By Chris Harris Contributor
Updated 11/6/23 4:10pm ET
While the four major sports all overlap, oddsmakers and bettors must now tackle a behemoth that is widely considered the most beatable aspect of the market.
College basketball season arrived on Monday with over 100 schools hitting the hardwood on the first day. The entire week lacks a ranked matchup but that carries minimal importance to bettors, as every ticket cashes the same. All present betting opportunities, and both sides of the counter are well aware.
“November Madness” features a wide range of variables. Teams have yet to gel, coaches are still assessing substitution rotations, and the transfer portal has created unprecedented player movement.
Last year saw numerous stunners with large favorites losing outright. Florida State (-19.5 to Stetson), Oklahoma (-17.5 to Sam Houston State), Temple (-16.5 to Wagner), Colorado (-15.5 to Grambling State), Oregon (-13.5 to UC Davis) all were taken down by smaller schools during the opening week.
Here are the largest spreads for Monday, courtesy of FanDuel:
#18 Texas (-31.5) vs. Incarnate Word
#12 Arizona (-31.5) vs. Morgan State
#7 Houston (-29.5) vs. Louisiana Monroe
#1 Kansas (-28.5) vs. North Carolina Central
#9 Tennessee (-27.5) vs. Tennessee Tech
#25 Illinois (-27.5) vs. Eastern Illinois
#2 Duke (-27.5) vs. Dartmouth
The good news is that brackets haven’t been busted and at this point in the season, everyone is undefeated. Including you.
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