We've got several high-profile teams in action on Friday's card, featuring a pair of Big 12-Big Ten showdowns.
Top College Basketball Best Bets for Today
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Providence 
at Colorado 
Now in their third year under head coach Kim English, the Friars entered the season with their highest efficiency rating in his tenure, ranked 48th. Unfortunately, the season is already trending downward. They only beat Holy Cross by 10 points on opening night, a team that's ranked 338th in efficiency, and they lost to Virginia Tech in overtime. As a result, Providence has slid all the way to 69th in overall efficiency.
The Buffaloes, on the other hand, are 2-0 but needed overtime to beat Eastern Washington, ranked 204th, not the most inspiring win. That said, they do three things incredibly well that should help them maintain their undefeated record on Friday. First, they are limiting turnovers, posting the 27th-best offensive turnover percentage. They are getting to the charity stripe, boasting the third-highest free-throw attempt rate in all of D1. And they're making long-range shots, knocking down 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Given how these two teams have played so far, and also the mile-high home court advantage for Colorado, I like the Buffaloes' odds of remaining undefeated on Friday. I'm taking the home team.
College Basketball Best Bet: Colorado (pick'em)
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Michigan 
at TCU 
The Wolverines survived their last game at home, defeating Wake Forest in overtime, 85-84. The close call against Wake Forest caused Michigan to slide down the overall efficiency chart, now 15th in the nation. Regardless, the Wolverines still figure to be a dangerous team. They rank 22nd in offensive efficiency and 10th on defense, making them a tough matchup on both ends of the court.
In contrast, the Horned Frogs don't have the same optimistic projections. TCU ranks 91st in efficiency, in part because it has already suffered a loss, dropping its season opener at home to New Orleans, 78-74. Perhaps the most alarming part of the loss was that its defense allowed a New Orleans team that ranks 265th in offensive efficiency to score 78 points on the road.
It's hard for me to trust TCU to outscore Michigan on Friday, even if the game is in Fort Worth. Instead, I believe that we'll see a fast-paced game with a ton of points scored. The Wolverines rank 12th in average offensive possession length, and the Horned Frogs are 50th in the same category, so both teams prefer to score as quickly as possible. It's possible Michigan's defense limits the overall point total to a significant degree, but I'm betting that we'll still see enough points to go past our target. I'm on the over in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Over 157.5
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Arizona 
vs. UCLA 
It's early in the season, but these two teams are already trending in opposite directions.
Arizona began the season ranked 15th in KenPom's overall efficiency chart and promptly earned a win against Florida on opening night, 93-87. The Wildcats went on to trounce their next two opponents at home, moving up to 11th on the efficiency chart. A key part of their early success has been the dominant performances of five-star freshman Koa Peat, who dropped 30 points on Florida, while also contributing seven boards, five assists, and three steals. If Peat can keep it going, the sky appears to be the limit for Arizona.
UCLA, meanwhile, started the season ranked 10th in overall efficiency, but it hasn't dominated its early opponents as expected. The Bruins beat Eastern Washington (No. 204 in overall efficiency) by six points, Pepperdine (No. 211) by 11 points, and West Georgia (No. 318) by 21 points. Even though the last two wins came by double-digit margins, UCLA still fell well short of meeting expectations. According to Action Network, the Bruins were roughly 30-point favorites in each game.
Considering how each team has looked in the first three games, I'm betting Arizona will walk away from the Intuit Dome with a win. I'm going with the Wildcats.
College Basketball Best Bet: Arizona -3
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Friday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Friday:
- Colorado pk
- Michigan at TCU - Over 157.5
- Arizona -3
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
