There's limited top-25 college basketball action on Monday, but there's still plenty of value to target in the sport.
Three mid-major matchups are on the docket for me, including a duel between Grand Canyon and Northern Illinois.
Read below for college basketball best bets, including three NCAAB picks and predictions for Monday, November 10.
College Basketball Best Bets
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
Indiana State vs. SIU Edwardsville
I'm swimming against a strong market opinion with the Cougars, who return home after a dominating performance at UTSA to kick off the season.
The Cougs are well coached and loaded with length and size on the wing and up front. The question mark, at least coming into the season, was guard play, but there’s early signs of emergents in that domain.
Quite simply, Brian Barone and company could easily contend for an Ohio Valley Conference regular season title despite the loss of program pillars Ray'Sean Taylor and Desmond Polk.
OVC transfer Jack Campion looked up to the challenge against an athletic Roadrunner squad, proving he's settling in nicely to the point guard cockpit.
If Campion’s consistency at that premium position is legitimate, there’s no reason the Cougars won’t take care of business against the Sycamores, who are still wrestling with the interim head coach situation while Matthew Graves is on a medical leave of absence.
Indiana State’s defense can be shredded by well coached teams and SIUE certainly checks that box, even with a new maestro at point guard.
Pick: SIU Edwardsville -1.5 (Play to -3)
Little Rock vs. Milwaukee
Milwaukee’s thirst to push the pace can always be thwarted by certain styles, and there’s no better tempo killer than Little Rock’s zone scheme.
Notorious defensive chameleon Darrell Walker played zone on 30% of all defensive possessions in the season opener against Arkansas Baptist (data per Synergy), a sign of what to expect tonight against a much stiffer opponent.
Bart Lundy was adamant in recruiting shooters this summer after a dismal shooting performance last season, but there’s reasons to be skeptical about Milwaukee.
Through two games, the Panthers have made 34% of their 3s. That's not bad, but they're only shooting them at a moderate clip.
It's a tiny sample to extrapolate with certainty, but this offense may struggle to score efficiently, barring an explosive outburst by Amar Augillard, who’s been on a tight leash to start the season (only 30 minutes played total in their first two games).
On the other end, Little Rock is still sorting through its perimeter rotations after a pair of devastating injuries stripped the Trojans of backcourt dynamism this summer.
The scoring burden may fall on the frontline, for now, until Walker finds a reliable answer to his perimeter rotations.
The two-way identity crises pinned against each other should help this stay under the number.
Pick: Under 157.5 (Play to 155)
Northern Illinois vs. Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon looked brutal against Youngstown State last Friday. The Penguins were big, long and talented, exposing warts not revealed in Grand Canyon's dominant opening-day win against Purdue Fort Wayne.
Tonight, the Lopes face a prime "get right" opponent in Northern Illinois, which is considerably improved this season but still young and inexperienced. Specifically, Rashon Burno’s roster is loaded with underclassmen or international prospects, only a handful of which are seasoned in hostile Division I environments.
The key will be Grand Canyon’s ability to anchor in either man-to-man or zone defense, as head coach Bryce Drew has toggled through numerous looks over the first two games.
The dicey ball screen coverage could be a problem tonight, but perhaps the Youngstown State loss was exactly what the doctor ordered to fix those leaks.
Up front, the Lopes should dominate the paint, and if shots fall at a decent clip from 3-point range, this one could get out of hand in a hurry.
Pick: Grand Canyon -21 (Play to -23)
