College Basketball Betting Picks for Tuesday 11/7/23: Baylor Hoping to Show Off Its Bite

The college basketball season always provides a flurry of twists and turns that few saw coming -- especially when March Madness comes around. This can make college basketball one of the most challenging sports to bet on.

Fortunately, we have plenty of tools available that can aid our chances of taking the most favorable college basketball bets. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

College Basketball Best Bets

UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Michigan Wolverines

Over 143.5 (-110)

The Michigan Wolverines experienced a brutal offseason, as their leading scorer Hunter Dickinson (18.5 points per game (PPG)) transferred to Kansas. Jett Howard (14.2 PPG) and Kobe Bufkin (14.0 PPG) were top-15 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Michigan returns only 42.0% of their minutes, and Dug McDaniel and Terrance Williams II are the only returning starters. Thanks to the transfer portal, the early college basketball season has become a time for learning. Keeping up with the massive roster turnover for most of the notable teams in the nation has become a tall task every year.

The Wolverines are yet another team that will look vastly different. They landed two transfers, Nimari Burnett and Olivier Nkamhoua. Burnett started in only nine games with Texas Tech last season, and 247 Sports rated Nkamhoua as the 19th-best forward in the transfer portal. After showcasing his scoring potential by erupting for 27 points against Duke in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Nkamhoua is widely expected to be Michigan's leading scorer. McDaniel will likely see his role expand, as well.

Tarris Reed Jr. is another inexperienced player who is stepping into a starting role; he averaged only 12.6 minutes per game in the 2022-23 season.

There are a lot of unknowns about the Wolverines. Will they have enough scoring? Will Burnett and Reed be quality starters? Who will solidify the bench -- potentially Tray Jackson from Seton Hall?

UNC Asheville could be a tough first test. The Bulldogs appeared in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and return 73.5% of their minutes. Most importantly, Drew Pember is back for his final season of collegiate basketball. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 21.0 PPG and 9.2 rebounds per game (RPG) in the 2022-23 season while winning the Big South Player of the Year.

The Wolverines' frontcourt could struggle to slow Pember -- especially with Reed starting for the first time. UNC Asheville was also highly efficient on the offensive end last season, ranking 8th in three-point percentage and 27th in field goal percentage (FG%). They had a weak defense, though, ranking in the bottom third nationally of total points allowed.

This is a dangerous first game for Michigan, hence the 10.5-point spread. This could look like a track meet. I like the over.

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles at Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana -11.5 (-120)

The Indiana Hoosiers could be one of the most intriguing Big Ten teams. According to FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball conference odds, they have the fifth-shortest odds to win the Big Ten (+1500).

While this is likely a long shot with Purdue as the heavy favorite, Indiana has good potential. The Hoosiers are returning only 34.0% of their minutes and are replacing Trayce Jackson-Davis (20.9 PPG; 10.8 RPG) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (13.5 PPG).

However, Xavier Johnson -- the senior guard -- is back after missing most of the 2022-23 season with a foot injury. Additionally, Trey Galloway is another experienced starter who returned for his final season.

Indiana also aced the transfer portal by landing the second-best player available -- Kel'el Ware. The frontcourt should be a strength once again with Ware and the emerging Malik Reneau. Mackenzie Mgbako -- the five-star true freshman -- could solidify the small forward position with his ability to drain shots from beyond the arc.

Florida Gulf Coast, who ranks 146th in KenPom, is the first opponent of the 2023-24 season. The Eagles return 72.4% of their minutes; that's not good for their defense. The unit ranked in the bottom half of adjusted defensive efficiency and in the bottom 37.0% of two-point FG% allowed.

The paint defense could be a major concern against the Hoosiers, who are led by a strong group of forwards and center. While Indiana replaces a lot of experience, this is a favorable season-opening matchup. The 11.5-point spread feels like a very manageable cover.

Auburn Tigers at No. 20 Baylor Bears

Baylor Moneyline (-105)

The game of the night is certainly the Auburn Tigers against the Baylor Bears. Auburn fell short of the preseason AP Top 25 Poll while Baylor is ranked No. 20. This would suggest the Bears are the better team. However, the Tigers are 1.5-point favorites for tonight's collision.

Auburn returns more experience with 58.1% of their minutes back compared to Baylor's 40.1%. KenPom suggests this could be a much better matchup than what the polls claim. The Tigers are 16th in KenPom while the Bears are 9th.

The frontcourt matchup could be why Auburn is favored. The Tigers return Johni Broome (14.2 PPG; 8.4 RPG) and Jaylin Williams (11.2 PPG; 4.7 RPG) -- one of the SEC's top frontcourts. Baylor still has a sound frontcourt with Jalen Bridges and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, who are key returning players.

Bridges could be a breakout candidate for the Bears after averaging 10.3 PPG and 5.6 RPG last season. He delivered some massive performances a season ago, including his 28-point outburst in the Big 12 Tournament.

The backcourt collision could be where this game is decided. Auburn is expected to start the five-star true freshman Aden Holloway at point guard. Plus, the Tigers landed Denver Jones -- the 22nd-best guard in the transfer portal. Baylor also features a high-level transfer with point guard RayJ Dennis (17th-best transfer guard). The Bears could give five-star true freshman Ja'Kobe Walter significant playing time in the backcourt, as well.

Even with Baylor returning only one notable guard in Langston Love, we know this team's identity. The Bears heavily depend on their guards for scoring, and they shoot a boatload of threes. Baylor hoisted 25.8 three-pointers per game (29th) in the 2022-23 season.

They still have capable shooters, as Dennis averaged 19.5 PPG at Toledo while shooting 36.6% from deep. Walter has also been advertised as one of the most gifted scoring prospects for the 2024 NBA Draft.

The Tigers allowed 19.6 three-point attempts per game (84th) last season while shooting only 20.6 shots from deep per game (228th). As they say, three is better than two. Exceptional guard play and efficient shooting from beyond the arc have been the Bears' bread and butter. This can lead to yet another win.

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.