This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
It is Thanksgiving Week, which means holiday tournaments are in full swing! It isn't often that I feature three Power 5 games, but that's what the universe has revealed for today. Let's get right to it.
Purdue Boilermakers vs Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Purdue hype-train meets its match in Honolulu today against the perpetually overvalued and overrated Gonzaga Bulldogs. I've seen enough Matt Painter games to know his teams will throw up stinkers, but those are usually against surprise teams. And let's face it, until proven otherwise, Purdue has the most unstoppable force in college hoops in the form of Zach Edey. The Boilers also brought back a bunch of experience and continuity to this year's squad. Gonzaga freshman big man Braden Huff will get an eye opener against Edey tonight, and the Bulldogs' poor perimeter defense (No. 297 defending the three) will be their downfall.
College Basketball Best Bet: Purdue -4.5 (@ FanDuel)
Virginia Cavaliers vs Wisconsin Badgers
Will Wisconsin get over 50 in this game? The Badgers have one dynamic scorer in the form of AJ Storr, but not much after that. UVA's suffocating defense can make the best offenses stall, and this team has the makings of being one of Tony Bennett's best defenses. Providence's length and pressure gave Wisconsin fits last week, and a good defense is the last thing a struggling offense wants to see. The Badgers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games away from the Kohl Center, and I see that trend continuing tonight in Fort Myers, Florida.
College Basketball Best Bet: Virginia -2.5 (@ BetMGM)
Marquette Golden Eagles vs UCLA Bruins
We head back out to Hawaii for this fantastic late-night contest. I'm a big fan of Shaka Smart, and I think even I have underestimated just how good his squad is. He has brought back 78.1 percent of his team's minutes from last year, and they already have a tough road game under their belt, a 71-64 win at KenPom No. 28 Illinois. The Bruins will have the advantage inside with Adem Bona leading the charge, but UCLA is still in early-season retooling mode while replacing Jaime Jaquez, Tyger Campbell and Amari Bailey. Marquette is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 away from home and should extend that trend tonight.
College Basketball Best Bet: Marquette -5.5 (@ FanDuel)
Monday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Monday, November 20:
- Purdue -4.5 (@ FanDuel)
- Virginia -2.5 (@ BetMGM)
- Marquette -5.5 (@ FanDuel)
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.
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