This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
After a 2-1 start to the season on Monday, I'm back with three big plays for Sunday's College Hoops action!
Southeastern Louisiana 
@ Appalachian State
SELA rolls into App State with an impressive resume, including a road win at KenPom #86 Wyoming. The Lions are battle tested are getting a lot of points here. I believe this number is inflated based on the App State name and success the last few years as opposed to this year's results. Yes, they have the win at Louisville, but that win is less and less impressive by the day. The Mountaineers have home losses to Campbell and Kennesaw State already, and their wins have been only by five (in OT) and one. Meanwhile, SELA is the lowest-ranked team they've played to date, I don't see the justification for a spread this large.
College Basketball Best Bet: Southeastern Louisiana +7.5 (at DraftKings)
Virginia 
vs Illinois 
UVA is playing some seriously good ball early on this year, gelling well and steamrolling teams with the #4 Adjusted Offense and the #13 Adjusted Defense in the KenPom rankings. Illinois has surprised me a bit with their early success, as I anticipated a longer adjustment period after losing Kofi Cockburn and Andre Curbelo. The Illini's win over UCLA impressed me, but the quick turnaround to take on the Cavs is a tall order. UVA opened -2.5 and bettors have pounded Illinois, but I see it differently. I'll take all the points the books are willing to give.
College Basketball Best Bet: Virginia +1.5 (at FanDuel)
DePaul 
vs Oklahoma State
DePaul comes into this contest played in the Bahamas with a good resume, including a road win at Minnesota. The team did lose its first game in the Bahamas against Santa Clara, a squad I have a lot of respect for. The Blue Demons are a veteran squad, however, and I look for them to bounce back against an OSU unit that appears to be searching for an identity. The Cowboys have lost to KenPom #96 Southern Illinois and #69 UCF already this year. In fact, OSU's only wins on the year are against teams ranked well into the 200s. This is a lot of points, and I would not be surprised to see DePaul win this one outright.
College Basketball Best Bet: DePaul +7.5 (at FanDuel)
Sunday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Sunday night:
- Colorado St. Rams pk
- Davidson Wildcats +3.5
- Charlotte 49ers +4.5
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.
If you're in Maryland, sign up at BetMGM using the BetMGM Maryland Bonus Code.
