We’re still in the very early going of the 2019-20 college basketball season, so we are a long way from knowing which teams will contend for the March Madness title in the spring. However, Kentucky got off to an unusually sharp start, beating Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic. Duke beat Kansas in the other game in that showcase. Louisville also looks solid after picking up an impressive win at Miami in the first week. A lot of the contenders are opening their season with much easier competition, though, so it will be hard to get a solid idea about many of the contenders for a couple of weeks. If you are considering including college basketball betting picks in your wagers for the week, take a look at our suggested picks.
Top College Basketball Betting Picks of the Week – November 11th Edition
Kentucky is ranked No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25. https://t.co/aUXuZXRPRv
— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) November 11, 2019
Tuesday, November 12
Missouri at #19 Xavier (7:00 pm ET, CBS Sports)
Missouri got out of the gate with a 2-0 start, rolling over Incarnate Word by 40 points in their opener and then beating Northern Kentucky by 15 on Friday, making their trip to Xavier their first real test of the young season. In that win over Northern Kentucky, Mark Smith showed that he is back after missing the last seven games of 2018-19 with a foot injury. He did not score a point against Incarnate Word, but he had 19 points in the win on Friday, including 15 in the first half, going 4 for 7 from downtown. Missouri led by just seven points at the break but went on a 17-0 run near the middle of the second half, pushing the lead to 21. Jeremiah Tilmon had 13 points, and Kobe Brown and Mitchell Smith each added ten, as the Tigers’ frontcourt had their way inside.
Xavier also opened with some favorable matchups, beating Jacksonville University by 19 in their opener on Tuesday and then beating Siena by 18 points on Friday. Tyrique Jones tore into his teammates for their sloppy play to start the game and then put up 20 points to pace the team to a win. Jones had 12 in the first half, including eight points on four highlight-reel dunks. Naji Marshall also scored 20, and Jason Carter put up nine in his first start for the Musketeers. It helped the Siena went 1 for 11 near the end of the first half, letting the Musketeers run away going into the intermission. Xavier has the better track record over the last few seasons as far as team performance, and it looks like they may have had their trap game in the early moments against Siena.
College Basketball Betting Prediction: Xavier 77, Missouri 70
Wednesday, November 13
#10 Villanova at #18 Ohio State (7:00 pm ET, FS1)
Villanova opened their 2019-20 campaign last Tuesday with a 97-54 thumping of Army, and then they had eight days between games ahead of Wednesday’s tilt at Ohio State. Freshman Jeremiah Robinson-Earl put up 24 points and 13 boards, as one of the top 15 recruits in the nation went 9 for 14, putting forth a terrific effort in his college debut. Justin Moore also started, giving the Wildcats two true freshmen in the starting line up for the first time in 17 seasons. However, Villanova did not look inexperienced at all, putting on a 16-0 run in the first half to build a lead that grew as large as 31 before shrinking to 23 at the intermission.
Now Villanova faces a more difficult foe in Ohio State. The Buckeyes beat AAC foe Cincinnati by eight in their opener and then walloped Massachusetts-Lowell by twenty on Sunday, 76-56. In that game, freshman guard D.J. Carton put up 13 points, leading a team that is young but has a ton of talent. Ohio State did not start off fast but took the lead near the seven-minute mark of the first half and did not look back. They built their lead as high as 31 points in the second half before the River Hawks picked up some points in garbage time. But are the Buckeyes ready for one of the sport’s top programs (who are in a bit of a rebuild year)?
College Basketball Betting Prediction: Villanova 74, Ohio State 68
