While we’re still in the home stretch as far as the 2017 college football season goes, college basketball schedules get underway this coming weekend, as the 351 Division I men’s hoops teams start preparing for a journey that will lead to one crowned champion at the end of March Madness. We have some for the way things will bear out during the regular season and beyond. Check out our thoughts before you lock in your betting picks on the College Basketball futures odds.
Forwards Ben Carter and Gavin Schilling return for their senior seasons after missing some time last year with knee issues. Jaren Jackson Jr. headlines a salty recruiting class — and the FBI didn’t list Michigan State among their programs of interest. So there’s a lot of reason to be optimistic about the green and white this year.
College Basketball Betting Projections & Predictions for 2017-18 Season
Will Michael Porter Jr. go No. 1? Preseason mock draft ➡️ https://t.co/Uj5OqRvym5 pic.twitter.com/JVToAAyYQL
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) 6 de noviembre de 2017
Wichita State will make the AAC a power conference in basketball
It wasn’t that long ago that Connecticut rolled all the way from being a 7-seed to the national championship. But in recent years, while the AAC has sent SMU to an NIT final and to the NCAA tournament twice in the last four years. Cincinnati, Connecticut, and Temple have also sniffed the Big Dance — but Wichita State coming to the conference for basketball gives them instant visibility, and also gives these other four schools a measuring stick before they have to take on an elite player in March. Sports Illustrated projects the Shockers as a #1 seed next March — and we don’t disagree. They lost to Kentucky in the second round too, but they pushed the Wildcats to the edge. None of their starters or key contributors left for the NBA or graduation, so as soon as Markis McDuffie and Landry Shamet finish rehabbing their foot injuries, the Shockers will be a force to be reckoned with and an ally for the College Basketball Betting enthusiasts.Arizona will win the Pac-12 and could push to the Final Four as well
The Wildcats lost Lauri Markkanen to the NBA, but their incoming freshmen and remaining veterans make the best squad in the Pac-12. Guard Allonzo Trier put up over 20 points per game in the last 10 games of the season last year. Center Dusan Ristic shoots over 55% in the paint over the last three seasons. DeAndre Ayton starts at power forward and is already seen as going in the top five of next year’s NBA draft. Emmanuel Akot and Brandon Randolph start at the wings and can either crash the rim or drain threes. Could the ongoing corruption investigation into NCAA basketball influence the eligibility of any of these contributors? Maybe, but so far so good for Arizona.Tom Izzo has another solid squad at Michigan State
You’ve probably heard of Miles Bridges already, but he’s far from the only solid sophomore that the Spartans have on their squad. Nick Ward is terrific at drawing contact inside, Josh Langford is dangerous on the wing because he can hit threes from all over the floor, and Cassius Winston already looks NBA-ready as a point guard. Each of them played more than 650 minutes last season, so they have plenty of experience.
Forwards Ben Carter and Gavin Schilling return for their senior seasons after missing some time last year with knee issues. Jaren Jackson Jr. headlines a salty recruiting class — and the FBI didn’t list Michigan State among their programs of interest. So there’s a lot of reason to be optimistic about the green and white this year.
What about Duke?
The Blue Devils are flying under the radar to a great degree this year. However, Grayson Allen will return — and Coach K hopes he is ready to do more than trip opponents this season. If his talent emerges without the abrasiveness, he could lead the Blue Devils a long, long way. Power forward Marvin Bagley III is the top-ranked recruit in the country. The problems have to do with defense, as the Blue Devils have slipped in that area in recent years, but this is a team that can hang with anyone this year. The issue will come late in games, as that defense betrayed Duke too many times in crucial contests last year, and there isn’t anyone in this year’s recruiting class who has a reputation as a stopper. It’s hard to count Duke out of the College Basketball Betting action until someone takes them out, but they’re not as scary as they have been in seasons past.Top Contenders to win the Championship
- Duke: +330
- Arizona: +650
- Kentucky: +650
- Michigan State: +650
- Kansas: +1200
- North Carolina: +1500
- Louisville: +1600
- Missouri: +1600
- Wichita State: +2500
- West Virginia: +3000
