Alabama (-23.5) Among Best NCAA Basketball Picks Today 11/8
- Here are three college basketball betting picks you can play on Friday with 11 ranked teams in action.
- Cooper Flagg and Duke could score early and often against Army Black Knights.
- Go with Alabama and Purdue to cover as double-digit favorites.
- Bet on Purdue to cover the spread against Northern Kentucky
Most of the focus will be on the top-10 showdown in Lawrence Kansas when North Carolina and Kansas meet in the regular season for the first time in more than 20 years but that is not the only show in town on Friday with nine other ranked teams in action.
When looking at college basketball betting trends, there have already been two wins by unranked teams against teams in the top 25 of The Associated Press Top 25 poll. Will there be more surprises as we head into a weekend chock full of college basketball action?
When looking at the college basketball odds, the most competitive of the games on Friday featuring ranked teams could be the matchup between New Mexico and No. 22 UCLA with the Bruins favored by 5½ points.
Let’s check out three betting options to consider on Friday.
3 College Hoops Betting Picks for Friday
1. Army vs Duke Over 142.5
Cooper Flagg is the Duke freshman garnering most of the attention but he was far from the only newcomer to make an impact in the season opener for the Blue Devils.
Cooper Flagg 😳 pic.twitter.com/qXDjVNMF5F
— White Bball Pains (@WhiteBballPains) November 5, 2024
Classmate Kon Knueppel led the Blue Devils with 22 points in a season-opening win over Maine. Despite being 0-for-4 from 3-point range, the much-heralded Flagg had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the 96-62 win. Khaman Maluach joined Knuppel and Flagg as freshman starters for the Blue Devils. When you add in the six points off the bench from Darren Harris, Duke got 52 points from freshmen in the season opener. It could be more of the same moving forward for the Blue Devils.
Next up for No. 7 Duke is a home date with Army. The Black Knights opened the season with a win over Albany despite having just 50 field-goal attempts. Army would prefer to slow things down but when making NCAA basketball predictions, go with the Army-Duke game to land over the 142½-point total.
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2. Bet on Alabama to Cover at -23.5
The good news is that Arkansas State topped Akron in overtime in its opening game. However, next up is a matchup with No. 2 Alabama.
When the teams met during the 2023-24 season, Arkansas State made those who bet online sweat a little bit before covering as a 25½-point underdog. The NCAA basketball betting line is at 22½ for the rematch.
🔜 Friday Night at Coleman#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/tt93FM2tjB
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) November 7, 2024
Alabama had seven players score in double figures as the Crimson Tide began the 2024-25 season with an impressive 110-54 win against UNC Asheville. National player of the year candidate Mark Sears had an efficient showing with 20 points on eight shots. He had plenty of help. Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi had 16 points and eight rebounds. Other contributions came from not only returning players but from a talented freshman class.
Alabama will play three ranked teams by the end of November. This is another opportunity for the Crimson Tide to show why the expectations as so high this season.
Bet on Alabama (-23½) vs Arkansas State
3. Bet on Purdue -20.5
With 2023-24 national player of the year Zach Edey now one of the rookies off to the best starts in the NBA, Purdue is going to look much different on the offensive end of the court this season.
Braden Smith had 15 assists in a season-opening win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi and he figures to be a popular choice in the NCAAB expert picks. Nearly half of Purdue’s shots in the 17-point win were 3-pointers.
After a strong first half, Purdue’s showing in the second half wasn’t quite as impressive and that might not be the best news for Northern Kentucky on Friday night. Dating back to last season, Purdue has covered against the college basketball point spreads in just three of its last 11 games as a double-digit favorite at home. We still like the Boilermakers to come through as a 19½-point favorite.
Bet Purdue (-20½) vs Northern Kentucky
Questions Of The Day
Which team is the heaviest favorite on Friday?
Texas Tech is favored by 33.5 points against Northwestern State while Texas is a 33-point favorite against Houston Christian.
How many games between ranked teams are being played this weekend?
Three. No. 9 North Carolina plays at No. 1 Kansas on Friday. No. 8 Baylor meets No. 16 Arkansas and No. 11 Auburn squares off with No. 4 Houston on Saturday.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
