This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Three more college basketball best bets are live for Thursday's slate of games. Steve Peralta offers picks for a night that sees the opening of Pac-12 play, plus several top-10 teams in action.
Creighton at 
Texas
Creighton has a major challenge on its hands, but its last several games should have the Bluejays prepared and ready for battle. In its last three games, Creighton defeated Texas Tech and Arkansas before losing a two-point game to Arizona. Collectively, these three opponents represent some of the best offensive and defensive teams in the country, so the fact that Creighton won and competed to the last second speaks volumes to the Bluejays' potential.
Creighton features a potent offensive attack, ranking No. 9 in adjusted offensive efficiency, bolstered by exceptional shooting. The Bluejays rank 12th in two-point field goal percentage, 40th from beyond the arc, and 6th in effective field goal percentage. Additionally, Creighton is noticeably disciplined, ranking 17th in offensive turnover rate and first in defensive free throw rate. All in all, this is not a team that suffers from self-inflicted errors. Needless to say, these traits are critical against a team like Texas.
The Longhorns currently sit atop KenPom's overall efficiency standings, with their defense right behind, ranking third-best in the country. Texas made a statement when it blew past Gonzaga a couple of weeks ago, but that is still the only noteworthy opponent the Longhorns have played to date.
Overall, these two teams aren't too far apart from each other when it comes to long-term prospects. Creighton has proven it can defeat and compete with the best in the country, while Texas figures to be a contender down the stretch as well. Considering the mostly even matchup, I'll take the points in this spot.
College Basketball Best Bet: Creighton +6.5
Arizona St. at 
Colorado
The Buffaloes have been quite an enigma this season. Colorado defeated Tennessee in Nashville and then beat Texas A&M in South Carolina, effectively two Quad 1 victories. Then, in the same month, Colorado also lost to Grambling State. The latter outcome is most puzzling, but then again these kinds of things occasionally happen in college athletics. In any event, Colorado demonstrated an extremely high ceiling in its two Quad 1 wins, as Tennessee is No. 3 in overall efficiency with its defense ranked at the top.
The Sun Devils, meanwhile, have only played in one true road game this season, a loss at Texas Southern. The Tigers are currently 1-7, with their only win of the season coming at the expense of the Sun Devils. Other than the one blemish, Arizona State has played fine, although its offense is still a major issue. The Sun Devils finished last season at No. 207 in adjusted offensive efficiency, and although they're up to No. 106 this season, it's hard to imagine them getting much better. Dating back to 2019, Arizona State has yet to finish a season with an offensive efficiency rating above No. 73.
Arizona State's defense will likely keep it in the game, but ultimately it's hard to trust its offense can score enough points to win the game, and playing at a high altitude in Colorado surely won't help. Colorado, on the other hand, has proven it's capable of scoring almost 80 points against what is the defense in the country in Tennessee, per KenPom. When it's all said and done, I'm betting the Sun Devils won't be able to keep pace on the road. I'll take the home team in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Colorado -4
Arizona at 
Utah
The Wildcats are flying high, sporting a 6-0 record, but today they'll face another Quad 1 challenge as they travel to Utah. Everyone knows by now that Arizona is one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the country, but the defense hasn't quite lived up to the same standard. The Wildcats currently rank No. 44 in adjusted defensive efficiency, still a great standing, but they've also allowed 70 points or more in every game this season, including a season-high 93 points allowed against Cincinnati -- a program that is not exactly an offensive powerhouse. It's true that Arizona plays at the fastest tempo in the country, so higher scores are a given, but many other teams that play at similar tempos are still able to contain opponents to low point totals, so its efficiency rating seems to capture this point. Either way, Arizona's defense has shown it will allow opponents to try and keep pace with them.
Utah's defense will have its hands full trying to contain the elite Arizona offense, but the good news for the Utes is that they appear to match up relatively well with Arizona. The Wildcats' offense ranks number one in the country in two-point field goal percentage, but it turns out Utah ranks number three in defensive two-point percentage allowed. Similarly, Arizona has the highest offensive effective field goal percentage, but Utah's defense has the fourth-lowest allowed.
Furthermore, Arizona is typically bigger than its opponent, ranking No. 8 in average height, but Utah is right on its heels at No. 13.
One other note to keep in mind, Arizona has actually been awful in one particular category this season -- turnovers. Arizona ranks No. 287 in offensive turnover rate and No. 345 in defensive turnover rate, both far below D1 average. Utah, on the other hand, is above average in offensive turnover rate, so it seems that Utah will likely win the turnover margin in this game if past trends play out as projected.
Utah no doubt faces an extremely tough challenge facing off against Arizona, but the Utes appear to be well-equipped to counter Arizona's strengths. It won't be easy, but I'm trusting the home team will scratch and claw and do just enough to stay within striking distance. I'll take the points in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Utah +7.5
Thursday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Thursday:
- Creighton +6.5
- Colorado -4
- Utah +7.5
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