3 Best College Basketball Bets and Predictions for Monday 11/18/24

College basketball is back, 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 Picks

Miami (OH) at Michigan

Danny Wolf Over 12.5 Points (-105)

Yale transfer Danny Wolf is off to a good start at Michigan, averaging 12.3 points per game through three games. That average is being drug down by one stinker, and I like him to net at least 13 points today.

Wolf has gone over 12.5 points in two of three games, scoring 14 and 19 points in those outings. In the one game where he missed, he scored only two points in what was an outlier game for him thus far.

He's leading Michigan in shots per game (9.0) and is second in minutes per game (26.3). He has done what he's done despite shooting an uncharacteristically low 28.6% from three. A year ago, he made 34.5% of his threes.

KenPom ranks Miami's defense 222nd in the nation, so the RedHawks should be short on answers when it comes to defending Wolf.

I like his chances to drop in at least 13 points today.

IU Indy at Iowa State

Iowa State Over 43.5 First-Half Points (-111)

This matchup pits one of the nation's best teams (Iowa State) against one of the worst (IU Indy, formerly IUPUI). There's bound to be some garbage time as Iowa State is a 35.5-point favorite. In an effort to avoid the late-game weirdness of a blowout, I'm targeting this first-half bet.

Iowa State sits 8th overall by KenPom -- 27th in adjusted offense and 3rd in adjusted defense. They should overwhelm the Jaguars, who are 358th overall, including 363rd (next to last) in defense.

In one of the Cyclones' two games thus far, Iowa State scored 44 first-half points against Mississippi Valley State, a team KenPom rates very similarly (364th overall) to IU Indy.

While 44 points is a big ask in a 20-minute half of college basketball, the talent gap between these two sides is about as big as we'll see in college hoops this season.

Gonzaga at San Diego State

Under 151.5 Points (-110)

This is my favorite bet of the night.

Gonzaga travels south to San Diego State for a clash between two of the top programs out west. It's a battle of contrasting styles, and I think the host Aztecs can help this game hit the under.

San Diego State likes to grind it out, preferring a slow pace and tough defense. That's been the case in recent years, and it's true again so far in 2024-25 as the Aztecs rank 16th in adjusted defense and 274th in adjusted tempo.

Gonzaga, meanwhile, likes a more up-and-down game where their elite offense can shine. Early this year, they rank first in adjusted offense and 50th in tempo.

When these two squads met at Gonzaga a year ago, the Zags got their way, and it resulted in an 84-74 (158 total points) win for the Bulldogs. Other than that game, these two teams have met only twice in the last 10 years. With the caveat that the other two games were in 2017-18 and 2016-17 -- so they probably don't mean much -- the total points scored in those games were 142 and 117.

SDSU has played meh competition so far, but the total points in their two games have been 149 and 121.

Bart Torvik has the projected total for this matchup at 144 points. numberFire's college basketball projections see it at 142 points. The under is the side I want to be on.

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Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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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.