The Tuesday college basketball slate features the Champions Classic, but that doesn't mean we're ignoring Monday's matchups, including the start of the Gavitt Games.
Our staff has college basketball best bets and three picks for Monday's slate, including Stetson vs. Houston and more on November 13.
College Basketball Best Bets — Monday, Nov. 13
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:30 p.m. | |
| 6:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Michigan vs. St. John's
St. John's -1
By D.J. James
Michigan has had two easy games to open the season, and now it goes on the road to visit Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm.
The Wolverines beat UNC Asheville and Youngstown State handily. They're not turning the ball over and are shooting 64.2% from 2-point range and over 40% from 3-point land.
That said, the Storm have some impressive players in Joel Soriano, Chris Ledlum, Jordan Dingle and Daniss Jenkins. Soriano is questionable due to plantar fasciitis, so his status should be monitored.
Even still, the Red Storm have the size to match the Wolverines. Michigan was able to hold the rebounding edge in its last game, but Soriano and his backups will hold Olivier Nkamhoua in check. The Red Storm will also hold Nkamhoua to fewer points than Michigan’s previous opponents, so the Wolverines will need to test out other scoring options.
The Storm also have a ton of length at the guard position. All of their starters are at least 6-feet-4. Yes, Dug McDaniel is used to playing undersized, but defensively, this should provide an edge to Jenkins, who will man the point.
Last season, Michigan allowed the 67th-highest 3-point attempt percentage. St. John’s shot 50% from deep in its first game, so this could be an area the Red Storm can take advantage of.
Finally, Michigan will not turn over teams. It ranked 351st in the NCAA last season in defensive turnover rate. Yes, it has a different team, but it only edged Youngstown State slightly in the turnover department.
The Red Storm are about even with the Wolverines and should own their home court. They should be played to -3.
Pick: St. John's -1 (Play to -3 or -1.5 Without Soriano)
Over 153.5
By John Feltman
This is a great matchup to kick off the 2023 Gavitt Games. I have a hard time envisioning many stops in this game, mostly due to the Johnnies' inability to make consistent stops on defense.
It’s always tough to handicap these games early on in the season, but from what we've seen so far, I believe these two teams will have no issues scoring in this matchup. I especially like how both of these teams shoot well from the free-throw line.
Keep an eye on the injury report for the Johnnies, as big man Soriano could be out this evening. Even with his absence, the Johnnies have plenty of depth to succumb from his offensive contribution.
If Soriano is held out, this only helps the Over, as Michigan should be able to score at will on the inside. Forwards Terrance Williams II and Nkamhoua should capitalize on these opportunities.
I also really like the backcourt depth of this Wolverines team, starting with McDaniel. The Wolverines are shooting 40% beyond the arc thus far this season, which is a great sign heading into this matchup.
The Johnnies struggled defensively last season, and they’ve already allowed 70 points to Stony Brook in their only game this season. This Michigan team lacks the ability to force turnovers, and the Johnnies should be firing from beyond the arc all evening long.
Both of these teams are on an even playing field in the talent department, and I expect both of them to trade blows all evening long. There's always a potential for overtime, which only helps our case here.
I see no issues for these offenses in this matchup, and this should be an extremely entertaining game to watch.
Pick: Over 153.5 (Play to 155)
Stetson vs. Houston
Kelvin Sampson’s Houston teams of the last half decade have been among the best defensive teams in the country on an annual basis. In recent seasons, the Cougars have performed particularly well on that end of the floor against good teams, but they've been especially dominant against lesser competition.
This season, Houston is 2-0 with easy wins over ULM and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. It allowed those two teams to average just 40.5 points.
Last season, Houston played seven games against teams that finished outside KenPom’s top 200. Those seven teams went 0-7 and averaged just 44 points per game, failing to ever top 50 points.
Stetson has only played one game against a D-I opponent, a loss to UNLV in which the Hatters scored 55 points. In Donnie Jones’ time as the head coach at Stetson, his teams have been among the slower-tempo teams in the country.
A roster of this caliber — choosing to play methodically — has nearly no chance to crack 50 points against Houston.
Unless the Cougars shoot well enough to top 90+ points, expect an under here.
Pick: Under 140.5
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