plus, Smith has not quite gotten over the turnover bug (he has nine through two games), and Mbeng could generate a couple of key steals with his quick hands and instincts.
Additionally, Yale is an aggressive offensive rebounding team, and Purdue has shown somewhat surprising vulnerability there.
Without the monstrous Zach Edey gobbling up every rebound, the Boilermakers are not quite as elite on the glass.
A final bonus: Purdue’s most likely Edey replacement — freshman shot-blocker Daniel Jacobsen — is out for an extended period of time. That gives Yale more of a fighting chance in the paint, providing the Bulldogs an even better shot at hanging around all game.
Pick: Yale +14.5 (Play to +14)
Central Michigan vs. Marquette
By Jim Root
Fading Marquette’s buzzsaw offense with a huge underdog is scary. The Golden Eagles are 2-0 against the spread thanks to that attack.
In their opener, they posted a scorching 1.46 points per possession to beat Stony Brook by 40, and a late scoring explosion against George Mason secured a second straight cover.
However, Central Michigan’s tough-as-nails defense could be a mild antidote to that tremendous attack.
It starts on the ball with Anthony Pritchard, a tenacious bulldog who shared the MAC’s Defensive Player of the Year award last season. He’ll be responsible for pestering Marquette’s Kam Jones, the Golden Eagles’ smooth southpaw floor leader.
Add in switchable wings Cayden Vasko and Jakobi Heady — plus the shot-blocking of Ugnius Jarusevicius — and the Chippewas have the makings of a feisty underdog.
Central Michigan has to find a way to score, and fortunately, Marquette’s biggest weakness is the defensive glass. The Golden Eagles are short on physicality inside, so the Chippewas can hopefully find some easy buckets via second shot opportunities.
CMU also plays at a slower tempo, shortening the game to a degree. That makes covering such a huge number even more of a challenge, even for the incendiary Marquette offense.
I make this one Marquette -24, so I will happily take 27.5.
Pick: Central Michigan +27.5 (Play to +25)
