The college basketball season always provides a flurry of twists and turns that few saw coming -- especially when March Madness comes around. This can make college basketball one of the most challenging sports to bet on.

Fortunately, we have plenty of tools available that can aid our chances of taking the most favorable college basketball bets. 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.

College Basketball Best Bets

The Halal Guys Showcase: Texas A&M at No. 4 Houston

Houston -6.5 (-110)

After alternating wins and losses over the past six games, Texas A&M will make the 100-mile trip from College Station to the Lone Star's most populace city to face No. 4 Houston.

Rather than meeting on campus at UH, the game will instead take place nearby at the Toyota Center: home of the Houston Rockets. Dubbed as the Halal Guys Showcase, this neutral site bid may end up being not so neutral. Of course, the undefeated Cougars have high hopes for this season.

At 10-0, the University of Houston currently has the sixth-shortest odds (+1500) at FanDuel Sportsbook to be crowned as college basketball's next national champion. The Cougars have just began their 10th season under head coach Kelvin Sampson, who has guided UH to five March Madness births in his tenure. On the floor, senior point guard L.J. Cryer is a crafty scorer, working for 17.8 PPG in 2023.

It should be stated that Texas A&M is no slouch. After starting the season at No. 15 on the AP Poll, they reached as high as No. 12 before falling to Florida Atlantic at the ESPN Events Invitational. The Aggies have lost two other games since then, but head coach Buzz Williams has potential with this group in College Station.

A&M is also led by a talented point guard, junior Wade Taylor. He and Cryer should make for a fun matchup; Taylor is getting 17.1 PPG with 4.9 assists per game. Still, with that in mind, we must remember that UH is currently the top defensive school in the nation, suffocating opponents into just 49.7 PPG.

I truly think this will be mostly a home game for the Cougars, playing in downtown Houston. As the No. 3 team on numberFire's CBB power rankings, I don't mind laying 6.5 in a bigger arena where UH is the more established program.

Indy Classic: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 3 Purdue

Arizona +1.5 (-110)

In what will be a thoroughly packed 24 hours of sports (CBB, NFL, NBA, CFB, UFC, etc.), No. 1 Arizona versus No. 3 Purdue has a genuine case of being the top athletic contest of Saturday.

As the Indy Classic, this game won't be played in West Lafayette, but rather, in downtown Indianapolis at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse: home of the Indiana Pacers. There, we will see two of the top basketball programs in America come together for a potential national championship game preview.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, 'Zona (+1000 odds) is the second-favorite to win the NCAA men's basketball national title. The only team better? Yup, it's Purdue: the Boilermakers are priced at +950 to go all the way this season. So, in this early season clash of the titans, who has the edge?

The Wildcats from Tucson are a perfect 8-0 in 2023, both straight up and against the spread. To this point in the year, Arizona's most impressive victory came in their second contest, beating No. 21 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Simply, the 'Cats have proven they can win in an adversarial environment. Can head coach Tommy Lloyd repeat the act in downtown Indy?

I respect that Purdue still has the imposing talents of 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey. The big man is averaging 24.8 PPG with 10.8 boards, and as such, is the favorite to win his second consecutive John Wooden Award (-200 odds at FanDuel). Still, Arizona has a couple seven footers of their own -- centers Oumar Ballo and Motiejus Krivas might be able to slow Edey down some.

In the back court, I think U of A has the clear advantage. Caleb Love, Keshad Johnson, Kylan Boswell and Pelle Larsson are averaging a combined 51.3 PPG. From there, the power rankings at numberFire have 'Zona (23.32 nERD) as the top team in all the land right now. Of course, Purdue (20.39 nERD) is No. 2 on that same scale.

It's especially rare that these 'Cats are priced as 'dogs (underdogs, that is). With the way Arizona is playing, I am eager to take them getting a point and a hook.

Give me Wildcats +1.5.

CBS Sports Classic: No. 9 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Kentucky

Under 164.5 (-110)

After Arizona-Purdue, the next best game on college basketball's Saturday slate is assuredly in Atlanta, Georgia. Still, it won't feature Georgia Tech or even UGA; this weekend, ATL will host the CBS Sports Classic between No. 9. North Carolina and No. 14 Kentucky at State Farm Arena: home of the Atlanta Hawks.

UNC (7-2) has entered its third season in the post-Roy Williams era. Since 2021, current head coach Hubert Davis has gotten the Tar Heels into March Madness just once, notably losing in the national championship game to Kansas in 2021-22. Seniors R.J. Davis (21.0 PPG) and Armando Bacot (15.9 PPG/11.9 rebounds per game) were on that team, as they both continue to shine with North Carolina right now.

Led by 2012 national champion head coach John Calipari, Kentucky is also off to a 7-2 start in the current campaign. Heading into Saturday, the Wildcats are averaging 90.6 PPG, which is sixth most in men's Division I basketball. UK has no less than five players scoring in the double digits, but shooting guard Antonio Reeves has been the most effective behind 18.0 PPG.

With respect to two highly competitive programs that score the rock prolifically, I believe the total of 164.5 in this contest to be a little inflated. Considering either side has an authentic chance to emerge victorious on Atlanta's neutral grounds, I prefer a play on the under.

Back at numberFire, the college basketball game projections show a UNC winning score of 76.89-76.06. Collectively, that estimation equates to a total of 152.95, which falls nearly a dozen points short of the set total for this contest. We'll see if it is that easy come Saturday, but I am on under 164.5 for North Carolina-Kentucky.

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

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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.