This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
A few more noteworthy teams begin the 2024-25 season on Wednesday. On paper, these matchups shouldn't be close, but then again, this is college hoops we're talking about.
Here are my best bets for the day.
Lipscomb 
at Arkansas 
Lipscomb began its season on a successful note on Monday, winning at Duquesne, 77-72. The Bisons never trailed and led by as many as 18 points, a solid season-opening victory. It's all the more impressive considering the Dukes are coming off a year where they made the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed and upset BYU in the opening round. Duquesne ranks 103rd among all D1 teams in minutes continuity, per KenPom, so a good portion of last year's team remains.
Now, the Bisons must travel to Fayetteville. Lipscomb finished last year with the 12th-highest three-point field goal percentage in the nation, and with a large portion of the team returning, this offensive strategy continued into Monday. The Bison attempted 21 three-pointers against Duquesne and made 42 percent, a great recipe for success if they can sustain it.
Lipscomb's biggest weakness last year was defense. The Bison ranked 308th in adjusted defensive efficiency and allowed opponents to make almost 37 percent from long-range, among the bottom 10 percentile in the nation. The good news for Lipscomb is that Arkansas did not shoot well from long-range in its two exhibition games, falling under 30 percent against Kansas and TCU. Either way, the Bisons displayed a much-improved defense in their first game, holding the Dukes to 72 points while improving their defensive efficiency ranking to 170th among all D1 teams.
Arkansas, meanwhile, hit the reset button and hired former Kentucky head coach John Calipari as its new leader. To nobody's surprise, Calipari wasted no time in building his roster with some of the best talent available. According to 247Sports, Arkansas ranked first with its transfer class for 2024-25 and ranked third with its freshman class.
The new roster looked great in Arkansas' first exhibition, an 85-69 victory over Kansas. It's important to note that Hunter Dickinson didn't play in the exhibition, though we can't take away from the final results. The Razorbacks returned to earth in their second exhibition, a 66-65 loss to TCU.
Long term, Arkansas' talent should help it build a quality resume throughout the college basketball season, but there's inevitably a bit more uncertainty heading into the first official game of the season.
Lipscomb ranks 83rd in the nation in roster continuity, per KenPom, and has a clear identity with four of its five starters playing at least 35 minutes against Duquesne. Lipscomb narrowly lost to Arkansas last season, 69-66, in North Little Rock, and while this is a brand new Razorbacks squad, I like the Bisons' odds to keep the game closer than expected. I'm taking the points with the gritty and experienced underdog.
College Basketball Best Bet: Lipscomb +14
Vermont 
at Auburn 
The Catamounts sport a 1-0 record following their season-opening win at UAB on Monday. The win lifted Vermont from No. 96 to No. 79 on KenPom's overall efficiency chart, so this team is no pushover. In fact, the Catamounts made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons, and they rank eighth in the nation in roster continuity, per KenPom, so it's safe to say this team has high expectations for itself. Vermont went 15-1 in the conference last year, further giving them a promising outlook on the season. As of right now, KenPom has them favored in every future conference matchup, the clear-cut league favorite. The Catamounts are seeking a fourth straight American East title, so this high level of success is entrenched within the program. So much so that head coach John Becker's teams have won the America East regular season title nine times and made the NCAA Tournament six times in his 13 seasons leading the team.
Offensively, Vermont returned two of its top three scorers from a year ago in TJ Long and Shamir Bogues, giving them a strong one-two punch. Defensively, the Catamounts are also a strong unit. They finished last year ranked ninth nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 63 points per game. Vermont was also 14-0 last season when holding teams to under 60 points. These trends continued into Monday, as UAB barely crossed the 60-point mark and was held to 38 percent shooting and 0-for-10 shooting from 3-point range.
Auburn, on the other hand, is coming off a disappointing ending to last year, one where they earned a four-seed in the NCAA Tournament before abruptly exiting following an upset loss to Yale in the first round.
Even still, expectations are sky-high. The Tigers are ranked fifth on KenPom's overall efficiency chart, and they boast a roster featuring a blend of several key returning players and significant transfers and freshmen. Notable returning players include Johni Broome, Denver Jones, and Chad Baker-Mazara. Add all this up, and it's easy to see why Auburn was picked second in the preseason SEC media poll.
It's always hard to go against a big home favorite, especially a potential title-contending team like Auburn, however, Vermont shouldn't be overlooked. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was recently quoted as saying "Vermont is very Yale-like, which should concern us all." When comparing Vermont to more familiar names, the Catamounts currently have a higher overall efficiency rating than three SEC teams that Auburn will face this season: Georgia, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina. The Catamounts might not win, but I'm betting they'll make the Tigers work for this one. I'm taking the points.
College Basketball Best Bet: Vermont +15.5
Oakland 
at Boise State 
Oakland started off the season with a victory against Defiance College, an NAIA team, an important tune-up because the Golden Grizzlies will have their work cut out for them over the next couple of weeks, traveling to Boise, Illinois, and Kansas. It's unlikely Oakland will pull off any of the upsets, but then again, the Golden Grizzlies pulled off a massive upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament when they knocked off three-seed Kentucky, so we can't rule anything out. Oakland then pushed NC State, an eventual Final Four participant, to overtime in the second round before finally losing. Oakland ranks 110th in roster continuity, per KenPom, so this team seemingly has the potential to make another appearance in the Big Dance.
Boise State, in contrast, did not end last season on a positive note. The Broncos posted an impressive 13-5 record against Mountain West teams, however, they lost in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament before dropping their 'First Four' NCAA Tournament game as a 10-seed. The good news for Boise State is that it will have two of its top three scorers returning from last year in Tyson Degenhart and O'Mar Stanley, an important note if the Broncos want to make their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
The key behind Boise State's recent success is its defense. The Broncos finished in the top 30 of the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency in each of the past three seasons, and KenPom has this year's team ranked at No. 45 on defense, so we can expect a similar strength in the new season.
Even though both teams have reasons for season-long optimism, both have a fair amount of roster turnover. When we combine the fact that the hosting team is a lock-down defensive team and plays at a slow pace, ranking lower than No. 224 in tempo in each of the past three seasons, we have all the essential ingredients for a low-scoring game. Boise State will likely pull away by the end of the game, but I'm betting defense will be a constant theme throughout. I'm taking the under.
College Basketball Best Bet: Under 146
Wednesday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Wednesday:
- Lipscomb +14
- Vermont +15.5
- Oakland at Boise State - Under 146
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
North Carolina sports betting launched March 11 with a wide variety of great online sportsbooks. Some of our favorite North Carolina sportsbook promos include the Caesars North Carolina promo code and the Fanatics Sportsbook North Carolina promo code.
