Top NCAAB Betting Games for 2017 Opening Weekend

College basketball play opens this weekend, as the long break since the end of last year March Madness finally comes to an end. A lot of contenders this year are opening with some cupcakes, top-ranked and huge NCAAB Betting favorite Duke, for example, is hosting Elon. Twelfth-ranked Cincinnati is taking on the challenge of Savannah State on Friday. How about fifth-ranked Kentucky? They’re hosting Utah Valley. The problem with handicapping these mismatches is that the spreads are often immense, but then if the home favorite is a little rusty coming out of the gate, they might not win by 37 ½ points or more. However, there are some solid sports betting opportunities for you this weekend in college basketball odds, so let’s take a look.

Top NCAAB Betting Games for 2017 Opening Weekend

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College Basketball Betting Projections & Predictions for 2017-18 Season

Texas A&M vs. West Virginia

• When: Friday, November 10, 6:00 pm ET
• Where: Ramstein AFB

“Press Virginia” may look a little different this season. Rather than running that full press all game long, night after night, the Mountaineers may only employ that defense some of the time. Their numbers are down a bit this year, and they don’t want to wear out the charges. However, you can still expect West Virginia to go run and gun with their offense, simply trying to run opposing teams out of the gym. They face a Texas A&M squad that relies on physical defense and rebounding to get their wins, forcing opponents into a slow rhythm. It’s hard to imagine two more different styles facing off here. While Texas A&M enters the season ranked #25 in the nation, West Virginia sits at #11 — and Bob Huggins’ scheme has had a lot more extended success than the Aggies’. Give me West Virginia to win this neutral-site game.

Latest NCAAB Betting Trends

• Texas A&M is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas A&M’s last 6 games
• West Virginia is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games
• West Virginia is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

Northern Iowa at North Carolina

• When: Friday, November 10, 7:00 pm ET
• Where: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Point guard Joel Berry II remains questionable for the Tar Heels in this matchup, as he lost a video game to teammate Theo Pinson and a team manager and ended up punching a door. The fracture will keep him on the shelf for a while. The Tar Heels will need to keep their wits about them with Northern Iowa on the slate. The Panthers knocked off Texas in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year and pushed Texas A&M to double overtime. The year before, then knocked off Wyoming and pushed Louisville until garbage time. So this Missouri Valley Conference mid-major definitely comes to play. If this point spread is more than a dozen, I definitely consider taking the Panthers to push UNC.

Latest NCAAB Betting Trends

• Northern Iowa is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
• Northern Iowa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Northern Iowa’s last 12 games
• North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

Monmouth at Seton Hall

• When: Sunday, November 12, 1:30 pm ET
• Where: Newark, New Jersey

You probably remember Monmouth from their ESPN highlights celebrating three-point shots from their squad on the court. However, this is a team that has pushed into the NIT the past two seasons and will knock off unsuspecting favorites. The Seton Hall Pirates come into this season ranked #23 in the nation, but their up-and-down record in the Atlantic-10 suggests inconsistency, and I’m not sure how seriously I expect them to take the Hawks. Monmouth plays with a nothing-to-lose attitude, pushing the offensive envelope, and if Seton Hall gives up some momentum early, this could be a big win for the Hawks.

Latest NCAAB Betting Trends

• Seton Hall is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
• Monmouth is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Monmouth’s last 6 games

Vermont at Kentucky

• When: Sunday, November 12, 3:30 pm ET
• Where: Lexington, Kentucky

The Vermont Catamounts stormed their way into the Big Dance last year, winning the America East conference tournament and pushing Purdue, falling by only ten points in the opening round of the tournament. They get a nationally televised date with fifth-ranked Kentucky to start the 2017-18 campaign. Can a Catamounts team return most of their core surprise to a Kentucky team that has to reinvent the wheel each year thanks to their one-and-done recruiting? We will see. For me, though, unless that line is over 20, I’m taking the Wildcats at home. I see Kentucky pushing their way to the top of the SEC again and taking advantage of some turnover at some of the other elite programs to make it deep into March Madness.

Latest NCAAB Betting Trends

• Kentucky is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
• Kentucky is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games