Gonzaga vs. Kentucky and Cincinnati vs. Xavier take center stage in the college basketball world on Friday.
We have a bet for the Zags vs. Wildcats in this piece, but that doesn't mean there isn't betting value elsewhere in the sport.
Read below for college basketball best bets, including NCAAB expert picks and predictions for Friday, December 5.
College Basketball Best Bets
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Canisius vs. Saint Peter's
It’s MAAAACTION time! Everyone’s favorite mid-major Friday-focused league is back for early conference play.
This game features two of the worst teams in the country destined to finish near the bottom of the standings. Canisius is the nation’s 347th-ranked offense and Saint Peter’s is 336th. This is a barn burner if I’ve ever seen one.
The under is the play in this game. Aside from completely anemic scoring, this game features one team (Saint Peter’s) that can actually be competent on the defensive end and is known for scrappy play.
Saint Peter's should frustrate Canisius ball handlers all night and force 20ish turnovers, halting offense and mucking the game up in the process. Neither team looks to run offensively and both rank among the nation’s slowest in offensive tempo.
Historically, this matchup has had the tendency to be a rock fight and utter slogfest. In the first meeting last season, Saint Peter's and Canisius combined for 111 points in a 63-possession game.
The rematch was higher scoring, but it took 19 combined 3s — very much an outlier — to go over the total.
In 2023-24, the two matchups ended in 106 and 129 points — both ugly games.
In 2022-23, total scoring was 127 in the first game (in OT) and 119 in the second game.
You get the point. Don’t watch this game. Just bet the under.
Pick: Under 134.5 (Play to 132)
Gonzaga vs. Kentucky
Gonzaga and Kentucky square off in Nashville, each searching for answers after recent losses.
Kentucky is in far more dire straits, as it's coming off its third loss in three tries against real competition. The Zags were blasted by 40 in the Players Era Festival final by Michigan, but Mark Few’s squad has already notched quality wins and looks far ahead of Kentucky.
Kentucky’s entire vibe right now is off. Head coach Mark Pope’s energy in pressers is bizarre – much more that of a head coach of a hopeless team than a national title contender with a $20 million budget.
Injuries have destroyed the Wildcats early on, zapping their depth and robbing them of their point guard (Jaland Lowe), best big man (Jayden Quaintance) and now athletic forward (Mo Dioubate).
Hobbling into a matchup with Gonzaga — an elite team on both ends of the floor — is asking for trouble. The Zags can match Kentucky’s athleticism and size up and down the roster, and big man Graham Ike will test the limits of Kentucky freshman center Malachi Moreno.
Kentucky’s defense is good enough to keep the Zags somewhat at bay. Gonzaga wants to play through Ike and Braden Huff in the post, and Kentucky has plenty of resistance down low. The Zags have a couple strong perimeter shooters, but not enough to cause the Cats to panic.
On the other end, though, is where Kentucky should fall short. Pope’s offense has looked out of sorts with Otega Oweh’s slow start and lack of point guard play. Outside shooting is a major issue, and the Zags do not allow second-chance points.
Gonzaga perimeter pressure could bother the Kentucky combo guards and force them into tough isolation chances. And Gonzaga has no issue making this game a transition-focused affair — in fact, it would welcome it with its talent advantage.
The Zags will cover in a high-possession affair.
Pick: Gonzaga -3.5 (Play to -5)
Mount St. Mary's vs. Marist
The MAAC is often a crapshoot of a league. Any team can beat any other team and “home court advantage” is usually not that big of an advantage.
When there’s a large spread — like in this contest — the antenna goes up and attention shifts towards the dog.
Home court has been notoriously weak in MAAC play in recent years. KenPom tracks home win percentage, and over the past three seasons, the MAAC has ranked 25th, 30th and 30th out of 33 conferences (31 in 2025) in home win rate.
Travel is not a big ordeal for most matchups, as these schools tend to be located near each other. Emmitsburg, MD to Poughkeepsie, NY is less than a five-hour drive.
Marist is also due some defensive shooting regression. While the Red Foxes defense is always fierce under head coach John Dunne, their 3-point percentage allowed this season is comical and due for a major correction.
Division I opponents are shooting just 22.1% from outside the arc against Marist, the second-worst percentage in the country. And Dunne squads tend to allow plenty of outside looks.
The Mount has been poor this season, and it’s still likely missing key player Trey Deveaux. But the Mountaineers can still scrap, and more importantly, they can shoot.
Mount St. Mary’s lets it fly on offense at a top-50 rate and ranks in the middle of the country in 3-point percentage. Head coach Donny Lind has plenty of outside shooting threats in his deep perimeter rotation.
On the other end, Marist’s offense isn’t potent enough to take advantage of a bad Mount St. Mary’s defense.
The Foxes are very much a defensive-first team and rank just 313th in offensive efficiency.
This game should be fairly low scoring, giving the feisty 'dog a greater opportunity to cover.
Pick: Mount St. Mary's +9.5 (Play to +8.5)
