This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Merry College Hoops Opening Day, everyone!! We are back, and before we know it, it will be March and the Madness will be upon us. But before we get there, we'll have four months of non-stop college hoops WINNERS for y'all to feast on! I have the honor of tipping us off this year and, let me tell you, today's slate was not easy to sift through. Not only are there roughly 39,292 games on the schedule, but the copious use of the transfer portal has made it very hard to predict how teams will look coming out of the gates. My usual early-season tact of finding teams with continuity against teams facing major losses or changes is still my go-to, but it is much harder finding those situations now. But, that's why I'm here... now let's get some winners under our belt and start the season right!
Delaware Blue Hens at Bucknell Bison 
Yes, the Blue Hens lost Jameer Nelson to TCU, but they return their second and third leading scorers along with long time coach Martin Ingelsby. Bucknell is a team with a history of success, but the program has bottomed out with four consecutive losing seasons. Last year, the Bison were just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games. First-time head coach John Griffin III hopes to turn his alma mater around, but it will take time. Last year, Delaware handled their non-conference opponents that ranked 300+ in KenPom's ratings and at 342, Bucknell will be one of the worst opponents the Hens face all year. Look for them to start strong tonight.
College Basketball Best Bet: Delaware -5.5 (@ PointsBet)
Louisville Cardinals vs UMBC Retrievers 
Louisville's historic train wreck last season means there is value on them in the early year. The general public is going to remember how awful they were and how much roster turnover they had. However, is roster turnover a bad thing when a proud program goes 4-28? Kenny Payne knows he gets one do-over or it's curtains, and few have as much experience in overhauling rosters as Payne after many years as John Calipari's right-hand man at Kentucky. UMBC lost all five starters from last year's team, and while I respect head man Jim Ferry, it will take time for this team to gel. I can't imagine any team in the country is more excited to get this season started then Louisville after last year. The Cardinals (and their rabid fans) take out some frustration tonight.
College Basketball Best Bet: Louisville -9 (universal)
Miami (Ohio) RedHawks at Evansville Purple Aces 
Travis Steele is a good coach and will thrive in the MAC. He has already put his stamp on recruiting bringing in five highly regarded freshmen to join a team that returns four starters from his first campaign last season. Miami showed signs of growth last year, rebounding from a rough 1-9 start in conference play with a 5-3 finish, including a signature home win over KenPom No. 133 Ohio. Evansville hopes to build some continuity under coach David Ragland. His freshman class should learn from his rag-tag band of holdovers, but as is the theme today, that is going to take some time. Last year, the Purple Aces came into Oxford and beat Miami for one of their five wins on the year. That fact is not lost on Steele and his team. This is my favorite play of the day.
College Basketball Best Bet: Miami (OH) -3.5 (@ BetMGM)
Monday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Monday, November 6:
- Delaware -5.5 (@ PointsBet)
- Louisville -9 (universal)
- Miami (OH) -3.5 (@ BetMGM)
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.
Kentucky officially launched sports betting on September 28. College hoops fans in the Bluegrass State can stay up to date on the latest Kentucky sports betting promos at all Kentucky sportsbooks here at RotoWire. The BetMGM Kentucky bonus code gets new customers a generous welcome offer.
