Best College Basketball Bets Today: NCAAB Picks for November 12

College basketball fans and bettors can find games to enjoy as early as 11 a.m. ET (Mount Saint Mary vs. Army). But then they’ll have to wait until later in the day to see No. 1 Kansas. But the Game of the Day everyone is looking forward to does not get underway until 9 p.m. ET.

I’m talking about No. 6 Duke facing No. 19 Kentucky in the State Farms Champions Classic in Atlanta, GA, at State Farm Arena.

Could we see a No. 1 team get upset this early in the season? Does it get any better than two college basketball blue bloods like Duke and Kentucky facing off this early in the season? I think not!

Here’s our preview for both games and our betting recommendation for each.

Michigan State @ No. 1 Kansas

• Date: Tuesday, November 12

• Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

• Moneyline: Michigan State +230; Kansas -285

• Point Spread: Michigan State +6.5 (-106); Kansas -6.5 (-114)

• Total: O/U 150.5 (-110/-110)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change. Place your bets at FanDuel and claim $150 in bonus bets + 3 months of NBA League Pass.

Games between undefeated teams always mean a little more since it means someone is guaranteed to suffer their first loss of the season. It also typically means we’ll see two good basketball teams on the court playing a good, entertaining game.

Let’s take a closer look at both teams.

Michigan State

Expectations were high for the Spartans last season, but once again, the team didn’t quite live up to them, amassing a 20-15 record during the regular season and losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. However, the team has several talented players coming back, such as Jaden Atkins and Jeremy Fears Jr.

To make up for some of the personnel losses, head coach Tom Izzo did something he doesn’t like to do: he dove into the transfer portal. He came out of it with a solid shooter in Frankie Fiddler, who averaged 20 points per game last season for Omaha. Izzo also found the team a big, seven-footer from Longwood, Szymon Zapala.

After two games, the early verdict is—so far, so good.

Adkins is leading the team in scoring with 16.5 ppg. Fiddler has chipped in ten ppg but has only played 19.5 minutes per game. Freshman Jase Richardson is the team’s third-leading scorer with 11 ppg despite coming off the bench.

On the defensive end, there’s nothing to complain about. But playing defense against Niagara does not compare to Kansas.

Kansas Jayhawks

Expectations are always sky-high for the Kansas Jayhawks, making it quite a challenge to measure up to them. The team certainly had its sights set on being ranked higher than No. 19/21 and a second-round exit from the NCAA Tournament.  It was a forgettable year for head coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks.

To make sure it doesn’t happen again, Self loaded up with talent from the transfer portal, a top-five class. As a result, with the transfers and returning players, Kansas entered the 2024-25 season with more talent and depth than it has had in recent memory.

Hence, it was named the preseason No. 1 team in the country. Two games into the season, all they’ve done is prove the early poll voters right. Beating Howard by 30 points (87-57) is to be expected, but then they scheduled another blue blood for their second game, then-No. 9 North Carolina.

At first, it didn’t look like a competitive game, as Kansas took a 53-38 halftime lead. But North Carolina staged a furious rally in the second half, turning it into the competitive game it was expected to be.

After two games, it looks like Kansas could be what it’s expected to be this season—a solid team on both ends of the court that can compete for a national championship.

My Pick: Kansas -6.5 (-114) at FanDuel

Michigan State appears to be a good team or at least it can develop into one by time conference play gets underway. But, at the moment, they are not in the same class as Kansas. The Jayhawks have more talent, depth, and chemistry. Michigan State may keep it close in the first half, but Kansas will pull away in the second.

Wager $5 at FanDuel for $150 in Bonus Bets

No. 6 Duke @ No. 19 Kentucky

• Date: Tuesday, November 12

• Time: 9 p.m. ET

• Moneyline: Duke -260; Kentucky +210

• Point Spread: Duke -6.5 (-110); Kentucky +6.5 (-110)

• Total: O/U 160.5 (-110/-110)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

As happy as we are that the college basketball season is upon us, let’s be real for a moment. Many, if not most, of the early games just aren’t worth watching. That is unless you are a diehard fan of the team destroying some poor small school’s squad. 

But occasionally, a game pops up on the schedule that demands our attention. Just such a game will tip off tonight at 9 p.m. ET in the Bluegrass State. I’m talking about No. 6 Duke taking on No. 19 Kentucky.

These two blue bloods have little history, having played just 23 times. Kanas holds a 12-11 lead in the series, but Duke has dominated the more recent meetings, winning nine of the last 11. With a win tonight, they can finally pull even.

Duke Blue Devils

As is always the case with Duke, several players took their considerable talents to the NBA (as they should). But one of the many good things about being at Duke is this: the most talented players in the country want to play at Duke. Reloading the roster is never an issue.

Along with players like Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster returning, the Blue Devils brought in some of the top prospects in the country in Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, and Kon Knueppel. Factor in transfers like Sion James, Maliq Brown, Mason Gillis, and Cameron Sheffield, and Duke may have the deepest roster in the country.

It is not unusual for Duke to be at the center of college basketball discussions, but it has been some time since the roster has had so many talented players. But being talented is not enough. Alphas always want to be the ones who make the shot and win the game.

Can a team of Alphas find a way to gel and play selfless, complimentary basketball? We’ll get our first chance to find out when they take on an excellent Kentucky team tonight.

Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky is always a team to watch because of the talent John Calipari manages to collect year after year. But this year, all eyes may be on the Wildcats for a different reason. Calipari is out, and Mike Pope is in. he has taken a unique approach to compiling his first roster for one of college basketball’s elite programs.

There is not a single player from last year’s roster on the team. Pope talked about the challenge this will bring during the SEC Media Days:

”We’re blessed to have a really veteran group that has a ton of experience but no experience with each other. So, from the very, very first day we’ve been together, it has been a major piece of focus for our guys to understand us, understand each other, try to fit together and communicate with each other. That has been the biggest part for us.”

While the team is brand new, it is not without talent. But the question the world wants answered is whether this talent can play together. Can it gel and become as competitive as fans hope it will be?

Big wins over Wright State and Bucknell do not really tell us anything, but we’ll find out quite a bit about this team when it takes on the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils tonight. However, regardless of the outcome, fans should be encouraged. Why?

Because this team is only going to get better.  

My Pick: Duke -6.5 (-110) at FanDuel

The fan in me wants to see the melting pot of a team in Kentucky beat the mighty Blue Devils. But we are talking about a Wildcats team that is in its infancy facing a Blue Devils one that’s already a teenager. Both have work to do, but while Duke is fine-tuning, Kentucky is still in the midst of developing.

The Blue Devils’ experience will win the day.

Get a $150 With a $5 Winning Wager at FanDuel