This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Another big day of college basketball betting is upon us Thursday, and Steve Peralta has three more plays for the evening's slate of action.
Charleston Southern at 
Ohio State
The Buckeyes' offense exploded in its opening game of the season against Robert Morris, soundly defeating the Colonials 91-53. Next up, Ohio State will face a Charleston Southern team that, compared to Robert Morris, ranks worse in defensive efficiency and prefers playing at a fast tempo, consistently ranking among the top 100 fastest teams in D1 over the past few seasons.
Ohio State is projected to be among the best-scoring teams in the country this season, currently ranking No. 19 in offensive efficiency, so its opening night performance doesn't appear to be a fluke. The Buckeyes are effectively playing the same level of defense in this second matchup, going against a Buccaneers defense ranked No. 313 compared to No. 307 for Robert morris.
As long as the Buckeye's defense doesn't overperform, this game shouldn't have too much trouble going over.
College Basketball Best Bet: Over 141.5
Western Carolina at 
Maryland
Maryland struggled on defense last season, ranking third-worst in defensive efficiency in the Big Ten. That should no longer be an issue for the Terrapins, now that Kevin Willard has joined the team as head coach. In his 12 seasons at Seton Hall, Willard led the Pirates to a top-35 ranking in defensive efficiency six different times, including two top-10 finishes.
It appears Willard has already instilled a defensive mentality at Maryland, holding Niagra to just 49 points in the opening game of the season. Starting two years ago, Willard's teams began playing at a much slower tempo, and if opening night is any indication, this trend has continued into this season as well.
Western Carolina, on the other hand, is well below average in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Catamounts managed to score just 55 points on the road against Georgia in their first game of the season, not a great sign of things to come for Western Carolina. Maryland's defense is currently ranked substantially higher at No. 56 compared to No. 105 for Georgia in KenPom's efficiency rankings.
Western Carolina favors a slightly upbeat tempo, so it's always possible the scoring picks up, but ultimately I'm betting the home team will control the pace of the game and play lockdown defense against a weaker opponent.
College Basketball Best Bet: Under 139.5
Vermont at Saint Mary's
The Gaels have been among the best teams in the country in two noteworthy categories over the past two seasons -- defense and tempo. In both of the previous seasons, Saint Mary's defense finished top-13 in KenPom's efficiency rankings while also playing at a tempo that ranks top-20 slowest among all D1 teams. Looking ahead this season, Saint Mary's ranks No. 54 in terms of roster continuity, meaning the Gaels retained a significant portion of last year's team. Given that the coach and much of the roster are still with the team, we can reasonably expect these trends to continue.
Looking at the road team, Vermont's offense is expected to take a step back this season, now ranked No. 96, compared to finishing last season at No. 39 in KenPom's efficiency rankings. Not great news heading into a matchup where Vermont has to face the 26th-best defense in the country, per KenPom's rankings. Additionally, Vermont also likes playing a slower style of game, giving us a matchup that should have fewer possessions than usual. In fact, KenPom is projecting this matchup to have the fewest number of possessions out of all the remaining games on Vermont's schedule.
In any event, Vermont, embarking on a cross-country trip, is sure to have its hands full trying to score on an elite defensive team. For that reason, I'll take the under.
College Basketball Best Bet: Under 131.5
Thursday Night College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Thursday night:
- Charleston Southern/Ohio State over 141.5
- Western Carolina/Maryland under 139.5
- Vermont/St. Mary's under 131.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the College Basketball odds page on RotoWire.
