Opening Day for Men’s College Basketball
First Games With 2023-24 College Basketball Odds
The day college basketball bettors have been waiting for is finally upon us. The 2023-24 college basketball season begins Monday, with a large slate of games. There are a couple of solid games, along with a number of mismatches. Many college basketball teams play weaker foes, even Div. II or Div. III teams the first couple of games in a new season. That’s why St. Mary’s is playing Cal St. Stanislaus and SMU is playing Southwestern Assemblies. But there are a number of games with point spreads and we’ll look at the first 2023-24 college basketball odds.
Georgia Bulldogs vs Oregon Ducks 
(Las Vegas)
Day/Time:
Line: Oregon -4.5
Total: 140.5
Streaming: truTV
The Georgia Bulldogs face the Oregon Ducks in one of two big college basketball games being played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Monday. The Ducks are favored by 4.5 and the total is 140.5. Oregon should have the edge on offense in this one. But the two defenses are pretty comparable.
Oregon finished 21-15 last year in what was a bit of a disappointment. The Ducks expect to do better than an NIT berth. Oregon has the pieces in place to see a return to the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulldogs were 16-16 last year and stayed home after being eliminated from the Southeast Conference Tournament. If Georgia wants a tournament berth, it needs to win games like this one. The Bulldogs are going to have a tough time in conference play. So a few early NCAAB season wins over quality teams will certainly help their chances. The NCAAB prediction on this game is pretty close, so take Georgia +4.5 on the 2023-24 college basketball odds to make a game of it.
USC Trojans vs Kansas State Wildcats 
(Las Vegas)
Day/Time:
Line: USC -2.5
Total: 142.5
Streaming: TNT
The best game of the day features USC facing off with Kansas State in Las Vegas. The 2023-24 college basketball lines have Southern California -2.5 and the total is 142.5. The Trojans finished last season with a 22-11 record after losing their first game in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament and again in the NCAA Tournament.
Kansas State was 26-10 last year and reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament before being upset by Florida Atlantic. But the Wildcats lost some talent from last season, so they’ll be hard-pressed to match last season’s record. The defense will be strong, but it could be a little bit of a struggle at times offensively.
The NCAAB scores and odds are calling for roughly a 73-70 USC victory. That might be a little bit high, given the two defenses should be a little bit in front of the offenses. It’s a tough game to handicap, but there appears to be a little value on the under 142.5.
Columbia Lions at Providence Friars 
Day/Time:
Line: Providence -18.5
Total: 143.5
Streaming: FOX App
Those who place a lot of emphasis on returning starters and minutes in college basketball will be looking at this one. The Columbia Lions return 98.3% of their minutes played from last season, which isn’t necessarily a great thing. The Lions were just 7-22 last season, going 2-10 in Ivy League play.
Providence returns 45.1% of its minutes played from last year. But the Friars were 21-12 and played in the NCAA Tournament. The line is pretty solid and Providence can pretty much roll up the score if it desire. But the Friars may try and get some role NCAAB players some playing time in this game.
This is a tough game to include in your NCAAB picks and parlays. But if you have to play it, the under offers a little bit of value.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at UConn Huskies 
Day/Time:
Line: UConn -24.5
Total: 141.5
Streaming: FOX App
Northern Arizona visits No. 6 UConn in what looks like a mismatch on paper and will most likely play out that way on the court. The 2023-24 college basketball odds have the Huskies -24.5 with a total of 141.5. The Lumberjacks labored to a 12-23 record last season. The team almost pulled off a shocking trip to the NCAA Tournament, but lost in the Big Sky Conference Tournament finals before losing to Montana State in the finals.
The Huskies are strong offensively and defensively once again. The defending NCAA Tournament champions could be just as good as last year’s team. But it’s always harder to repeat since teams are always motivated when they face the defending champions. The Huskies are going to come out strong and celebrate its national championship with the home fans.
If UConn wants to roll up the score it probably can. Expect to see the bench players get some significant minutes. How the reserves play in the second half will likely determine the point spread outcome of this game.
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
