The college hoops season hits full throttle today, with nine ranked teams packing the first truly loaded slate of the year.
Florida-Miami, Arizona-UCLA, and Gonzaga-Purdue headline my college basketball against-the-spread picks in a card stacked with early-season value.
Find all of our college basketball picks on Monday, Nov. 2, and throughout the season.
College basketball against the spread picks: Nov. 2
For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.
| Matchup | Pick |
|---|---|
 Miami Florida |
-5.5 52% |
 Memphis Iowa State |
-15.5 49% |
 Purdue Gonzaga |
+5.5 52% |
 Ohio State  BYU |
+3.5 50% |
 UCLA Arizona |
+4.5 49% |
 Monmouth St. John's |
-27.5 53% |
 Fordham Kansas |
+23.5 53% |
Percentages courtesy of Polymarket, one of our best prediction market apps.
Trade at Polymarket!
Sign up now using our exclusive Polymarket promo code 'COVERS' (on your mobile app only) and get a $25 trading bonus after you deposit $10 to trade on any event contracts!
*Eligible locations only
Expert college basketball ATS picks: Nov. 2
Miami vs Florida: Florida -5.5
Give me Florida's continuity in this matchup. The Gators return four starters from last season, including Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon, and Thomas Haugh, who played on the 2025 national championship team.
Memphis vs Iowa State: Iowa State -15.5
The Tigers ranked 317th nationally in offensive turnover rate (TOV%), per KenPom, while the Cyclones are annually among the country's leaders in defensive TOV%. Also, Memphis transfer big man Nemanja Popovic won't play, as he is serving a six-game withholding period.
Purdue vs Gonzaga: Purdue +5.5
The Boilermakers are 3-0 straight-up and against the spread in their last three meetings with 'Zaga from 2022-24. Two of Purdue's wins have come in November, so head coach Matt Painter has proven he can get his team ready quicker than Gonzaga's Mark Few.
Ohio State vs BYU: Ohio State +3.5
BYU lost two of its best players from last year's squad to the NBA draft: No. 1 overall pick A.J. Dybantsa and No. 32 pick Richie Saunders. I'm siding with the college basketball gurus over Polymarket, as KenPom and Bart Torvik make the Buckeyes a slight favorite in this game.
UCLA vs Arizona: UCLA +4.5
The Bruins usually dominate the possession battle under head coach Mick Cronin, and that's the most predictive aspect of handicapping college basketball. Arizona has to replace five rotation players, including its three leading scorers and leading rebounder.
Monmouth vs St. John's: St. John's -27.5
Supposedly, this is the most talented team Rick Pitino has put together since taking over St. John's in 2024, and the Red Storm usually wax these lower-rated opponents at Carnesecca Arena. Last season, the Johnnies beat Quinnipiac, William & Mary, and Bucknell by 33+ points.
Fordham vs Kansas: Fordham +23.5
According to FanBoardHQ.com, the Jayhawks are returning just 6.0% of their minutes played from last year's team, ranking 313th nationally. Fordham won its two exhibition games by double digits while averaging a +22.5 rebounding margin, and the Rams have enough size to challenge Kansas on the glass.
Today's college basketball ATS combo
Florida Purdue UCLA
Early-season college hoops is where continuity and coaching matter most, and all three legs check those boxes for me.
Florida returns the core of a team that already knows how to win big games, while Purdue has repeatedly looked more prepared than Gonzaga in these November matchups.
UCLA is the contrarian leg, but I like the Bruins’ ability to manufacture extra possessions through defense, rebounding, and ball security against an Arizona team replacing a ton of production.
There’s also less guesswork with these three teams because their coaches already have established identities and reliable rotation pieces they can lean on immediately.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
