Top NCAAB Betting Matchups for 2017 Opening Week

With the start of the 2017-18 college basketball season just over 48 hours away, now is a perfect time for a look at the top NCAAB betting matchups during the first week of action. Sit upright and hold on tight college basketball betting enthusiasts, here we go with my Week 1 picks!

Top NCAAB Betting Matchups for 2017 Opening Week

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— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) 8 de noviembre de 2017

Columbia vs. No. 6 Villanova

• When: Friday, November 10, at 7:30 PM ET
• Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• TV: FS2

Columbia probably won’t do as well as they did last season after losing four players that accounted for 51% of the Lions’ minutes and 60% of the team’s 3-point attempts. The good news is that the Lions have a huge upperclassman frontcourt in senior Forwards Luke Petrasek, Jeff Coby, Chris McCumber, and Connor Voss. Columbia looks like they will be an efficient shooting team, but overcoming the loss of their top four players from last season’s team will be difficult, to say the least. Jay Wright’s and sixth-ranked Villanova Wildcats, will have a completely different look and feel this season with star players Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins both now distant memories. Still, Wright does have some key players from last season’s team returning, starting with point guard Jalen Brunson a junior who averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 assists in 2016-2017. Additionally, Wright will call upon talented players like Mikal Bridges, Phil Booth and Donte DiVincenzo, three of the best and most underrated wing players in all the land. Last but not least, and maybe more important of all, 6-9 forward Omari Spellman will finally make his collegiate debut after being declared ineligible by the NCAA last year. Spellman is a big-time talented, five-star recruit that is expected to make immediate contributions, which is why you can consider them as one of your NCAAB betting picks.

No. 25 Texas A&M vs. No. 11 West Virginia

• When: Friday, November 10, at 5:00 PM ET
• Where: Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany
• TV: ESPN

NCAAB betting favorites West Virginia will take on Texas A&M in the Armed Forces Classic in Germany to open the 2017 campaign on Friday, November 10. Last season, West Virginia defeated Texas A&M 81-77 in the Big12/SEC Challenge at the WVU Coliseum. The probable Mountaineer starters for this year’s meeting are sophomores Lamont West, Wesley Harris and Sagaba Konate along with seniors Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. Junior Tyler Davis, senior Tonny Trocha-Morelos, freshman Savion Flagg senior Duane Wilson and freshman JayJay Chandler are listed as the probable starters for the Aggies. In exhibition play, Texas A&M lost a heartbreaker to Texas 73-69 but routed overmatched Tarleton St. 72-46. The Mountaineers smacked Albany around in their 98-67 exhibition win. West Virginia has won the last two meetings, including a hard-fought 81-77 home loss on Jan. 28, although Texas A&M covered the chalk as a 15-point underdog.

Iowa State vs. Missouri

• When: Friday, November 10, at 8:00 PM ET
• Where: Mizzou, Arena, Columbia, MO
• TV: SECN

Michael Porter Jr., Missouri’s prized freshman, and last year’s Gatorade National High School Player of the Year is going to be the possible No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Porter Jr. is highly athletic with the skills of a guard, although he easily stands 6-10. Porter Jr. has some elite company around him in the form of his brother Jantay a five-star recruit and 6-11 center Jeremiah Tilmon, both, top 50 recruits. Missouri has a highly respected head coach now in Cuonzo Martin. Iowa State made the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive season a year ago but the Cyclone will have a completely different looking ballclub this season. Iowa State loses five of their top six scorers from a season ago and their undeniable best player in guard Monte Morris, so look into another way for a safe NCAAB betting pick. Coach Steve Prohm has some new faces to the program in graduate transfers Jeff Beverly, Hans Brase and Zoran Talley who was named Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year last season after putting up just over 11.0 points per game. All eyes will be on super athletic freshman guard Lindell Wigginton who will start right off the bat.

Georgia Tech vs. No. 21 UCLA

• When: Friday, November 10, at 10:30 PM ET
• Where: Baoshan Sports Center, Shanghai, China
• TV: ESPN

Georgia Tech returns their top three scorers along with three key reserves from last season. Leading scorer Josh Okogie (16.1 PPG), a 6-4 shooting guard is back after earning ACC All-Freshman honors a year ago. Forward Ben Lammers (14.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 3.4 BPG) is also back after winning the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and sixth man Tadric Jackson will play a key role after averaging 12.1 points per game off the bench. Justin Moore, Abdoulaye Gueye, and Sylvester Ogbonda are all back after playing significant roles as reserves last season. Georgia Tech also adds an experienced grad transfer and four incoming freshmen to the roster this season. UCLA loses gifted freshmen, Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf, but they still have some talent for Steve Alford to work with, even if they’re starting the season off on a bad note with some of his players getting arrested this week in China for shoplifting. Point guard Jaylen Hands and 6-8 forward Kris Wilkes join the program as five-star recruits and the Bruins also add four-star forwards, Cody Riley, a top 50 prospect, and Jalen Hill, a top 75 prospect. Last but not least, UCLA will also have Lonzo’s brother, LiAngelo Ball, a three-star guard who was one of the players arrested.