College Basketball Picks Today:
Expert college basketball handicapper Greg Peterson shares his top five college basketball picks for Tuesday, November 5.
Check out Greg’s Daily College Basketball Lines and his Coast 2 Coast Hoops Podcast. Also, check out our College Basketball Betting Splits.
Florida International vs. Rice
7:00 p.m. ET
Florida International has replaced the nation’s leader in steals from a season ago in Arturo Dean and did not bring in a lot of size in the transfer portal to aid a frontcourt that ranked 361st in rebound rate last season. While this is game one for coach Rob Lainer at Rice, he’s coming off of getting SMU to 20 wins last and bringing back a 40.2% 3-point shooter from last season, Alem Huseinovic, who faces a Florida International defense that dead last in opponent 3-point shooting percentage in the nation last season, letting opponents shoot 40.3% from 3-point range.
College Basketball Pick: Rice -5.5 (Greg’s handicap Rice -10.5)
Evansville vs. North Texas
8:00 p.m. ET
Evansville has to replace last season’s top five scorers, with their first test being against a North Texas unit that controls the game with their slow play, ranking in the bottom 14 in total possessions per game each of the past five seasons and has ranked in the top 74 nationally in points allowed on a per-possession basis in each of the past four seasons.
College Basketball Pick: North Texas -12 (Greg’s handicap: North Texas -18)
Idaho State vs. Arizona State
9:00 p.m. ET
While Arizona State is not as awful as the 103-47 final score in their exhibition game against Duke would indicate, they ranked 358th last season in offensive rebound percentage on missed shots and 318th in points scored on a per-possession basis. Idaho State last season was 336th in total possessions per game, and though the Bengals have to replace their top four scorers from last season, they should get a boost from Washington State transfer Dylan Darling to cover a large number.
College Basketball Pick: Idaho State +20 (Greg’s handicap: Idaho State +13.5)
New Orleans vs. Kansas State
8:00 p.m. ET
Since New Orleans games began being normally listed on the betting board prior to the start of the 2018-19 season, their over rate of 64% (105-59-3 to the over) is the highest mark in the country. New Orleans ranked 320th in points allowed on a per-possession basis last season and have been in the top 33 in total possessions per game each of the past four seasons, while Kansas State looks much improved on offense with Dug McDaniel, Max Jones, and Achor Achor all transferring in after averaging more than 15 points per game last season.
College Basketball Pick: New Orleans vs. Kansas State Over 147.5 (Greg’s handicapped total 153)
Central Arkansas vs. BYU
9:00 p.m. ET
Central Arkansas has allowed at least 75.4 points per game in each of the past 14 seasons and ranked in the top 97 in total possessions in all 14 seasons. Last season, Central Arkansas was 354th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. With former Phoenix Suns assistant coach Kevin Young retaining much of BYU’s stable of guards from a season while adding two highly touted international recruits with the ability to stretch the floor in Egor Demin and Mihailo Boskovic, BYU should pick up where they left off during the 2023-24 season when they were 18th in the nation in points scored on a per-possession basis.
College Basketball Pick: Central Arkansas vs. BYU Over 148.5 (Greg’s handicapped total 158.5)
