The 2022-23 college basketball season kicks off with a loaded opening day slate. We have highlighted the odds, movements, and our college basketball best bets for Monday.
All AP top 25 teams are in action on the first day of the season, starting with No. 5 Baylor taking on Mississippi Valley State at noon ET. Five of the previous six national champions had preseason odds of +1350 or higher to take home the title. As such, bettors can likely cash in on a big payday if they can identify the right future championship squad at thi s point.
Here are our best bets for Monday's college basketball slate (odds via BetMGM, FanDuel Sportsbook, and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Monday's College Basketball Best Bets
- Moneyline: Belmont (-235 via FanDuel) vs. Ohio
- Spread: La Salle +15.5 (-105 via BetMGM) vs. Villanova
- Total: Howard-Kentucky Under 145.5 (-110 via DraftKings)
- Upset: South Dakota State (+142 via FanDuel) vs. Akron
- Prop pick: Hofstra +1.5 first-half spread vs. Princeton (-104 via FanDuel)
Top College Basketball Picks for Monday
Belmont jumps from dominating the Ohio Valley Conference to the more competitive Missouri Valley, where it was predicted to finish sixth in the preseason poll. The Bruins will always be a perimeter-oriented team but should be even more this year after losing All-OVC First Team big man Nick Muszynski from a year ago. How ever, the team brought in the electric Keishawn Davidson from Tennessee Tech to run the point. In addition, arguably the best portal addition to fit into a new system is Princeton's Drew Friberg. He was the Ivy League's best 3-point shooter last season and will help to keep the Bruins lethal behind the arc.