This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
We back! After a 3-0 Monday, it feels as though I've turned a corner in this early season. Feast Week was kind to me and now we navigate the sporadic holiday tournaments, non-conference rivalries, and the pseudo-openings of conference play that dot the December calendar. Today features a small slate of mid-to-low major teams in some very interesting matchups. Let's dive in and see what we can find.
Rice Owls vs Iona Gaels 
From the Bahamas, Rice has been an excellent combination of defending the three-point line (No. 5 in the country) and getting to the free throw line (leads the nation). Rice also has a fairly predictable line of delineation as they are 5-0 against teams rated 200+ in KenPom and 1-2 against better teams. At No. 254 and at a neutral site, the Owls should handle Iona and this relatively small number.
College Basketball Best Bet: Rice -5.5 (universal)
MTSU Blue Raiders at UAB Blazers 
MTSU travels to Birmingham to take on their old CUSA foe. UAB dominated this series in conference play, but this is a different Blazers team that has struggled to gel early on. They have relied on home wins against inferior opponents while going 0-4 against teams rated higher than the KenPom top-200. At No. 151, MTSU represents a solid challenge and a team that won't be intimidated with a true road game. There is too much value on the Raiders to ignore.
College Basketball Best Bet: MTSU +8 (@ BetRivers)
Missouri State Bears at Oral Roberts Golden Eagles 
This is not the Oral Roberts team we all remember of years past. Long gone is coach Paul Mills and the iconic Max Abmus. The Golden Eagles appear to have bottomed out this season, and their challenging schedule is not helping matters. Cuonzo Martin has returned to Missouri State, and his Bears have handled inferior competition to start the season. ORU represents the worst team the Bears have faced this year, and they should handle this short road trip to Tulsa.
College Basketball Best Bet: Missouri State -2 (@ DraftKings)
Sunday's College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Sunday, December 1:
- Rice -5.5 (universal)
- Middle Tenn State +8 (@ BetRivers)
- Missouri State -2 (@ DraftKings)
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.
