3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Thursday 11/6/25

The college basketball season is finally here, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Today's Best College Basketball Betting Picks

Bethune-Cookman at Miami (FL)

Miami -16.5 (-115)

Bethune-Cookman nearly shocked the college basketball world on opening night, taking Auburn to overtime before eventually losing 95-90. While that was surely an encouraging start to the season for a Wildcats team who entered the season ranked No. 236 on KenPom, it also means Miami (preseason No. 76) won't take them lightly as the 'Canes are coming off a 17-point victory in the first game of the Jai Lucas era.

The Hurricanes looked sharp in their season-opening win over the Jacksonville (preseason No. 241), averaging 1.16 points per possession despite shooting just 3-of-14 from beyond the arc. The bulk of their damage came inside as 53% of Miami's attempts came around the rim, and they shot 20-of-26 (77%) on such looks. That's likely unsustainable, but both of those would've led the country last season.

Even so, this roster build will likely have Miami near the top of the leaderboards for points in the paint. In addition to freshman bruiser Shelton Henderson -- a top 25 prospect who originally committed to Duke -- the Hurricanes brought in several high-major transfers who thrived attacking the rim, including Malik Reneau and Ernest Udeh Jr. Those three led Miami in scoring on Monday, helping the Hurricanes net 44 points in the paint and post a +15 rebound differential.

That's where Bethune-Cookman could run into serious trouble tonight. Their tallest big man is just 6-foot-8, and only two of their eight rotation players stand taller than 6-foot-6. That was felt against Auburn as Bethune-Cookman allowed 48 points in the paint and 38 free throw attempts while losing the rebounding battle 40-33.

Bethune Cookman made 12-of-24 threes and got 44 points in the paint themselves to stay in the game. But I'm pessimistic they stay that hot from beyond the arc, and Miami's Udeh offers an interior presence the Wildcats simply aren't equipped to handle. Last season with TCU, Udeh ranked top 20 nationally in defensive box-plus minus, per Bart Torvik. He blocked 2 shots in just 22 minutes on Monday, and at 6-foot-11, he'll be a real problem for Bethune-Cookman in the paint.

Assuming the Wildcats don't shoot 50% from three again, I just don't see how they stay in the game against a Miami side that is going to live in the paint. Though this is a hefty spread, I'm comfortable backing a talented Hurricanes roster against a mid-major Bethune-Cookman squad who could be in a let-down spot after nearly upsetting Auburn.

Jackson St. at Louisville

Jackson St. +37.5 (-102)

This is the most-hyped Louisville team in recent memory -- for good reason. Coming off a 27-win season in Pat Kelsey's first campaign, the Cardinals entered this year with their highest preseason KenPom ranking (No. 14) since 2020. They have as much experience as anyone in the country after bringing in a pair of high-major guard transfers (Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely) but also boast budding NBA talent (five-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr.). The Cardinals are expected to be real contenders in the ACC.

We saw that firsthand when Louisville routed South Carolina State (preseason No. 322) by 59 points in their opener, and that eye-popping margin likely explains tonight's 37.5-point spread.

Even so, Jackson State will be a step up in competition. The Mo Williams-led Tigers (preseason No. 252) suffered a lopsided defeat of their own on Monday, losing to Illinois (preseason No. 6) 113-55. But the Illini shot a staggering 17-of-37 from three in that one, whereas Jackson St. made 7-of-29 threes.

Louisville is a strong outside shooting team, too. But we can't expect the Tigers to let up 17 made threes. It's not like Jackson State is unfamiliar with this level of competition, either. They return 61% of their minutes -- a top-20 mark in the country -- from a team which faced Houston, Xavier, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Iowa State last season. That team started 0-13 but finished the year just two games shy of a .500 record.

And -- while this is supposed to be a better Louisville team -- it's not like Kelsey's Cards routinely ran up 40-point margins last season. They faced eight teams outside the top 150 on KenPom last season, but only one of those games ended with Louisville winning by more than 37.5 points.

This is just too hefty of a spread for me to back such a new team against one with continuity and experience facing big programs. Louisville likely still wins this one by big margin, but look for Jackson State to cover +37.5.

North Florida at Florida

Thomas Haugh (FLA) Over 15.5 Points (-110)

The defending-champion Florida Gators dropped their season-opener to Arizona on Monday out in Vegas. That was no fault of last year's tournament star Thomas Haugh as the 6-foot-9 junior went for 27 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He easily led the Gators in minutes (38) and attempted 14 free throws, solidifying himself as the primary offensive option for this year's Florida team.

That performance didn't come out of nowhere, however. Despite coming off the bench last season, Haugh had established himself as one of Florida's best players by the time they cut down the nets at the beginning of April. From February 8th onward, Haugh averaged 12.5 points and a 19.4% usage rate over just 27.2 minutes per game. He crept up to 30 minutes seven times over the final two months of the season, scoring at least 16 points in five of those games despite still serving as the fourth option behind their talented backcourt.

But with that entire backcourt graduating, Haugh was expected to take a step forward this year. The Gators made that clear in starting him alongside Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu -- something that seemed out of the question during last year's title run.

Haugh proved his worth in the starting lineup against Arizona, and I expect him to continue serving as Florida's top scorer moving forward. As such, Haugh is in a nice spot to go over his points prop against North Florida tonight.

The Ospreys have yet to play a game this season, but they entered the year ranked 340th on KenPom. None of their top six projected contributors can match Haugh's height, so the Gators should feast in the paint. There's certainly concern for Haugh getting limited minutes in a blowout given the spread (Florida -41.5), but the Gators are rocking a bonkers 105-point implied total. That should allow everyone to eat, and we saw on Monday that Haugh is going to be the Gators' go-to scorer.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.