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College basketball is almost here, and I’m breaking down the teams I’m bullish on and those I’m looking to fade in 2026-27.
From spreads and team total overs to opponent team total unders, there are plenty of ways to attack the market and find value this season.
So, here's college basketball preseason betting analysis for 2026-27, including three overrated teams and underrated teams for the new season.
Be sure to download the Action Network app for more expert picks and analysis!
Underrated: DePaul Blue Demons
First off, this writer would like to thank the editorial staff at Action Network for allowing me to spew my pro-DePaul propaganda to the world. Everyone and their mothers will be learning how head coach Chris Holtmann is going to change our lives, mostly mine.
The third-year coach of the DePaul Blue Demons may not get much hype outside the 312, but alumni, students and die-hard fans are excited about what could be another special season.
Holtmann is rebuilding this program to what it was when your father was a child, “brick by brick,” as he would say.
The 2026-27 Blue Demons should remain a team worth backing to the under after going 21-11 against the total last season. Even with new additions, Holtmann's defense-first philosophy should remain intact.
The best way to attack DePaul will likely be betting opponents' team totals under. Holtmann prefers a slower pace, and with offense taking a back seat, counting on the Blue Demons to build big leads could be a problem.
However, DePaul added Ade Popoola from Tulsa, a 6-foot-5 wing who shot 41% from 3-point range last season. He should provide a much-needed boost to a team that ranked last in 3-point shooting in the Big East.
Underrated: West Virginia Mountaineers
Another team where the unders reign supreme. Country Roads, West Virginia.
In the first year of the Ross Hodge era in Morgantown, the Mountaineers went 22-13 against the total. West Virginia also ranked third in scoring defense nationally a year ago.
If you’re unfamiliar with Hodge’s style from his time at North Texas, his teams love to play at a snail-like pace and suffocate the life out of opponents defensively.
If you’re the “unders are boring” type, 1), you hate fun, and 2), West Virginia isn’t going to be your team to watch this college basketball season.
Despite bringing in a completely new roster, we know Hodge will find guys who love playing lockdown, suffocating defense.
The Mountaineers’ top newcomer is former Butler standout Finley Bizjack, who averaged 17.1 points per game last season. The 6-foot-4 guard shot nearly 35% from 3-point range, averaging 2.2 makes per game.
Bizjack should add plenty of firepower while establishing himself as one of the sharpest shooters in the Big 12.
Underrated: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Despite their lightning-in-a-bottle run last season, the Cornhuskers are an underrated team entering the 2026-27 season.
We all got to witness them earn the first NCAA Tournament win in program history, beating Troy in the first round before advancing to the Sweet 16, where they eventually fell to Iowa.
Nebraska started 20-1 and finished with a program-record 28 wins. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, Fred Hoiberg took home Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
If you were living under a rock last season, the hype got so big that Nebraska men's basketball's Twitter/X account went viral after calling Lincoln the basketball capital of the world. Obviously, it was a clickbait post, but that's just how much buzz surrounded this team.
That hype should stick around, as Hoiberg believes this team is even deeper than last season's squad.
The Cornhuskers also added former Utah Valley guard Trevan Leonhardt, who averaged nearly 12 points, six assists and 2.1 steals per game while shooting almost 37% from 3-point range. Leonhardt should add another layer to an already talented roster.
With Lincoln believing it's the new mecca of college basketball and the atmosphere inside Pinnacle Bank Arena getting as crazy as it does, coming out alive against Nebraska this season is going to be a war.
Overrated: Creighton Bluejays
Greg McDermott is out golfing, and the Alan Huss era has officially begun at Creighton.
Huss spent the last two seasons coaching at High Point, where he went 56-15 and led the Panthers to back-to-back Big South regular-season championships.
This past season, he guided High Point to a conference championship, a Big South tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth while earning back-to-back Big South Coach of the Year honors.
Huss was McDermott’s former assistant before taking the High Point job, so he knows this program well.
However, this is essentially the same team as last season, with Creighton bringing back the second-highest percentage of roster production in the Big East, behind only Marquette.
With this conference becoming increasingly talented and well-rounded, Creighton could once again find itself in the middle of the pack. The Bluejays finished 16-18 overall and 9-11 in conference play last season, placing fifth in the Big East.
Prove it to me, Huss.
Overrated: Kentucky Wildcats
After last season’s disappointing campaign with a $20 million roster that looked extremely streaky all year, the Wildcats ultimately fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
This team is once again getting plenty of recognition for what it looks like on paper.
However, after seeing firsthand how money doesn’t necessarily translate to wins, I need to see more from this group before buying in.
With how deep the SEC has been over the last few years, Kentucky seems to be falling behind fast. The SEC media picked the Wildcats to finish seventh in the conference, behind Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Vanderbilt.
I want to be proven wrong, but I’m not sold just yet.
The Big Blue Nation die-hards aren’t exactly known for their patience. If the Wildcats don’t show meaningful improvement this season, Mark Pope’s seat is only going to get hotter.
Overrated: Michigan Wolverines
With Dusty May's departure following Michigan's first national title since your parents met at their favorite dive bar in 1989, the Wolverines are turning to Mike Boynton Jr. to keep the program's momentum rolling.
Boynton coached at Oklahoma State from 2017 to 2024, going 119-109 with just one NCAA Tournament appearance. The 44-year-old spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach.
There's a mixed history of coaches inheriting programs fresh off a national title, and I'm leaning toward Michigan taking a step back this season.
The Wolverines return their top guards — Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney — while adding a bunch of talent through the transfer portal. Boynton noted that, "statistically, it will look close to the same as what people expect from Michigan basketball."
When I hear "close," I hear "not as good."
Hopefully, the books overvalue the Wolverines, and we can find some mispriced lines on them this season.
