Top College Basketball Picks Today (No Coach K, No Problem for Duke in Champions Classic vs. Kansas)
Eight of college basketball's top 25 teams are in action this evening, with three of the top 7 matching up in the Champions Classic doubleheader from Indianapolis this evening.
The No.4. ranked Kentucky Wildcats take on unranked Michigan State in the early going at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, followed by the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils and No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks in the night cap.
Those two teams will be the most prominent matchups of the night, but in collecting the BetSided team's best bets of the evening, there's also another noteworthy matchup from Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis between two talented programs in the Memphis Tigers and the Saint Louis Bilikens.
We've got three best bets of the night all in one place, so let's dive in and see where our BetSided team is headed for their top picks and predictions, along with the latest odds.
College Basketball Best Bets Today (Tuesday, November 15)
- Kentucky-MSU UNDER 141.5 (-110)
- Duke -1 (-110) vs. Kansas (-110)
- St. Louis -2.5 (-110)
Kentucky vs. Michigan State Odds, Prediction and Pick
The Wildcats are expected to get reigning National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe back, but if he does play following a preseason knee injury, head coach John Calipari says it won't be in very long stretches.
Credit Tom Izzo's unranked Spartan squad for pushing Gonzaga all the way to the end of the Armed Forces Classic, but ultimately couldn't hang on. Going from that game to Kentucky should prepare them for the physical battle, but it's still tough facing back-to-back opponents like those two programs.
Ultimately, I'll go under here as both of these teams have been up-and-down with their offensive production, and will battle each other on the glass and limit offensive possessions. Michigan State went just 3/16 from 3-point range in their last game, while Kentucky should see their field goal percentage come down vs. a feisty Michigan State defense. - Josh Yourish
Duke vs. Kansas Odds, Prediction and Pick
The Jayhawks are still trying to figure out their identity after losing several key players from the championship team a season ago.
Jalen Wilson and Dajuan Harris have been lead guys in the new era of KU hoops, but freshman Gradey Dick has looked terrific and been a go-to scorer in the early going.
Ultimately, I think Duke takes advantage of their size, an issue for Kansas so far this year. Dick is 6-8, but is a guard and he's been their tallest starter on the floor in their first two games. Duke has Ryan Young (6-10), Kyle Filipowski (7-0) and we could even see a bit of five-star freshman Dereck Lively II at 7-1.
Unless the Jayhawks can't miss, I like Duke to cover as a short favorite. - Josh Yourish
Follow all Josh Yourish’s bets HERE
Memphis vs. St. Louis Odds, Prediction and Pick
Memphis doesn't have enough shot makers to hang around a very talented St. Louis squad, especially on the road. The Bilikens added Mizzou transfer Javon Pickett to an impressive rotation that features Yuri Collins and Gibson Jimerson. Both guards can take over games, and that will force Memphis to pay close attention to both of them.
The Tigers will have the advantage on the glass, but St. Louis can hang with Memphis in this area too. Senior big man Francis Okoro was terrific inside a season ago when SLU was top 25 in the country in offensive rebounding.
Ultimately, I side with the Bilks at home for a few reasons. Memphis and Penny Hardaway don't have enough perimeter shooting, and Travis Ford's squad was top 35 in the country in free-throw percentage last year. With a short spread and playing at home, that could be the key difference-maker. - Reed Wallach
Track all of Reed's bets at Betstamp HERE!
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.