The 5 Best Bets for the 2023-24 College Basketball Season: Bedeviled

The 2023-24 college basketball season begins on Monday, November 6, which means there are now hundreds of NCAAB futures odds to consider. For many sports fans, NCAA hoops isn't even on their radar until March Madness, but some of the best betting value comes from making wagers before the season even begins.

This is the era of one-and-dones and transfers, which can make it tough to keep up with all the changes at programs across the country. But not to worry, since I've got you covered with my five best college basketball bets to make before the season tips off.

National Champion

Duke is near the top of the March Madness odds board, but their current price will look like a bargain once they begin running through the ACC. The Blue Devils had an absolutely loaded recruiting class a year ago with three of the Top 4 recruits and a total of five players in the Top 30, according to 247 Sports.

There were growing pains from that young lineup at the start of the season, but by the time the conference tournament rolled around, Duke looked like one of the best teams in the country. This year the Blue Devils will have continuity with their four-highest scorers returning to the team, led by Wooden Award candidate Kyle Filipowski (15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game).

They'll be joined by another stacked incoming class featuring four more Top 25 recruits while senior Ryan Young gives them a quality big man off the bench. In addition, Jon Scheyer will also likely do a better job in his second year as head coach.

That insane level of talent, experience, balance, and depth, should help Duke win its sixth national title in program history.

Pick: Duke (+1,200 at PointsBet)

To make Final Four

Two of the most important factors to making a deep run in March are guard play and defense and the USC Trojans have both. The Trojans might end up having the best backcourt in the country if freshman Isaiah Collier plays up to his vast potential. The No. 1 recruit in the country, according to Rivals and ESPN, Collier will pair perfectly with senior guard Boogie Ellis, who led the team with 17.7 ppg last year.

The Trojans also have a pair of starters who made the Pac-12 All-Defensive team last year with Kobe Johnson locking down on the wing and Joshua Morgan protecting the rim while incoming transfer DJ Rodman (the son of Dennis), gives them another quality defender.

However, the biggest reason why this squad has such a high ceiling is freshman Bronny James and sophomore center Vince Iwuchukwu. Bronny, LeBron's highly-regarded son, was a Top 30 recruit but had a cardiac arrest incident in July and underwent surgery soon after. Bronny still intends to play for the Trojans, although this setback will likely slow down his development.

Iwuchukwu was a five-star recruit who also had the start of his freshman season hindered by cardiac arrest last year, and now he's recovering from offseason back surgery. James and Iwuchukwu won't be ready at the start of the season and will take some time to adjust once they do get back on the floor. However, as long as they get up to speed by February, they'll be able to help this Trojans team make some noise in March.

Pick: USC to make the Final Four (+850 at FanDuel)

Wooden Award

Zach Edey is the massive favorite for this award at +160 with Filipowski next on the board at +750 followed closely by Hunter Dickinson at +1,000. Edey was clearly the most dominant player in the country last year, averaging 22.3 ppg on 60.7% shooting while adding 12.9 rpg. That said, this price is a bit too steep to bet on him especially with the possibility of individual or team regression and voter fatigue playing a role. Keep in mind that since the Wooden Award was first handed out in 1977, there has only been one two-time winner and that happened 40 years ago.

If you want better value it makes sense to look at the next two guys on the board. Dickinson put up terrific numbers over the last two years with Michigan averaging 18.5 ppg and 8.8 rpg on 56.1% shooting and he could reach another level after transfering to Kansas. The Jayhawks enter this season as the faves to win the national title, and being the best player on one of the best teams in the country is usually a recipe for Wooden success.

In addition, Dickinson should get plenty of shots in an offense that doesn't really have any other ball-dominant players while Filipowski will have more competition for touches on a slower-paced squad. The Jayhawks' second and third-best players are Dajuan Harris and Kevin McCullar, who are excellent defenders who look to pass — the perfect complementary pieces for a post presence like Dickinson.

Pick: Hunter Dickinson (+1,000 at bet365)

Conference Winner

Big Ten Regular Season winner

Purdue is the favorite to win the Big Ten but I'm not convinced after the Boilermakers stumbled down the stretch last season and were knocked out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Sure, the Boilermakers still have the most dominant player in college hoops in Edey, but guard play and consistent shooting are so crucial to beating good opponents and they need to vastly improve in those areas.

When it comes to the little things that win in college hoops; getting to the free throw line, defending without fouling, knocking down outside shots, competing hard on the glass, and limiting turnovers, Michigan State might have the best squad in the conference. The Spartans played well down the stretch last season and were eventually knocked out in an overtime thriller in the Sweet 16.

They return four of five starters from that team along with sixth-man Malik Hall and they also landed one of the top recruiting classes in the country anchored by five-star big man Xavier Booker. Tom Izzo is one of the best coaches in the country and this is exactly the kind of team that he can mold into a Big Ten champion and a title contender.

Pick: Big Ten regular season champion - Michigan State (+300 at DraftKings)

Big South Regular Season winner

UNC Asheville is the favorite to win it all here but being able to get them at better than 2 to 1 odds is still terrific value. The Bulldogs were easily the best team in the conference last year going 16-2 and finishing four games ahead of Longwood and Radford, who were tied for second-place with 12 wins. They led the Big South in field goal percentage in conference play (46.7%), while also having the lowest opponent FG% (40.5%), and the highest average scoring margin (+5.7 ppg).

They might be even better this year since they return four of five starters including Big South Player of the Year Drew Pember. Pember averaged 20.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, and 2.3 bpg last year while getting to the free throw line at the highest rate in the country and sinking them at an 83.6% clip. It's a bit surprising to see Winthrop so close to UNC Asheville on the odds board (+270) since the Eagles struggled defensively last year, went 10-8, and lost a pair of starters.

Pick: Big South regular season champion - UNC Asheville (+240 at bet365)

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