This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Early season college hoops is not for the faint of heart. This season has been especially tough for handicappers (like myself) that try to find over-inflated lines based on name brands in the non-conference season. Home favorites have been DOMINANT during the first two weeks of the season, which means I'll be tweaking a few minor things for the rest of the non-con season. Even with the tough results, I've managed to keep us at 4-5 / -1 unit for the year, so we are still in comfortable shape. Let's have a look at Sunday's slate.
New Mexico Lobos at St. John's Red Storm 
Little Ricky Pitino takes his Lobos to the Big Apple to take on Papa Slick Rick and the Johnnies. Senior has no interest or motivation to take his kid to the woodshed, so a huge win doesn't make a lot of sense. Even without the familial connection, New Mexico traveled to Nevada and took out KenPom No. 23 UCLA, 72-68. The Lobos are, by far, the best team St. John's has played thus far. I know, I'm not following my own advice from above, but this is too many points for this unique situation.
College Basketball Best Bet: New Mexico +9.5 (@ FanDuel)
Holy Cross Crusaders vs New Hampshire Wildcats 
This is a neutral-site game played in Providence, RI. The Crusaders are a consistently solid team, giving good teams decent competition while beating the teams in the KenPom 200s and above. This year is no different with losses at Wisconsin and Rhode Island but a seven-point neutral-site win over No. 327 Sacred Heart and an eight-point road win at No. 266 Brown. At No. 357, New Hampshire has no D1 wins yet this year, which includes an 18-point loss to that same Brown team. Holy Cross should cruise(sade). Puns!
College Basketball Best Bet: Holy Cross -4.5 (@ ESPNBet)
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at San Jose State Spartans 
Annually, UCSB is a solid team that is well-coached and this year looks to be no different. The Gauchos have mowed through their first three opponents, including a 41-point road rout at No. 287 Portland. At No. 280, SJSU won't look to put up much of a fight as Tim Miles' act is starting to wear thin, as it does. As evidence, the Spartans are just 1-9 SU and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games. The better teams have won and covered a large majority of early season games, and UCSB is clearly the better team here.
College Basketball Best Bet: UCSB -6 (@ DraftKings)
Sunday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Sunday, November 17:
- New Mexico +9.5 (@ FanDuel)
- Holy Cross -4.5 (@ ESPNBet)
- UCSB -6 (@ DraftKings)
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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