An 18-game college basketball slate serves as an appetizer for a loaded weekend of games.We've highlighted the odds, movements, and our college basketball best bets forFriday.
The Big East takes center stage on Friday night with Xavier, Georgetown, Creighton, and Marquette all playing in conference openers.
Here are our best bets for Friday’s college basketball slate (odds via FanDuel Sportsbookand Caesars Sportsbook; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our college basketball best bets.
Friday’s College Basketball Schedule and Odds
(odds via DraftKings)
- Xavier (-610) vs. Georgetown (+460)
- Delaware (+275) vs. Princeton (-330)
- Green Bay (OFF) vs. Stanford
- Creighton (+150) vs. Marquette (-175)
Friday’s College Basketball Best Bets
- Spread: Xavier -10.5 (-114 via FanDuel) vs. Georgetown
- Moneyline: St. Bonaventure (-170 via FanDuel) vs. Florida Gulf Coast
- Total: Missouri State-Oral Roberts Over 145 (-110) via Caesars
- Upset: Creighton (+158 via FanDuel) vs. Marquette
Friday’s College Basketball Top Picks
Spread:Xavier -10.5 (-114)⭐⭐⭐⭐
Georgetown has logged five wins in 2022-23, but each victory has come against a team ranked outside KenPom’s top 210. The Hoyas have lost by an average of 15 points over three games against teams ranked inside the top 100.
Xavier is the best squad Georgetown has faced all season. The Hoyas have allowed 76 points per game over their last four contests. But none of those opponents were as talented offensively as Xavier, which ranks in the top 11 in adjusted offensive efficiency, effective field-goal percentage, and 3-point percentage (40.8%). The Musketeers scored 97 points on the Hoyas during a 22-point rout in 2021-22, which is troubling since Xavier returned 58.4% of its production from last campaign.
Backing Xavier at FanDuel is well worth the slightly extra juice, as competing sportsbooks are as high as -11.5.
Moneyline:St. Bonaventure (-170)⭐⭐⭐⭐
Friday's slate isn't offering much moneyline value, but we're willing to back the Bonnies at home. St. Bonaventure ranks 358th in returning production (in minutes) from last year’s team, and now the 2022-23 version has been one of the nation's most cohesive defensive groups. The Bonnies rank fifth in 3-point percentage allowed (24.5%), which should limit the offensive ceiling of an Eagles team that takes 45.4% of its field-goal attempts (31st-most in the country) from beyond the arc.
Once again, FanDuel is the best place to shop for Bonnies backers, as it saves as much as $20 compared to PointsBet’s -170 moneyline odds.
Check out our top sports-betting sites for New York.
Total:Missouri State-Oral Roberts Over 145 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐
Missouri State has dropped three consecutive games, and it averaged 43 points in a pair of losses against two of the slowest-paced teams during that span (Bradley and Saint Mary’s). Despite suffering a four-point loss to Purdue Fort Wayne in the team's last game, the Bears’ offense flowed much better under a quicker tempo while scoring 61 points, especially when the unit didn't settle for deep shots. The Bears went 18-for-22 shooting from inside the arc and just 7-for-41 from deep.
Therefore, we expect this game against Oral Roberts to be the quickest-paced contest Missouri State has played all year (the Golden Eagles play at the 35th-fastest pace in the country). Missouri State will also attack the rim more consistently. Conversely, there's no Bears defender who can slow down Max Abmas, who's averaging 26.3 points per game over his last four outings.
Caesars is the only sportsbook offering a total of 145, so we're happy to grab the extra half-point of value over the other books that are posting 145.5.
Upset:Creighton (+158) ⭐⭐
Creighton and Marquette are two teams heading in opposite directions. The Bluejays have lost five consecutive games after surging as high as No. 7 in the rankings, while Marquette has won five of its previous six contests (all by double digits), with the only road loss coming in overtime against Wisconsin.
I'm giving this only a two-star play, as the pick is predicated on Bluejays center Ryan Kalkbrenner being back in the lineup. Kalkbrenner has missed the last two games with a non-COVID-related illness, but hopefully four days off is enough time to recover.
With Kalkbrenner out, BYU snatched 21 more rebounds than the Bluejays, and Arizona State won that battle by seven. However,Kalkbrenner's rim protection will be vital in limiting a Marquette offense that shoots 61% (fourth-best) inside the arc.
Creighton can be found as low as +145 elsewhere, making the +158 odds at FanDuel a steal.
Where to Bet on College Basketball Best Bets
Here are ourtop-rated sportsbooks:
FanDuel: Get a $1,000 No-Sweat Free Bet | Read our FanDuel Review
Caesars: Earn a Free Bet of Up to $1,250 | Read our Caesars Review
DraftKings: Get a 20% Deposit Match up to $1,000 | Read our DraftKings Review
PointsBet: Earn Five Free Bets of Up to $100 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
BetMGM: Get a Free Bet of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
College basketball best bets from 12/16/2022 at 6:14 a.m. ET.
Written By:
Mike Spector Twitter link
I have been in the sports writing industry for over three years, working for sites like BettingPros/FantasyPros, Oddschecker, and Sportsbook Review.In my first year writing for BettingPros, I finished with the #2 overall record in their annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an over/under and moneyline perspective.I am an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, and all college sports. In my opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and I am especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. I am a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas."Follow me on Twitter for my best bets and commentary to go along with the wagers.
