It was a dramatic opening night in college basketball, but now we turn our attention to finding betting value on Tuesday's slate.
So, dive in for college basketball best bets and Three Man Weave's top picks for Tuesday, including North Dakota vs. Iowa and more on November 7.
Jim Root has it covered below.
College Basketball Best Bets — Tuesday, November 7
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
Albany vs. UMass
By Jim Root
Frank Martin is hoping for a refresh on his UMass tenure after a dismal start. His Minutemen started 7-1 and won the Myrtle Beach Invitational, but the wheels quickly fell off en route to a 15-16 (6-12 in the A-10) finish.
One thing Martin’s teams have done consistently of late, though: get out and run. They have ranked in the top 40 of average possession length for five straight years, per KenPom, dating back through his time at South Carolina.
That should continue this year. Martin has an army of freshmen on his bench, and he sounds eager to let them all get some run. Matt Cross is a big-time wing scorer, and the Minutemen added a go-to interior threat in Josh Cohen from Saint Francis (PA).
Albany, meanwhile, has been a tougher nut to crack under Dwayne Killings. Each offseason, he has consistently professed his desire to play up-tempo, but that has not really materialized yet, largely due to injuries sapping the Great Danes’ depth.
They are not starting fully healthy this year — forward Justin Neely is still recovering from a knee injury and guard Marcus Jackson is day-to-day — but the roster composition sets up well to be an Over team.
Killings added three transfer guards who should all bolster Albany’s pace and scoring.
First, Sebastian Thomas (Rhode Island) is a pass-first point guard who excels at setting up others.
Tyler Bertram (UAB/Binghamton) is a long-range sniper who should find a much bigger role after getting buried at UAB.
And the crown jewel is Amar’e Marshall, a microwave-type wing that had a few scoring explosions for a loaded Hofstra backcourt (notably, he had 24 points on the road at Purdue).
UMass’ zeal to play fast, coupled with Albany’s revamped roster and approach, should allow this one to be quite high scoring.
Pick: Over 146.5 (Play to 148)
North Dakota vs. Iowa
By Jim Root
The last time we saw Iowa as a big home favorite in a buy game, the Hawkeyes stunningly lost outright to Eastern Illinois as 31.5-point favorites. A staggering result, no question, but recency bias can be dangerous.
That was an outlier result for a Fran McCaffery squad. In Iowa’s last 10 games as a home favorite of 15 or more, the Hawkeyes are 9-1 against the spread (OddsShark). Expand that to last 20 games, and Iowa is 16-4 ATS in such situations.
McCaffery’s teams have explosive offenses, allowing them to make mincemeat of inferior foes. They typically rack up 90+ in these outings; over that same 20-game span as 15-point home favorites, the Over is 16-3-1. The total has taken a pounding in the market, but it could still be worth a look.
To North Dakota’s credit, it should be much improved this year. However, the Hawks are still young and were not able to get a waiver for boomerang transfer point guard Tyree Ihenacho. He would have been a major piece in the lineup.
If you’re feeling aggressive, an Iowa first half bet up to -13 makes a lot of sense to me as well. It does not typically take these Hawkeye teams much time to start drubbing inferior foes.
Pick: Iowa -19.5 (Play to -22)
Maximize your North Dakota vs. Iowa action with our BetMGM bonus code.
Auburn vs. Baylor
By Jim Root
In the game of the night (and, arguably, the first two nights of the season), Auburn and Baylor head north to the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Baylor’s prevailing flaw in 2022-23 was a sieve-like defense, largely due to a smallish backcourt of scoring guards. Scott Drew bolstered the perimeter size this year, particularly with VCU import Jayden Nunn and star freshman Ja'Kobe Walter.
Still, Baylor dueled with Gonzaga in a secret scrimmage in Denver; the leaked box score displayed an 81-78 result. The Bears’ defense may not yet be solved.
That is a concern against Auburn’s offense. This offseason, the Tigers added three major offensive pieces: Aden Holloway, potentially the best pull-up shooter in the freshman class, D-I transfer Denver Jones, a certified bucket-getting guard (racked up an efficient 20.1 points per game at FIU) and Chad Baker-Mazara, a sharpshooting wing from the junior college ranks (originally San Diego State).
Pair that trio with an outstanding frontcourt led by Johni Broome, and Baylor’s defense will get an immediate stiff test.
From a tempo perspective, Baylor has been comfortable getting in track meets early in the year under Drew. Auburn is always willing to play in transition, and at a smaller neutral venue with beneficial shooting backdrops, this should be a shootout.
Pick: Over 144.5 (Play to 147)
When betting Auburn vs. Baylor, register with Action Network's FanDuel promo code today for a sign-up offer.
Want to place a wager on Auburn vs. Baylor but live in non-betting states like Alabama or Texas? Try Fliff! Fliff is a social sportsbook alternative more widely available across the country, and provides the same thrill and excitement as traditional sportsbooks! Use our Fliff promo code to unlock a great new user bonus.
