HEADLINE: Best College Basketball Bets Today: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Thursday, November 20
Top College Basketball Best Bets for Today
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It's that time of year, as a prelude to next week's festivities, today's college hoops slate features several neutral-site events tipping all across the country, and even beyond.
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Pittsburgh 
vs. UCF
From Daytona Beach, Fla., these two teams are squaring off in the Skyscanner Legends Classic.
Here we have a fairly even matchup at both ends of the court. UCF ranks 49th in offensive efficiency and is going against a Pittsburgh defense that ranks 47th, while the Panthers are 97th on offense and the Knights are 104th on defense.
With both sides having equal competition, my preference is to take the better offensive team. UCF might not get as many stops as other teams, but it does several things incredibly well when it has the ball. The Knights currently sport the 25th-highest effective field goal percentage in the nation, and they also rank 42nd in offensive rebounding percentage and 120th in free-throw attempt rate. For comparison, Pittsburgh's offense ranks outside of the top-100 teams in all three categories.
It's possible the Knights' defense won't be able to get enough stops for a win, but I'm not quite as concerned about that in a matchup against an opponent that doesn't have great offensive prospects.
Given a significantly better offensive team, I gotta go with UCF in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: UCF +1.5
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Texas Tech 
vs. Wake Forest 
From Nassau, Bahamas, as part of the Baha Mar Championship.
The Red Raiders lost a tough game in Champaign, 81-77, but they still appear formidable, especially at the offensive end, where they boast the 12th-highest offensive rating in the nation.
The Demon Deacons, meanwhile, traveled to Ann Arbor last week and gave Michigan all it could handle before finally losing in overtime, 85-84. The Wolverines rank seventh in defensive efficiency, so the fact that Wake Forest dropped 80 points in regulation on the road shouldn't be overlooked.
The Demon Deacons haven't made the NCAA Tournament yet under head coach Steve Forbes, now in his sixth season leading the team, but they are often feisty and capable of scoring a ton of points. For example, they finished in the top-60 in offensive efficiency in three of the past four years, and they also defeated Duke straight up in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Considering the offensive abilities of the teams involved and the likelihood that Wake Forest can speed up the game, I like our chances of seeing a high point total. I'm taking the over.
College Basketball Best Bet: Over 158
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Mississippi State 
vs. Kansas State 
The biggest difference between these two teams is defense. The Bulldogs got torched by Iowa State a little over a week ago, allowing 96 points, but the long-term data still suggests that their defense isn't quite as bad as that one game might suggest. Even with the loss, KenPom still has MSU ranked 59th in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Bulldogs finished last season at 46th on defense, and they returned a significant amount of minutes, ranking 146th in continuity, so we can reasonably expect the team to still have a solid defense, despite what it showed against Iowa State.
While we're at it, it's worth pointing out that Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans consistently has strong, if not elite, defensive teams. MSU finished ninth in defensive efficiency in Jans's first season before finishing 22nd in its second season, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the current team improve on that end of the court throughout the year.
Kansas State, meanwhile, is 4-0 but has looked extremely shaky, especially when it comes to getting stops. The Wildcats allowed 96 points to California in a three-point win and then allowed 83 points in a one-point win against Tulsa, both at home. As a consequence of these results and other factors, K-State ranks 95th in adjusted defensive efficiency, the fourth-worst among all Big 12 teams.
This game might come down to the wire, but I like our odds of seeing Josh Hubbard and company get a critical stop and basket when it's most needed. I'm going with the Bulldogs.
College Basketball Best Bet: Mississippi State -2.5
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Thursday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Thursday:
- UCF +1.5
- Texas Tech vs. Wake Forest Over 158
- Mississippi State -2.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sources, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
