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College Basketball Best Bets: 4 NCAAB Opening Night Picks
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- College Basketball Best Bets: 4 NCAAB Opening Night Picks
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect. Pictured: Clint Sargent (Wright State)
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Welcome back to college basketball! We've already technically had "opening morning" as Villanova and Notre Dame dueled on Sunday in Rome. However, for the sake of the schedule, we're considering Monday to be the real opening night.
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Thus, our staff will get you set with their four top betting picks for Monday.
Read below for college basketball best bets, including four NCAAB opening night picks.
Be sure to download the Action Network app for more expert picks and analysis!
4 College Basketball Best Bets
Game
Time (ET)
Pick
6 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 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.
Monday, Nov. 2
6 p.m. ET
ESPN2
Florida -5.5
There's nothing sexier than finding out a college program is bringing back a boatload of players in this day and age, when guys will leave for better pay, playing time or simply a better personal fit.
So, when Todd Golden returns 11 players, it speaks volumes about the program he has built and the belief this group has in him.
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On the other side, Miami added nine new players to its roster this offseason while returning just three. This will mark Jai Lucas' second season with the program. Given how early he is in his tenure, it is no surprise he is bringing in new faces as he continues to lay the foundation for the program.
With so much familiarity and experience surrounding the Gators' roster, it is hard to overlook that advantage in this matchup — especially when Florida has six seniors and three juniors, while Miami has just seven combined.
Early in the season, I typically lean toward familiarity rather than hoping and praying a fresh roster gels right out of the gate.
And I'd play this up to -8.5.
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Pick: Florida -5.5 (Play to -8.5)
Monday, Nov. 2
7 p.m. ET
ESPN+
Under 158.5
Our Action PRO Projections assigned an "A" grade on the Georgia Southern-Ball State under.
The total is 158.5, but PRO has it at 150.9. That's a healthy cushion of 7.6 points, representing one of the most significant edges on opening day.
Ball State was one of the best under teams in the nation last year (19-9-1), which makes this even sexier of a college basketball section.
For more PRO edges on day one of the season, check it out here .
Pick: Under 158.5
Monday, Nov. 2
7 p.m. ET
ESPN+
Wright State -10.5
By Evan Abrams
Air Force opens its 2026-27 season with a trip to the Nutter Center in Ohio to face Clint Sargent and Wright State.
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The Falcons were 3-29 last season, including a horrible 0-12 on the road.
And those struggles are expected to continue to start this new campaign, especially according to one of my Bet Labs Sports Insights systems called "Road Elevation."
This system has a 6% all-time return on investment, including a 55% hit rate (169-139-5), and it's targeting the Raiders to maul the Falcons on Monday.
For a clearer picture, the edge and reasoning behind this system is rather straight forward:
This is a Fade System. Teams from high elevation areas often face hidden disadvantages when traveling to lower altitude regions, especially across time zones.
In college basketball, programs like Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado schools are built around altitude conditioning and home-court edge, but that advantage flips on the road.
The shift in oxygen levels, travel distance, and body clock disruption all contribute to slower starts, reduced stamina, and inconsistent shooting rhythm in unfamiliar conditions.
This system exposes how teams accustomed to elevation often struggle to replicate their energy and defensive intensity at sea level, particularly when facing quicker-paced opponents used to those environments.
Pick: Wright State -10.5
Monday, Nov. 2
8 p.m. ET
ESPN+
Over 143.5
There's a lot of buzz in Lawrence about Tyran Stokes, as there should be. The 6-foot-8 talent is the No. 1 recruit in the country, and he'll make his debut at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday against Fordham.
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While the line is suggesting a blowout of 20+ points, our Action PRO projections show a significant edge on the total, specifically the over.
In fact, the PRO line has this total at 148.1, giving us nearly five points of cushion and a 6.7% edge (also noted as a B+ grade).
Sit back, enjoy a blowout and Stokes' first game, and watch this sail over.
Pick: Over 143.5
