There are plenty of top-25 teams playing on tonight’s college basketball schedule. I zeroed in on some matchups and confirmed my analysis with the AI Model’s predictions. Here are the top three bets for tonight’s slate.
Picks Summary
- Yale-Purdue Over 145.5 (-110)
- Lamar +23 (-110)
- Kansas City +28 (-110)
*All odds from Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
Yale Bulldogs vs. Purdue Boilermakers
Monday, November 11, 2024 – 08:00 PM ET at Mackey Arena
The AI Model thinks Purdue and Yale will score 146 points. However, Caesars’s total is currently 145.5. There’s slight value to the over for this exciting game.
Can Yale Bounce Back?
The Yale Bulldogs are currently 1-1 this season. Yale knocked off Quinnipiac with 88 points but failed to defeat Illinois Chicago, losing 91-79 in that game.
Already, both games have had at least one team reach 88 points. It’s hard to imagine Purdue couldn’t be the next team to do that in a game against Yale.
Yale has forced turnovers just 15.4% of the time. The Bulldogs also allow a 46.5% effective field goal percentage, which is just a little better than the average to begin the season.
With Purdue shooting an effective field goal percentage of 64.2%, you can expect the Boilermakers to go off on offense. Yale probably won’t bounce back defensively.
Yale Can Still Shoot Threes!
The Yale Bulldogs have nailed 40.9% from downtown. They don’t shoot threes at a ridiculously high rate. They shoot them within the offense. Beyond that, they’ll need to limit turnovers a little more, but so far, Purdue has only added 16.3% of turnovers, so they’ll likely do just that.
With Yale’s ability to shoot free throws at a high rate and win on the offensive glass, the Bulldogs should at least stick around offensively.
I’m with the AI Model and like the Over for this game.
NCAAB Pick: Over 145.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Lamar Cardinals vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Monday, November 11, 2024 – 08:00 PM ET at Reed Arena
Our AI Model believes Lamar will cover a 23-point spread with an 83-62 loss on the road to Texas A&M. A 21-point loss would be just fine since Lamar is getting 23 points via Bet365.
Lamar Has Momentum
The Lamar Cardinals finished last year’s season with four consecutive wins until they lost to eventual Southland Conference winner McNeese State. Lamar almost beat McNeese State earlier in the season last year.
To begin this season, Lamar defeated a non-D1 program by a lot. So, we don’t know precisely what this Lamar team is made of. However, they should be competitive. They’ll need to limit turnovers better, but this team should be capable of hitting shots from anywhere on the floor.
Texas A&M Already Lost!
The Texas A&M Aggies, ranked No. 13 to begin the year, lost to UCF on the road, 64-61. They returned with an 87-55 win against Texas A&M Commerce. But when you add the two games together, Texas A&M has fouled a lot on defense and has struggled to get to the foul line on offense.
In addition, the Aggies have shot just 57.9% from the foul line and have hit only 31.6% from deep. Texas A&M will be more active on the glass, but the offense isn’t all that great to begin the season.
I’ll grab Lamar at +23 against an overrated Texas A&M program.
NCAAB Pick: Lamar +23 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Kansas City Roos vs. Iowa State Cyclones
Monday, November 11, 2024 – 08:00 PM ET at Hilton Coliseum
The AI Model suggests Iowa State will defeat Kansas City 83-56. However, you can find Kansas City at +28 at Caesars. That would be enough to cover against No. 5 Iowa State.
What We Know About Kansas City
To begin the season, the Kansas City Roos have defeated two non-D1 schools. However, Kansas City scored more than 200 points in those two wins combined. The competition will be much stiffer against Iowa State.
But Kansas City is already ranked No. 200 at KenPom and is expected to be fairly competitive. These first two wins proved that.
Can Iowa State Shoot From Three?
The Iowa State Cyclones defeated Mississippi Valley State 83-44. However, the team had the ball stolen 12.2% of the time and shot just 23.8% from three.
Iowa State’s defensive performance was elite, but the offense wasn’t as good. They shot an effective field goal percentage of 51.7%, which is good but not good against Miss State Valley.
The Kansas City Roos are predictably good this year. They’ll clearly lose on the road, but it’s hard to imagine it will be by more than 28. Take the Roos against the spread.
NCAAB Pick: Kansas City +28 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
