College Basketball Betting Picks for Saturday 12/2/23

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

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 8 Miami (OH) Hurricanes

Miami -14.5 (-114)

For anyone who has paid attention, Notre Dame has not been faring very well on the court in 2023. Through six games, the Irish are a split 3-3. Of course, two of those early season victories are against Niagara and Maryland-Eastern Shore, and N.D. does show a 10-point loss to Western Carolina in the campaign.

As for the home team, Miami is one of the top basketball programs in the nation right now. Having played to a 5-1 record, the Hurricanes are scoring the rock at a prolific clip. At the moment, head coach Jim Larranaga has the U producing 86.3 PPG (22nd in the country). On the court, the Canes are led by junior Wooga Poplar; the swingman averages 18.2 PPG himself along with 6.3 boards.

The Fighting Irish have been particularly challenged on offense; they have yet to score north of 75 points in any single contest. Against a high-octate team like Miami-Florida, I fear Notre Dame might get run out of the gymnasium on Saturday.

As expected, numberFire's college basketball power rankings have these two institutions rather far apart. Through a short sample size, the Hurricanes (7.99 nERD) are 69th in America while N.D. (-3.28 nERD) is not found until 233rd. For me, that is enough difference to lay the points with the Hurricanes in Corral Gables.

No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles at Wisconsin Badgers

Marquette ML (-134)

Thus far into the young season, the Golden Eagles have gotten off to a proficient start. At 6-1 straight up (SU), Marquette also shows a 4-2-1 against the spread (ATS) record. Behind experience from junior guard Kameron Jones, they are scoring 81.4 PPG in 2023. Already, MU has earned statement victories over UCLA and No. 5 Kansas this season.

The Badgers (5-2) will host their in-state foes with aspirations of handing them their second loss of the year. Through seven contests, Wisconsin has proven to be one of the top defensive teams in the Big Ten (allowing just 63.9 PPG), but they also don't have any single player scoring north of 13.5 PPG. Still, four individuals are averaging double-digit scoring production; sophomore A.J. Storr leads the way.

For the Golden Eagles, it is less than 80 miles from Milwaukee to Madison, which should not feel like much of a road trip. Staying close by, I think Marquette manages to edge out a win over the Badgers. Keep in mind: the Eagles have only been defeated by No. 1 Purdue in 2023. At FanDuel Sportsbook, Marquette is absolutely seen as a team that can go all the way this year, yielding +1400 odds to win NCAA Tournament.

According to numberFire, MU is projected to beat Wisconsin by a score of 71.12-68.93. That presents a difference of 2.19 points, which is dangerously close to the set spread of -1.5. Being that Eagles' moneyline odds of -134 is not far off standard pricing, I'll take Marquette SU.

Michigan Wolverines at Oregon Ducks

Under 152.5 (-114)

In a matchup that could also reflect the same schools in the upcoming College Football Playoff, Oregon and Michigan will share the hardwood this Saturday afternoon. With tip off in Eugene scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, Wolverines-Ducks will commence the later slate.

Traveling out to Eugene, U-M comes out west after losing in the Battle 4 Atlantis to Texas Tech. Tournament play or not, Michigan has dropped three of their past four games, sitting at 4-3 SU. Seemingly, the Wolverines are allowing too many points for head coach (and former Fab 5 member) Juwan Howard's liking, giving up 75.0 PPG right now.

The Fighting Ducks won their first four games out of the gate in 2023, however, their streak was interrupted last weekend in the Emerald Coast Classic after losing to Santa Clara and Alabama in succession. Undoubtedly, Oregon is a scrappy team; senior big man N'Faly Dante sets tone with 16.0 PPG, 21.0 RPG, and 1.1 BPG.

Genuinely, I see the total as an ambitious number coming back after a week off. With most schools playing in destination tournaments last weekend, they are getting back to traditional travel following several days of non-competition. Perhaps a lack of rhythm on the court ensues, in which case under 152.5 feels like the most valuable play here.

Back at numberFire, the CBB game projections approximate a 73.44-68.62 final result in favor of the Ducks. Naturally, that equates to a sum of just 142.06, which falls more than 10 points short of the total mark. For me, it is definitely under in this one.

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

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.