NCAAB Predictions and Best Bets for Today: Monday 11/4

Updated: November 4, 2024, 9:54 a.m. ET

It's opening night in college basketball and there are 116 D1 vs. D1 games on the schedule. The value of preseason research is at an all-time high with more players transferring than ever before. My recommendation would be to start betting slowly as we don't really know what the teams will look like in the opening month of the season. At the start of the season I'm more concerned with continuity, which is why I'm looking for two teams that return a majority of their squad on opening night. Let's get into my top college basketball bets for today while you can check out all of ours too College Basketball Tips for the biggest games on Monday, November 4th.

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Texas A&M Aggies -4.5 over UCF Knights (-110)

Odds are available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publication. Playable to -5.

Texas A&M returns much of the team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament earlier this year. On opening night, they face UCF, which is playing just 37.5 percent of the minutes it did last year, according to BartTorvik. The Knights have brought in plenty of talent through the transfer portal, but it could take some time for the team to come together. Texas A&M will certainly have an advantage when it comes to continuity within the team.

From a matchup perspective, the Aggies' only major addition could make a big impact in his very first game with the team. Last season, Texas A&M ranked 342nd in three-point percentage at just 29.3 percent. To address this weakness, the Aggies brought in CJ Wilcher from Nebraska. Wilcher made 39.4 percent of his three-point attempts last season. So if he could continue that for Texas A&M, the Aggie offense could take a big step forward. UCF plays a zone defense that can be vulnerable to outside shooting, so watch out for thatHe's the latest Aggie to make a big difference in the game and help Texas A&M cover the spread.

Discover our Baylor-Gonzaga prediction for tonight's big matchup

Santa Clara Broncos -2 over Saint Louis Billikens (-108)

Odds are available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publication. Playable until -3.

A team with even more roster continuity than Texas A&M is the Santa Clara Broncos. According to BartTorvik, only 14 teams return a higher percentage of last season's minutes played than Santa Clara. Last year's team won 20 games and this season the team has its sights set on an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. A win against an actually good Saint Louis team would go a long way toward getting that offer.

The big question in this game is Saint Louis' Robbie Avila, who has struggled with an ankle injury for most of the preseason. Avila is expected to play in this match, but he likely has not been able to fully train in advance of the season. This is extremely important because not only is this a new team under head coach Josh Schertz, but Avila is also the focal point of the offense. He's known for his passing, so it might take a game or two for Avila to get in sync with his teammates. Against a team with as many returning players as Santa Clara, that could prove difficult on opening night.