College basketball season tips off today, Monday, Nov. 7, and there are a ton of awesome games for sports bettors to get some action on. There is no shortage of games, with 22 of the top-25 teams playing on college basketball opening night.
The start of the season is frequently the best opportunity for sports bettors to cash in big on upsets, as teams may be over-ranked, incorporating new players or running into a non-power-five school that could be a Cinderella come NCAA Tournament time.
Every power-five conference in the country has at least five teams in action. Tonight's schedule is action-packed, but we have you covered with some of the best games and betting predictions to get you ready for an incredible night of college hoops after waiting months since UConn cut down the nets last season.
Odds for NCAA basketball games on Monday, Nov. 6
There are several games with single-digit spreads on Monday night that involve big-time programs. Here are a few top games' spread, moneyline and total points odds for the opening night of college hoops at the best U.S. online sportsbooks.
- Georgia Bulldogs vs. Oregon Ducks
- Spread: Georgia +4.5 (-110) vs. Oregon -4.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Georgia +160 vs. Oregon -194
- Total points: 140.5 points over (-110) / under (-110)
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
- Princeton Tigers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Spread: Princeton +6 (-110) vs. Rutgers -6 (-110)
- Moneyline: Princeton +205 vs. Rutgers -250
- Total points: 137.5 points over (-110) / under (-110)
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- New Mexico State Aggies vs. Kentucky Wildcats
- Spread: New Mexico State +17.5 (-110) vs. Kentucky (-110)
- Moneyline: New Mexico +1350 vs. Kentucky -5000
- Total points: 141.5 points over (-110) / under (-110)
Odds via BetMGM
- James Madison Dukes vs. Michigan State Spartans
- Spread: James Madison +16.5 (-110) vs. Michigan State -16.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: James Madison +1100 vs. Michigan State -2500
- Total points: 144.5 points over (-110) / under (-110)
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
- USC Trojans vs. Kansas State Wildcats
- Spread: USC -3 (-110) vs. Kansas State +3 (-110)
- Moneyline: USC -155 vs Kansas State +130
- Total points: 140.5 points over (-110) / under (-110)
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
Georgia Bulldogs vs. Oregon Ducks prediction: Ducks cover in opener
Don't fool yourself. This is not a matchup for the College Football Playoff, at least not yet. This matchup on the hardwood is one of the best games for college basketball's opening night of action. Georgia was .500 last season, and Oregon is the favorite in this matchup.
The Ducks have a star in N'Faly Dante, who should lead Oregon in scoring and give Dana Altman a go-to guy. Georgia should have more talent than in recent years, but almost all come via the transfer portal. The Bulldogs could make some noise in SEC play, but this team will need time to mesh, which is why we like the Ducks to not only beat Georgia but also cover the spread.
Pick: Oregon
Princeton Tigers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights prediction: Princeton upset new-look Rutgers on opening night
Steve Pikiell has done a solid job in Piscataway, New Jersey, turning Rutgers from a losing program into a solid, competitive team in one of the toughest conferences in the country, the Big Ten. Pikiell, going into his eighth season, has had four straight winning seasons and made two of the last three NCAA Tournaments.
Before Pikiell, the Scarlet Knights had 10 straight losing seasons. In his first three seasons, Pikiell got within a few games of .500 before 2019-2020 that started a string of four straight winning seasons. Last season was a winning season, and Rutgers narrowly missed the tournament, but the Scarlet Knights lost a ton of production of that team.
That is why we like Princeton to upset Rutgers on opening night. The Tigers have not lost nearly as much and bring back a lot from a team that won two NCAA Tournament games. That continuity and the momentum from making a Sweet 16 will give Princeton an edge to start the season how they ended last year by upsetting power five schools.
Pick: Princeton
New Mexico State Aggies vs. Kentucky Wildcats prediction: Wildcats cover the spread on opening night
The last few seasons have not been up to the Kentucky basketball standard, even if they have been winning seasons. Kentucky basketball has been a national title contender under John Calipari, and this year's team has the talent with a mix of talented freshmen and experienced college players to get back into the national picture.
In years past, the Wildcats have had a tendency to get off to slow starts while incorporating so many new players, and they've struggled to cover spreads in games like this one against New Mexico State. Kentucky played in the GLOBL Jam Tournament over the summer, where they went 4-0, winning the competition. That extra time together before the season should help the Wildcats get off to a better start.
Pick: Wildcats
James Madison Dukes vs. Michigan State Spartans prediction: Spartans win but don't cover the spread
The Dukes are coming off a 20-win season and made it to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinal. Not only does James Madison bring back most of their contributors off that team, but they also brought in three transfers that should have a chance to play immediate roles. This is not an easy blowout game for Michigan State.
We don't anticipate an upset, but Tom Izzo won't run up the score. Especially considering Izzo also has some talented freshmen, he needs to grow in a hurry with this game and one more (Southern Indiana Nov. 9) before the Spartans play Duke and Butler next week. Extra minutes to those players late in the game leads to the Dukes covering the spread.
Pick: James Madison
USC Trojans vs. Kansas State Wildcats prediction: Trojans win and cover the spread
Our Pac-12 Conference preview projects USC to win the conference because of their outstanding guard play. That will shine bright against the Wildcats, who lost their two best players from last year's Elite-8 team. Kansas State coach Jerome Tang brought in a lot of talented transfers, but similar to last year's team, expect it to take time to build chemistry and hit their peak. On a neutral court, we expect USC to cover.
Pick: USC
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