Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. Pictured: Isaiah Whaley.
After a Wednesday night that included games like No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 West Virginia and No. 2 Baylor vs. No. 5 Illinois, we’re blessed with more college basketball today.
From UConn and Boston College to Wright State and Eastern Illinois, our college basketball staff broke down their favorite college basketball picks of the day.
Check out the betting analysis for each of their four picks below.
How to Bet Thursday’s College Basketball Slate
Here’s a rundown of our favorite betting spots on Thursday’s slate of games:
All listed odds have been updated as of Thursday morning and via DraftKings. Specific bet recommendations at the end of each matchup breakdown 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.
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Eastern Illinois (-24.5) vs. Chicago State
By Mike Randle
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| Eastern Illinois Odds | -24.5 [BET NOW] |
| Chicago State Odds | +24.5 [BET NOW] |
| Moneyline | N/A |
| Over/Under | 139.5 [BET NOW] |
| Time | 3 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Eastern Illinois has played one of the most difficult early-season schedules in the country. The Panthers have battled in three true road games at No. 4 Wisconsin, Marquette, and Dayton. They lost at Wisconsin by only 10 and fell just three points short in a big comeback against Dayton.
They now host their home opener against one of the worst teams in college basketball. Chicago State has lost its three games by 23, 59, and 30 points, respectively. The Cougars are 0-3 against the spread this season, coming off a year they were 9-17 ATS.
Chicago State is among the nation’s worst in every single metric. Last year, out of 353 Division I teams, it ranked 349th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 351st in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom. This year, out of 357 Division I teams, the Cougars rank 350th in offense and 356th in defense. Just abysmal.
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Eastern Illinois is a senior-laden team that will be hungry to stop the losing streak. Josiah Wallace (14.3 ppg) and Mack Smith (9.3 ppg) lead the scoring with Jordan Skipper-Brown (7.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Kashawn Charles (7.3 ppg, 38.5% from 3) providing versatility.
Coach Jay Spoonhour’s team is always strong defensively, allowing opponents to shoot just 46.7% from inside the arc last season. It has still managed to hold its opponents to just 48.5% this year despite facing three of the toughest opponents of any team.
With senior Deang Deang still recovering from a leg injury from last season, the Panthers have shown vulnerability from the 3-point line. However, it is unlikely a Chicago State team shooting just 19.7% from beyond the arc will be able to take advantage.
I’m laying the points with Eastern Illinois in its home opener and betting on Chicago State’s fourth consecutive road game will follow its usual ATS trend.
I would bet this line up to Eastern Illinois -25.5.
Pick: Eastern Illinois -24.5 (up to -25.5).
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UConn (-1) vs. USC
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| UConn Odds | -1 [BET NOW] |
| USC Odds | +1 [BET NOW] |
| Moneyline | -117 / -105 [BET NOW] |
| Over/Under | 142.5 [BET NOW] |
| Time | 6 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Dating back to last spring, the Huskies are currently on a 10-2 run, punctuated by a six-point victory over the 21st-ranked Houston Cougars.
Had the NCAA Tournament been held last season, UConn would likely have been on the right side of the bubble had it been afforded a chance to make some noise at the AAC tournament. College basketball’s loss (watching another historic UConn turnaround) is gamblers’ gain in this case because the betting markets still haven’t caught up to the Huskies.
That 10-2 SU run I mentioned was accompanied by an impressive 7-4-1 mark at the betting window, including three outright upsets as an underdog.
From a personnel standpoint, the loss of Christian Vital has been considerably softened by Howard transfer R.J. Cole. The former MEAC standout was a volume scorer down in Washington D.C., but it appears he spent his year off working on his shooting. Through two games, Cole has already upped his shooting percentages from 3-point range, the line and the field.
Pairing Cole with James Bouknight is exactly what Dan Hurley envisioned when he lured away the sought after mid-major superstar. Through two games, the pair is averaging 32.5 points and 4.5 steals per game. By season’s end, this very well may be the best backcourt in the Big East.
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USC is coming off of a blowout victory over BYU. The Trojans absolutely bullied the Cougars on the glass, with both Mobley brothers ending the game with double-doubles. I sense a slight shooting regression coming from this USC team that’s shooting a blistering 53.5% from the field.
I also expect a strong performance from the Huskies’ Isaiah Whaley. The former complementary piece off the bench is now logging starter minutes and responded nicely with a double-double in his last game. If he can keep the Mobley brothers from dominating the paint and creating second-chance opportunities, I believe UConn will have enough firepower to pull away in its home state.
Pick: UConn -1.
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Wright State (+1.5) vs. Marshall
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| Wright State Odds | +1.5 [BET NOW] |
| Marshall Odds | -1.5 [BET NOW] |
| Moneyline | +100 / -121 [BET NOW] |
| Over/Under | 156 [BET NOW] |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN3 |
Wright State dominated the Horizon League last season, going 15-3 in conference play before losing to a much less talented UIC team in the conference tournament.
The Raiders are loaded once again and should be the best team in the Horizon again in 2020-21. Last season, Wright State finished ranked as the 133rd-best team, per KenPom, and is expected to improve, as it’s now ranked 114th going into the season. The main reason is because of its frontcourt led by Loudon Love, who almost averaged a double-double last season.
The Raiders were top-60 in college basketball in 3-point percentage, turnover percentage, and offensive rebound percentage. That’s going to be a big advantage against Marshall, who ranked 328th in allowing offensive rebounds last season.
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Marshall returns its entire roster from last season, so it’s projected to take a big step forward in Conference USA after having one of the youngest rosters last season.
The Thundering Herd play at one of the fastest paces in the country under Dan D’Antoni, ranking fourth in tempo last season. The offense struggled to shoot the ball at times, ranking near the bottom of college basketball in 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage. That’s not going to bode well against Wright State’s defense, which was 28th in defending the 3-ball and 51st in effective field goal percentage allowed.
I think this line should be flipped. I have Wright State projected at -1.43 favorites, so I think there’s value on the Raiders on their home floor.
Pick: Wright State +1.5.
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Boston College (Team Total Over 67.5) vs. Florida
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| Boston College Odds | +7.5 [BET NOW] |
| Florida Odds | -7.5 [BET NOW] |
| Moneyline | +275 / -360 [BET NOW] |
| Over/Under | 142 [BET NOW] |
| Time | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
As basketball fans, we’ve all become accustomed to the “bubble” concept. More importantly, we’ve seen what offensive players can do when they are familiar with the bubble environment. This is Boston College’s fourth consecutive game in Mohegan Sun’s Bubbleville.
Wynston Tabbs and Jay Heath form one of the best backcourt duos in the ACC. They are each going to get their share of points, as they are combining for over 30 points per game this season. While these two do a lot of the heavy lifting, it’s actually the role players who have been responsible for the Eagles’ 55.8% effective field goal percentage and 45th-ranked free-throw rate (out of 357 Division I basketball teams).
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that making a high percentage of field goals and getting to the line often is the most efficient way to score points.
Some might wonder, “Wait a minute. Do we really want to take an over against Mike White’s Florida Gators?” Under normal circumstances, the answer would be no. However, the Gators’ season has started under anything but normal circumstances. Unfortunately, they’ve had to deal with Covid-19 issues in both October and November. On Nov. 22, they even had to suspend basketball activities and pull out of the Mohegan Sun Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament.
Florida returned to practice Friday, and by Sunday, its travel plans were rerouted from Norman, Oklahoma, to Uncasville, Connecticut.
When preseason preparation is disrupted, it’s the defensive end that suffers.
Pick: Boston College Team Total Over 67.5 (up to 69).
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