Thursday's college hoops slate offers a similar lineup to the past two days. Namely, we've got a few major conference teams teeing off as heavy favorites, in addition to intriguing matchups among schools from smaller conferences.
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Top College Basketball Best Bets for Today
Illinois State 
at Ohio 
Ohio is looking to redeem itself after dropping its season-opener at home, losing to Arkansas State, 89-85. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, the next visitor appears to be an even tougher challenge.
Illinois State was picked to finish first in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference media poll, earning 34 of 46 first-place votes. The Redbirds finished last season with a 22-14 overall record and won the Purple CBI postseason tournament. Now, they hope to build off of last season as they return 65 percent of scoring, which is the 10th-highest percentage returning in D1, per Illinois State's media guide.
The Redbirds haven't played a game yet, but KenPom's data agrees with the preseason media poll. Illinois State currently ranks 98th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 173rd in defensive efficiency, both comparatively much higher than Ohio's rankings. The Bobcats are above average offensively, ranking 138th, but their defense will likely be their Achilles' heel, as they rank 223rd in adjusted efficiency on that side of the court.
All things considered, I'm taking what appears to be the better team. I'm on the Redbirds in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Illinois State -1
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CSUN at Northern Iowa 
Northern Iowa had a strong season last year, winning 14 of 20 conference games, but it was overshadowed by Drake, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament and won a game as an 11-seed.
Regardless, KenPom projects the Panthers will have a similar level of success this coming year, placing them at No. 116 in the overall efficiency rankings, close to last season's finish at No. 102. Northern Iowa is likely to pose challenges to its opponents due to its balanced play, ranking 113th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 119th on defense. The Panthers' opponent on Thursday is far from balanced.
CSUN won its season opener, with a caveat that its opponent was Nobel, a team from the NCCAA. The Matadors dominated the game, 99-58, but KenPom indicates that their offense will likely decline once they face NCAA Division I opponents. CSUN is ranked 201st in adjusted offensive efficiency, a concern heading into the new season. Its defense seems solid, ranking 138th in efficiency on that side of the ball.
There is a chance CSUN's defense could step up and give them a shot to win on Thursday, but I favor our chances with the better offensive team, which is also playing at home. I'm taking the points with the Panthers in this matchup.
College Basketball Best Bet: Northern Iowa -8.5
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Nebraska Omaha 
at Abilene Christian
Abilene Christian dominated its season-opener, 92-55, although it came against McMurry, a D3 school, so the win doesn't carry much weight as far as a resume is concerned.
Regardless, KenPom is projecting the Wildcats to have a very similar profile to last season, namely, all defense and no offense. Abilene Christian currently ranks 285th in adj. offensive efficiency and 111th on defense, virtually the same as last year, with this year being a tick better on offense and a tick worse on defense.
Nebraska Omaha, on the other hand, is looking to get in the win column after losing its season-opener at a neutral site to a fair opponent, Murray State. Despite the loss, the Mavericks should be a competitive team. Nebraska Omaha made the NCAA Tournament last season, and KenPom indicates the success will likely continue. The Mavericks are projected to be favored in 13 of 16 conference games later this season, per KenPom.
Nebraska Omaha won most of its games last year on the strength of its offense, finishing the season at 97th in adj. efficiency. KenPom suggests this year's squad might take a step back, currently sitting at 171st, although it's worth noting that last year's team substantially improved over the course of the season. They entered last year at No. 319 in KenPom's preseason poll before shooting up the charts and ending the season at 165th. The Mavericks' glaring flaw is their defense, which currently ranks 250th in adj. efficiency, but a poor defense didn't prevent last year's team from winning plenty of games.
Considering the recent history of these two teams, I like our odds of seeing Nebraska Omaha get back to its winning ways and avenge its season-opening loss. I'm going with the Mavs in this one.
College Basketball Best Bet: Nebraska Omaha +3.5
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Thursday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Thursday:
- Illinois State -1
- Northern Iowa -8.5
- Nebraska Omaha +3.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
