The start of the college basketball season has begun!
It’ll take some time for fans to get excited. Some fans still have college football to look forward to. However, for teams like Purdue, Kentucky, and others that have underperformed, basketball fans are ready to switch gears and focus on the hardwood.
That can also be said about the Florida Gators, who have an enormous battle in the Hall of Fame Series against the Arizona Wildcats. I’ve got a basketball prediction for that game, along with one other matchup, and I’ve shared them below.
Let’s start hot with our college basketball picks today.
Theme for Today’s Picks
Ultimately, TNT is carrying a doubleheader in the Hall of Fame Series located in Las Vegas. These are easily the two most exciting games of tonight’s college basketball slate. Therefore, we’ve got to review these two games and provide the best college basketball bets for these matchups!
Take a look at which direction I’ll be going with these games below.
Arizona Wildcats vs. Florida Gators (-3.5 -110)
The Florida Gators will look to repeat as National Champions with a showdown against the Arizona Wildcats tonight.
Of course, there’s no data to use for these games. But Florida has a projected offensive efficiency of 121.3, which is third-best in the nation pre-season. Meanwhile, the Gators are projected to be a top-10 defense entering the season as well.
Florida returns a lot of its frontcourt, including Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelo. Its backcourt production won’t be around anymore, but Florida replenished with notable transfers like Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee.
On the other hand, Arizona’s front court will use Koa Peat, a freshman. He’s going to be a terrific rebounder, but it’s hard to imagine him competing against some of Florida’s front-court players. Arizona has another freshman in Brayden Burries, who is expected to play a lot, too.
Florida’s got the experience and probably the better overall lineup.
Expert Pick: Florida -2.5 (-115) at Caesars Sportsbook
Villanova Wildcats vs. BYU Cougars (-9.5 -110)
The Villanova Wildcats are in the Kevin Willard era. Willard helped Maryland reach the Sweet 16 in his third season with the program. That was enough to land him a job with Villanova.
The metrics don’t expect Villanova to have a top-50 offense. But BYU is expected to be one of the best offenses in the nation. After a wild ride last season, the expectations are super high for the Cougars.
BYU added freshman star A.J. Dybantsa, who will very likely be a top-three pick in the NBA Draft after this season. I also love the fact that Dybantsa will be the only freshman in BYU’s starting lineup. This will help him calm down and be the player he’s supposed to be.
On the flip side, Villanova will still be looking for its identity in 2025. There are many new transfers, so it might take some time. BYU has already gone from -7.5 to -9.5. I’ll stick with BYU here.
Expert Pick: BYU -9.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Wager on the Hall of Fame Series Now!
Recently, there have been so many exciting new tournaments in college basketball to start the season in non-conference play. A lot of the time, top teams would never schedule games against other top teams. But on a neutral court, it’s way easier to get top teams playing against one another.
Therefore, let’s enjoy these two tournament games and get our college basketball picks in. Consider opening up a new sportsbook account with partners like Caesars and BetMGM, and start the season off strong!
Join OddsTrader Turbo
If you’re looking for added success this college basketball season, consider joining our sports betting tool OddsTrader Turbo.
We’re currently offering a 30-day free trial to those interested. With OddsTrader Turbo, you will get to use an exclusive BetStation chatbot for expert advice, betting tips, and AI-powered insights. You can get sportsbook syncing to keep track of all your bets across all your sportsbook accounts in one place.
If that sounds like a helpful tool, take immediate action today!
*21+ Seek help with a gambling addiction at 1-800-Gambler
*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.
