During conference play, Friday is typically a travel day in college basketball as teams prep for their Saturday matchup.
But during the non-conference anything flies. Thus, we have a deep college basketball slate today, including a marquee game between two ex-Pac-12 teams, No. 5 Arizona and No. 15 UCLA.
So, read below for college basketball best bets, including three NCAAB picks and predictions for Friday, November 14.
College Basketball Best Bets, Picks
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
  | 10 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. | ||
Fordham vs. Iona
This is an “I Smell Blood” game. Fordham is an early candidate for the “oh, they are really that bad” award, which is when analytics and the market can't keep up with how poor a team is as it continues hurtling down through the Earth.
The Rams lost by 11 at home to NJIT and then nearly lost at home to Wagner. Both teams rank among the bottom 20 in the nation, per KenPom, and have zero business defeating an Atlantic 10 opponent.
Iona, on the other hand, has looked stellar through two games, quickly gelling under new head coach Dan Geriot and playing a fun, up-tempo style.
Shooting splits are pretty jarring for both teams, and that’s the one concern if you’re backing the Gaels on Friday.
If you believe in regression, then there’s little chance Iona can keep hitting 3s at a top 20 rate while its opponents miss 3s at a top 20 rate.
On the flip side, Fordham ranks 345th nationally in 3-point percentage and 354th in 3-point percentage allowed.
The defensive numbers are bound to regress to the mean for both teams, but the offensive marks could be real. Nobody outside of Dejour Reaves can shoot on the Rams' roster, and Zarique Nutter has been extremely inefficient on high usage, per his career trends.
Iona has true guard talent and multiple scoring weapons. CJ Anthony has blossomed in a feature role after being buried at Cincinnati. Keshawn Williams is wired to score. Kosy Akametu has been a wonderful surprise from Santa Clara.
They should have no problem putting points on a so-so Fordham defense.
Iona should handle Fordham.
Pick: Iona -5.5 (Play to -7)
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate — basketball edition!
Both Peach State squads come into this game 3-0, though Georgia Tech’s road has been far rockier than Georgia’s (overtime against Maryland Eastern Shore — we see you, Damon Stoudamire).
On Friday, though, I’m not looking at a side — rather, I’m focused on the total.
Georgia has been blazing fast through three games this season, playing at the nation’s second-highest pace on offense.
And while that insane level might not last, it’s very clear head coach Mike White is emphasizing getting up and down in the open floor. It’s not unprecedented, either — White’s Louisiana Tech squads played super fast back in the early-mid 2010s. Perhaps he’s finally getting back to his (successful) roots.
Tech should be more than happy to run with Georgia. Though the Yellow Jackets haven’t had any barn burners thus far, they’re playing at a top-50 pace on offense, and all three of their early opponents are half-court-based in nature.
Last season's game against Georgia went 75 possessions, and the season before it went 72. That’s plenty to yield 150+ points.
Georgia’s offense looks like the real deal and features a roster high on talent. Cal transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson is electric, and former high recruits Blue Cain and Kanon Catchings are off to terrific starts.
They should be able to put buckets on the Ramblin’ Wreck.
Pick: Over 147.5 (Play to 150)
North Texas vs. Saint Mary's
Fans of up-tempo, run-and-gun, high-flying basketball beware! You shall not find any of that in tonight’s game between North Texas and Saint Mary’s.
Both the Gaels and the Mean Green play at a glacial pace, ranking 301st and 339th, respectively, in offensive tempo. Neither team has yet to play a game against a Division I opponent over 70 possessions, and both defenses rank in the top 50 nationally.
Saint Mary’s is going to suffocate North Texas' offensive attack. The Mean Green rely on scrappiness to score, pounding the ball inside, hitting the offensive glass, creating offense with defense and hustling for loose balls.
That doesn’t work well against arguably the most fundamentally sound program in the country. Saint Mary’s is always among the national elite in defensive rebounding rate; it snuffs out attempts near the rim and in the paint and it defends without fouling — all bad news for North Texas.
On the other end, the Gaels will be able to score with their superior talent and North Texas' propensity to hack away. However, North Texas can force long possessions and use its perimeter length to bother the Gaels' guards and take the air out of the ball.
These two programs met back in 2022. That game went 55 possessions and had 96 points. While we shouldn’t expect that type of slog tonight (Randy Bennett is playing slightly faster and North Texas has a different coach), there’s no reason to expect this game not to be ugly.
Pick: Under 131.5 (Play to 129)
