Best College Basketball Bets Today | NCAAB Picks November 7

After an exciting, season-opening Monday slate, featuring many of the Top 25 teams in the nation, Tuesday’s set of games is a bit less enthralling. However, the Indiana Hoosiers will kick their season off at home against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, while the Creighton Bluejays host the Florida A&M Rattlers. Check out our best college basketball picks for these two matchups below!

Florida Gulf Coast @ Indiana

• Date: Tuesday, November 7

• Time: 6:30 pm EST

• Moneyline: Florida Gulf Coast +650 | Indiana -1150

• Spread: Florida Gulf Coast +12.5 (-108) | Indiana -12.5 (-112)

• Total: Over 143.5 (-112) | Under 143.5 (-108)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

PICK: Indiana -12.5 (-110)

Despite losing Trayce Jackson-Davis, one of the best players in their program’s history, there are reasons to be optimistic if you are a fan of the Hoosiers. Indiana, and head coach Mike Woodson, have done a terrific job in the transfer portal and in signing highly-touted recruits over the past few seasons.

TJD leaves behind a lot of production that needs to be added, and the Hoosiers are hoping that the acquisition of former five-star center, Kel’el Ware, can begin that process, particularly as a rebounder and rim protector. Ware stands at 7-feet and has shown impressive vertical burst and touch around the rim. Any improvement in his overall offensive output, including a solid catch-and-shoot game, will catapult this team towards the top of the conference.

Malik Reneau (6-foot-9) is another player who will need to take a step forward this season; he had solid flashes last year but was inconsistent overall in his output. Reneau is another former five-star recruit who will join Ware in the massive Indiana frontcourt. Coach Woodson loves deploying two-big lineups, and we will continue to see that throughout his tenure.

At the small forward position, Indiana will play five-star freshman Mackenzie Mgbako, a tough shot-making combo forward who should make an immediate impact on this team. The area that will ultimately make or break the Hoosiers, though, is their frontcourt. Xavier Johnson, Gabe Cupps, Trey Galloway, and C.J. Gunn will absorb most of the minutes at the guard spots.

Still, that likely won’t matter in this fairly straightforward game. The Hoosiers won their first two “buy games” last season by an average of 43.5 points. After those two games, they played Xavier, followed by three more non-conference bouts, including against Miami (OH), Little Rock, and Jackson State; they won those three bouts by an average of 29 points.

Florida Gulf Coast does return a number of talented players to its roster this season, including its top four scorers: Isaiah Thompson, Chase Johnston, Zach Anderson, and Andre Weir. The Eagles are not going to be pushovers, as evidenced by the 12.5-point spread, but Indiana should surprise some people this season. The Hoosiers have depth in the frontcourt and a ton of talent.

Florida A&M @ #8 Creighton

• Date: Tuesday, November 7

• Time: 9:00 pm EST

• Moneyline: Florida A&M N/A | Creighton N/A

• Spread: Florida A&M +29 (-110) | Creighton -29 (-110)

• Total: Over 136 (-110) | Under 136 (-110)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

PICK: Creighton -29 (-110)

After the No. 4 Michigan State Spartans lost in overtime to James Madison on Monday night, it is hard to feel great about laying 29 points on any collegiate game. Still, the Creighton Bluejays are going to be an outstanding basketball team once again this season, and Florida A&M was undoubtedly one of the worst squads in the nation during the 2022-23 campaign.

As a matter of fact, the Rattlers (7-22, 5-13 in the SWAC) finished 359th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin, including ranking 362nd (out of 363 teams) in adjusted offensive efficiency. Further, they ranked 353rd in eFG% and 356th in turnovers per game, and are projected to finish as the second-worst team in the SWAC this season.

On the other hand, Creighton finished 12th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin and was one point shy of securing a Final Four appearance. The Bluejays return imposing 7-foot-1 big man Ryan Kalkbrenner, sharpshooters Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander, and Fredrick King and Francisco Farabello. They also brought in a number of players, including transfers Johnathan Lawson, Isaac Traudt, and Steven Ashworth, who should all contribute immediately.

While the Bluejays lost Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Nembhard, two key players in their Elite Eight run, they filled the gaps that their absence creates quite well. Given the Rattlers’ offensive struggles just a season ago, and our general lack of faith in their ability to stop a Creighton team with as much firepower as ever, we are comfortable laying the points in this spot.