Best College Basketball Bets Today: NCAAB Picks for December 9

Tonight, the 15th-ranked Baylor Bears host Abilene Christian in a “buy game,” while the Minnesota Golden Gophers travel to Bloomington for their second Big Ten matchup of the season against the Indiana Hoosiers.

What can we expect from these two games? Find out our best college basketball picks for the December 9th slate below!

The following odds for today's college basketball are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Place your bets at FanDuel and claim $150 in bonus bets with a $5 winning wager.

Abilene Christian @ Baylor

• Date: Monday, December 9

• Time: 8:00 pm EST

• Moneyline: Abilene Christian +2000 | Baylor -7000

• Spread: Abilene Christian +21.5 (-106) | Baylor -21.5 (-114)

• Total: Over 142.5 (-106) | Under 142.5 (-114)

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

PICK: Baylor -21.5 (-114) at FanDuel

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As has become the standard, the Baylor Bears are one of the most efficient teams in the country on the offensive end of the floor but don’t play a lick of defense.

Baylor ranks seventh in adjusted offensive efficiency (KenPom) but sits 86th in adjusted defensive efficiency through the first eight games of the 2024-25 regular season.

Nobody can deny how hard the Bears’ schedule has been, as they have faced Arkansas, Gonzaga, Tennessee, St. John’s, and UConn already.

The Bears beat Arkansas and St. John’s but lost to UConn, Tennessee, and Gonzaga. Their losses to the Huskies and Vols were close games but they were decimated by the Bulldogs in the season opener.

Scott Drew has thrown this team into the fire, and while they’ve definitely been burned to some degree, they have had strong moments that could propel them to a strong :season.

Luckily, one thing that Baylor has done extraordinarily well so far this year (and recently) is putting away average and below-average teams. 

The Bears beat Sam Houston by 37 points, Tarleton State by 63, and New Orleans by 31.

Ultimately, the Wildcats’ biggest issue in this game will be scoring enough points to keep up with Baylor’s uber-efficient offensive attack. 

At home, Baylor ranks second nationally in points per game, first in unadjusted offensive efficiency, ninth in effective field goal percentage, and 23rd in 3-point percentage.

The Bears are also fifth in total rebounding rate and second in offensive rebounding percentage. 

Further, Baylor is 22-13-1 against the spread in its last 36 home games. 

One thing the Bears have been doing in recent history is covering the spread on their home floor. 

And that should continue with a modest 21-point spread against a middle-of-the-road Abilene Christian team.

Minnesota @ Indiana

• Date: Monday, December 9

• Time: 6:30 pm EST

• Moneyline: Minnesota +420 | Indiana -580

• Spread: Minnesota +10.5 (-118) | Indiana -10.5 (-104)

• Total: Over 140.5 (-110) | Under 140.5 (-110)

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

PICK: Indiana -10.5 (-104) at FanDuel

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The question entering this game is whether or not Mike Woodson will embrace the one-big, small-ball lineups that have been the most effective for the Hoosiers so far this season.

Of course, Indiana is expected to still roll out a starting lineup with Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo both in it.

However, the Hoosiers should rotate the two throughout the game to keep fresh legs and play at a faster pace, which has been ideal since their half-court offense and sets under Woodson have been tragic the past few seasons.

While playing faster in the past three games, the Hoosiers have shot 56.3% from the floor and 43.8% from the 3-point line. Further, they have outrebounded teams by nearly 10 rebounds per game.

Defensively, Indiana has been tremendous inside of the arc in that stretch, but it has not done a good job in defending the perimeter. That will eventually need to change if the Hoosiers want a chance at winning the Big Ten.

Plus, the strength of schedule in that stretch has not been difficult; they have played Providence, Miami (OH), and Sam Houston. And that should be taken into consideration.

Still, Indiana shouldn’t have much of an issue with the Golden Gophers in its Big Ten opener, and the reasoning is simple: they can’t shoot the ball.

Minnesota ranks 294th overall in the country in 3-point percentage, which is already egregiously bad. However, its percentage on the road drops even further. In fact, the Golden Gophers are the second-worst 3-point shooting team nationally when they are on the road. 

Sure, the sample size is small, but the eye test tells the same story.

Indiana has been lights out offensively, defending inside the arc extremely well, and outrebounding opponents handily. Three-point defense has been the only significant issue during its 3-game winning streak.

And Minnesota won’t be able to exploit it.